Car review: 2023 Kia EV6 GT
Kia as a brand has come a long way in the past few years, and now it’s asking more than $100,000 for a vehicle – the most expensive car the Korean manufacturer has sold in Australia.
While the price might deter some, customers are lining up for more than six months to get behind the wheel of Kia’s latest offering, the EV6 GT.
The drive
Sitting in the EV6 GT, you’ll notice it has the space and functionality of a large hatchback.
Take it for a spin and it’s quickly clear it has the performance of a supercar and the head-turning looks to match. All this comes at half the price of a European sports car, plus it has a whole suite of tech.
This includes intelligent headlights that turn off individual LEDs to reduce the risk of dazzling oncoming motorists.
The driver is also kept well informed with vital driving data via a heads-up display, while the rest of the information is fed through two 12.3-inch digital screens.
One of those screens can be used for driving information and the other for infotainment.
The details
The EV6 GT is a fully electric vehicle (EV) and has a 77.4kWh battery, which gives it a stated range of about 424km. In day-to-day terms, this is approximately 350km.
The EV6 GT will accept either 400-volt or 800-volt fast chargers, which Kia says gives an 80 per cent charge in about 70 minutes.
It can also power other appliances via 240-volt outlets on the inside and outside of the vehicle. If your phone needs some juice, there’s a charging mat in the console.
The GT also stands out with its bright-green brake callipers, which sit inside the 21-inch alloy wheels. The skateboard-style architecture provides a flat floor in the cabin and good rear-seat space. On the road, the GT can accelerate to highway speeds in just 3.5 seconds.
A push of the green GT button on the steering wheel supplies the maximum 430kW and 740Nm to the axles.
The dual motor with adjustable regeneration almost provides one-pedal operation, so there’s little need to use the brakes.
The design
The GT is distinguished by its unique sports-style front seats, which are not overly comfortable as they’ve been designed to accommodate a race helmet for track days.
During severe regeneration, Kia claims a charge rate back to the battery of 150kW from both motors. The battery is nearly half a tonne and low in
the skateboard platform, giving the GT a low centre of gravity. This helps with the car’s handling, which is further assisted by the three-mode semi-active suspension.
Fast, functional and jam-packed with technology, the EV6 GT is in keeping with the Kia tradition of value for money while also signalling the car manufacturer as a design and EV leader.
| The specs | |
|---|---|
| Price | $111,311 |
| ANCAP safety rating | Not rated |
| Warranty | Seven-year warranty with unlimited kilometres, and seven-year 150,000km (whichever occurs first) battery warranty |