Kia recently announced that its corporate strategy involves creating a wave of new electric vehicles, including six bespoke EVs, by 2027. But, for now, the South Korean carmaker intends to ensure that its first bespoke production electric car, the EV6, is a success.
Updated December 2022: The all-new Kia EV6 is one of the best electric SUVs on the market, with an impressive 310 miles of driving range on a full charge. Apart from being a promising glimpse into Kia's all-electric future, it has all the features that can rival highly rated EVs like the Tesla Model 3 and Hyundai IONIQ 5. While the car has a beautiful design, we have updated this article to include powertrain and pricing information for the Kia EV6.
Kia will badge each model as EV followed by a number corresponding to its size. The new EV6 will be a mid-sized crossover, but if that type of body does not correspond with your taste, then the good news is that the South Korean automaker has left room for compact SUVs, saloons, and larger SUVs in the future.
However, there is one car that could pose a threat to the Kia EV6, and that is the Hyundai IONIQ 5. This bold, new car will also be a mid-sized crossover that will launch under Hyundai's IONIQ electric sub-brand. What this means for Kia's fellow counterparts is that they will be pursuing their own electric strategy. Which car is likely to be better?
Firstly, let's find out everything we know about Kia's first bespoke production electric vehicle.
The EV6 Has A Beautiful Exterior Design And A Spacious Interior
According to Autocar, the Kia EV6's design represents a significant departure from the marque's previous design choices. Known as 'Opposites United,' this styling ethos aims to contrast combinations of sculptural shapes and stylistic elements. By opting for this design strategy, Kia has ensured their future cars will have the same configuration. The South Korean carmaker's new philosophy consists of challenging color schemes, bold, everchanging surfaces, and simple lines.
Its new minimalist interior design ethos will result in the EV6 having a more spacious cabin than all of Kia's current vehicles. Other features inside include slim, lightweight seat designs and a sloping dashboard. Occupants should be able to experience less incursion in their space. The interior is also meant to look rather sporty thanks to its driver-orientated infotainment display. In a bid to boost its environmental credentials, the South Korean automaker has ensured the EV6 uses recycled plastics inside.
Outside, there is a new version of Kia's 'tiger nose' grille. Motor Trend noticed how the EV6 would have low-mounted headlights, muscular fenders, a floating roofline, and taillights, giving the car a 'generic' look.
The New Kia EV6 Offers Good Performance And Is Affordable
The EV6 shares the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai IONIQ 5, meaning their performance specs are largely similar. However, the EV6 has a responsive steering wheel that allows the driver to tackle sharp turns easily, while the IONIC 5 has a smoother ride.
The Kia EV6 has two battery sizes: a 58.0-kWh and a 77.4-kWh pack. The smaller battery has an EPA-rated range of 232 miles, while the larger one can provide up to 310 miles. However, the performance model can go up to 206 miles. Kia claims its battery can go from 10 to 80 percent in under 18 minutes when plugged into a 350-kW fast charger.
EV6 buyers can choose between a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle for rear-wheel drive or electric motors on both front and rear axles for all-wheel drive. The all-wheel-drive models have a large battery pack and produce around 320 horsepower. The rear-wheel drive with a small battery can produce up to 167 horsepower.
According to Cars U.S. News, the performance model can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 117 mph. Overall, at a starting price of $40,900, the EV6 is a fun SUV with agile handling, good acceleration, and adjustable regenerative brake settings.
How Does The New Kia EV6 Compare To The Hyundai IONIQ 5?
As mentioned earlier, because the Kia EV6 will more than likely sit on the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai IONIQ 5, both cars are likely to have similar engines and ranges.
The IONIQ 5's interior trumps that of the EV6 thanks to its Bluelink connected car services, letting customers control the vehicle from their smartphone. New features such as Connected Routing and Last Mile Navigation provide more powerful and accurate navigation. Bluelink also contains charging station information, including estimated charging ability and availability. These are pretty cool features that will make it hard for Kia's new electric vehicle to compete with Hyundai's latest car, making the latter a better option when comparing their interiors.
But, there is some good news for Kia. The IONIQ 5 will cost $43,650, which is slightly above the EV6’s starting price. The EV6 may be the winner in terms of price, but some customers might want to pay a bit more to get their hands on the new Hyundai vehicle's modern interior features. Either way, both cars seem pretty promising at a time when many car companies are looking to make 2021 the year of the electric vehicle.
Sources: Kia, Hyundai, Cars U.S. News