The 2022 Kia EV6 crossover will hit the market later this year as Kia‘s first entry into the battery electric vehicle (BEV) market. It is built on the same EV-specific new global platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
With 576 hp on tap from the top-spec dual-motor AWD 2022 Kia EV6 GT this new battery-electric-vehicle (BEV) isn’t what you might expect from Kia -although they did bring us the Stinger. The EV6 GT is said to do 0-60 MPH in about 3.5 seconds. Can your family crossover do that?
2022 Kia EV6: Space & Speed
The 2022 EV6 marks Kia’s first attempt at an all-battery-powered electric vehicle. It is built on parent company Hyundai’s joint Electric-Global Modular Platform. This EV platform design offers a flat floor in the passenger compartment and the ability to handle a wide range of vehicle body styles.
Despite being a relatively small crossover, the Kia EV6 offers up big cargo space. Trunk space is over 18 cubic feet and with the rear seats folded down the EV6 has 45 cubic feet of cargo capacity. Plus, the frunk has have room for some small items.
The EV6 will be produced in South Korea and offered in 3 models here in North America. The base EV6 will be joined by the EV6 GT-line and the even sportier AWD EV6 GT. How sporty? Well, Kia indicates a top speed of 162 MPH and a sub 3.5 second 0-60 time.
To prove its point, a 1/4-mile drag race pitting the Kia EV6 GT against 5 other supercars was performed. The EV6 GT lost out only to the McLaren 570S. It beat the Ferrari California T, the Porsche 911 Targa 4, the Mercedes AMG GT, and the Lamborghini Urus. We have to laugh a little, as EVs like the Porsche Taycan Turbo S or Tesla Model S Performance would smoke the EV6.
Oh, the 2022 Kia EV6 can also tow up to 3,500 pounds.
Useful Electricity
When it comes to battery-powered cars, the topic of range and re-charging are always top-of-mind issues. With an 800V system, which many charging spots across the country now support, the EV6 might surprise you. Kia says charging from 10-80% will take just 18 minutes, shorter than some waits at Starbucks.
Kia will offer 2 battery packs; the longer-range 77.4 kWh and the standard 58.0kWh on both the EV6 and the EV6 GT-line. The sportier EV6 GT will only come in the longer-range battery pack. Kia’s Connect software will show you available charging stations, their prices, and help you plan your route in order to stay charged.
The base EV6 and GT-Line will be offered with either a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or an all-wheel-drive (AWD) option. Only the EV6 GT version will come with electronic-Limited Slip Differential software and AWD as standard. With RWD and a long-range battery pack, the base EV6 is estimated to travel 316 miles on a single charge. That would be enough range to travel from Chicago to St Louis.
Powering the world around you with your car is becoming more and more common. The EV6 offers up to 3.6 kW to power either things like your house in case of a power failure, or all the gadgets on your next car camping adventure. Think of this, and most new EVs mobile electric battery banks that you can now tap into on-demand.
A Modern Design Direction
The Kia design team focused a lot of effort on the interior of the EV6. Jochen Paesen, Kia’s Vice President for Interior Design noted, “People are first attracted by the exterior of cars, but they eventually fall in love with the interior – where they spend most of their time. So, designing an inspiring space for the EV6 was the most important thing for us.”
Twin 12-inch curved display screens dominate the dash. An augmented reality heads-up display (HUD) helps keep the driver’s attention on the road ahead, and off those big screens. An optional 14-speaker Meridian surround sound system will keep the tunes flowing.
Ambient green lighting ties together the interior green accents. Those accents appear as contrast stitching on the front bucket seats, which offer a zero-gravity recline setting. In a nod to sustainability, Kia touts that between the PET recycled fabric and vegan leather, they recycled the equivalent of 111 plastic water bottles to create each EV6 interior.
In keeping with current exterior design trends across the industry, the Kia EV6 gets a sweeping LED rear taillight. While designated a crossover, the side view shows some sleek aerodynamic flows more befitting a hot hatch.
EV6 Comparisons
Compared to its sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the EV6 has more curves and a sportier feel. Hyundai so far has not offered a sport version, so maybe the EV6 GT will be the sole occupant in that lane?
Kia may call it a crossover but a little bit of hatchback is showing through. Looks-wise, the EV6 overpowers the Volkswagen ID.4 and has better performance numbers.
So Kia will soon offer an all battery-powered crossover vehicle, which offers impressive levels of refinement, usable range, and top-level performance. All this is wrapped in a muscular form that should be both comfortable and utilitarian.
We can’t wait to see it up close and power it up. The 2022 Kia EV6 will hit the North American market in the second half of this year, with pricing coming out closer to that time.
