A decade into the modern electric vehicle era – counting the starting point as the moment when mass-market plug-in vehicles went on sale in late 2010 – there are still “firsts” to be had.
While Kia already has tested the EV waters with an electrified version of the Soul, the automaker unveiled its first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6, during a flashy reveal event Tuesday night in Times Square.
The EV6 stands out from the rest of Kia's lineup thanks to a new “Digital Tiger” grille as well as headlights that light up in a sequential, dynamic pattern. The EV6 was designed by Kia studios in Seoul, Korea; Frankfurt, Germany; and Irvine, CA, using the “Opposites United” design language. The resulting hatchback-esque CUV features a long wheelbase with short overhangs, flush exterior door handles and a high rear deck that also serves as a spoiler.
The EV6 will be available with 19-, 20- or 21-in. wheels.
The EV6 will be the first Kia to use the E-GMP platform, which also can be found in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and a fair number of future as-yet-unnamed electric vehicles from these brands and Genesis. Kia says the E-GMP is the world’s first 800V, multi-charging architecture and, in the EV6, will use one of two nickel-cobalt-manganese battery pack options (58.0 kWh or 77.4 kWh) that will offer a driving range of up to 300 miles (483 km).
The platform’s DC charging capability works with fast chargers that range from 50kW to 350kW and, at peak performance, will be able to refill the pack from 10% to 80% charge – adding up to 210 miles (338 km) of range – in under 18 minutes.
The EV6 uses what Kia calls the “world's first mass-produced integrated drive axle” that combines the wheel bearings with the driveshaft to save weight while still providing “enhance[d] ride comfort and handling.”
The E-GMP allows the EV6 to offer either rear-wheel-drive or dual-motor, all-wheel-drive capability using a 160-kW motor on the rear axle and a 70-kW motor up front. Depending on motor and battery configuration, output will range from 167 to 313 hp in the standard models. In the GT performance trim, which won’t be available until late 2022, the EV6 becomes a 576-hp beast with a 0-60 mph (0-97 km/h) time of less than 3.5 seconds.
Not bad for a CUV with a 114.2-in. (2,900 mm) wheelbase that matches the one in the gas-powered Kia Telluride SUV (an overall larger vehicle with a 0-60 time of just over seven seconds).
The EV6’s flat-floor design, made possible by the all-electric powertrain, means it offers a total of 102 cu.-ft. (2,888 L) of passenger room, 27.7 cu.-ft. (793 L) of cargo room behind the second row and 53.5 cu.-ft. (1,510 L) with the second-row seats folded down. There's also a frunk, or a trunk in the front, where the engine isn’t.
The electric powertrain means the EV6 can offer features not found on other CUVs, such as Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) with 1,900 watts of off-board power. With the largest battery, this should provide 36 or more consecutive hours of appliance use while camping or tailgating (pictured, below left), as well as allowing the car’s battery to provide power to a properly equipped home. In a pinch, the EV6 can recharge another electric vehicle at 1.1 kW, or the equivalent of a standard 110V home outlet.
The EV6 will come with safety and infotainment features today’s car buyers have come to expect, including an advanced driver assistance system that offers semi-autonomous capabilities, including Highway Driving Assist 2.
The driver information screen and the center infotainment screens are both 12-in. (30-cm) units that together form a sort of panoramic viewing area. Wireless smartphone charging, an in-car commerce system called Kia Pay and a Wi-Fi hotspot will all be available.
For the general consumer, the EV6 goes on sale in all 50 states in early 2022, but EV6 sales will really start with 1,500 First Edition models being offered through the Kia website on June 3. Kia hasn’t offered limited-edition models before, making this move another first for the brand, even if it does follow in the tire tracks of EV models from Tesla, Polestar and Ford, among others.
The First Edition versions of the EV6 will have the model’s top-of-the-line features, including an augmented-reality head-up display, remote smart parking assist, sunroof and a premium 14-speaker Meridian audio system. The powertrain setup includes the dual-motor AWD and the 77.4-kWh battery.
“These exclusive vehicles will let our biggest fans tell the world that they were the first to join us and embrace the EV revolution,” Russell Wagner, Kia America’s vice president of marketing, says of the First Edition models.
Kia says the EV6 is the first of 11 all-new electrified models, including sedans, CUVs and SUVs, that the brand will bring to global markets by 2026 as part of the automaker’s “Plan S” strategy.
Alongside the debut of the EV6, Kia Motors America announced it is changing its name in the U.S. to Kia America. This follows the parent corporation’s renaming from Kia Motors Corp. to Kia Corp. The new global Kia logo that was revealed earlier this year will be adopted here model by model.
EV6 first of 11 all-new electrified models Kia to release by 2026.
