Song Hoseong, Kia President: "Leap to Global Electric Vehicle Company with EV6"

At the Kia EV6 World Premiere event held online on the 30th, executives posed for a commemorative photo with the vehicle (from left: Fayeze Raman, Executive Director of Kia Vehicle Architecture Development Center; Lee Yong-min, Senior Executive Director of Kia Domestic Marketing Office; Kwon Hyuk-ho, Vice President of Kia Domestic Business Headquarters; Song Ho-sung, President and CEO of Kia; Artur Martins, Executive Director of Kia Customer Experience Headquarters; Karim Habib, Executive Director of Kia Design). Photo by Kia

[Asia Economy Reporter Changhwan Lee] Kia President Song Hoseong declared on the 30th that the company will leap to become the world's best electric vehicle company, using its first dedicated electric car, the EV6, as a stepping stone.

President Song made this announcement during the 'EV6 Digital World Premiere' event held online on the same day.

He said, "The EV6 will play a significant role in Kia's transformation into an innovative mobility solutions company," adding, "The EV6 will be the starting point for Kia's plan to increase the proportion of eco-friendly vehicles to 40% in the future."

He continued, "The EV6 is the first of seven dedicated electric vehicle models Kia will launch by 2026," and added, "We will introduce a diverse lineup to lead the electric vehicle era."

President Song emphasized, "The EV6 is a highly competitive electric vehicle, with the long-range model capable of driving over 510 km on a single charge (based on European measurement standards)." He also highlighted, "The high-performance model boasts outstanding performance, with a zero-to-100 km/h acceleration time of just 3.5 seconds."

He stated, "The EV6, symbolizing Kia's new transformation, is designed to inspire customers on every journey with its dynamic design, advanced cutting-edge technology, and thrilling performance." He added, "Furthermore, to provide sustainable mobility solutions, Kia's commitment and efforts to pursue eco-friendliness extend to even the smallest details in manufacturing processes and materials."

Kia Design Executive Vice President Karim Habib explaining the design at the EV6 World Premiere event site

The First Electric Vehicle to Apply Kia's New Design Philosophy

The EV6 is the first dedicated electric vehicle reflecting Kia's new design philosophy, 'Opposites United,' inspired by the harmony between nature and humans. Opposites United means creatively combining contrasting concepts to create a new design that did not previously exist.

The front of the EV6 features a 'Digital Tiger Face,' a reinterpretation of the traditional Tiger Nose grille suited to the electric vehicle image, harmonizing with the daytime running lights (DRL) to give a more sophisticated and dynamic impression.

Kia Executive Director of Design Karim Habib said, "The EV6 emphasizes a very dynamic and powerful look by applying Opposites United," and particularly praised the front Digital Tiger Face as "the true essence of our design philosophy."

The EV6 is offered in two versions: a Long Range model equipped with a 77.4 kWh battery and a Standard model equipped with a 58.0 kWh battery.

Paired with a 160 kW-class electric motor mounted on the rear wheels as standard, the EV6 can travel up to 510 km or more on a single charge based on the European WLTP certification. According to domestic measurement standards, it is known to achieve over 450 km of driving range.

Kia will begin domestic pre-orders for the EV6 starting on the 31st. Pre-orders will cover the entire lineup, including the Standard, Long Range, and GT-Line models scheduled for release in the second half of the year, as well as the GT model planned for release in the second half of next year.

The starting prices for each EV6 model are expected to be approximately 40 million KRW in the high 40 million range for the Standard, mid-50 million KRW range for the Long Range, high 50 million KRW range for the GT-Line, and low 70 million KRW range for the GT. (Prices are before electric vehicle tax benefits, based on a 3.5% individual consumption tax; pre-order schedules, confirmed prices, and prices after tax benefits will be announced later.)

Considering the individual consumption tax benefits applied to electric vehicles (up to 3 million KRW) and purchase subsidies (12 million KRW based on Seoul city standards), the Standard model is expected to be available in the mid-30 million KRW range, and the Long Range model in the high 30 million KRW range.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.