[Test Drive] 'Added Comfort to Thrilling Speed'... Kia's First Dedicated Electric Vehicle EV6

The EV6 GT-Line features a straight bumper design, unlike the existing Long Range model, emphasizing its sporty look.
Photo by Lee Ki-min

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] "Is this what it feels like to ride on a tiger's back?" Throughout the drive, I had this thought as the EV6, an electric vehicle exclusively based on the E-GMP platform that Kia began selling on the 2nd of this month, felt as swift as a big cat yet stable. The description of it being 'the fastest domestic electric vehicle' alone felt insufficient.

At the media test drive event held on the 25th, the EV6 GT-Line 4WD I encountered showcased a more pronounced dynamism compared to the long-range standard model. The front and rear featured GT-Line exclusive bumpers that drew sharp straight lines, and instead of black wheel arch moldings, body-colored wheel arches were applied on the sides to emphasize integration with the body. With a height of 1550mm, it was much lower and sleeker than the similarly sized compact internal combustion engine sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Sportage (1660mm).

The second row of the EV6 GT-Line offers an interior space so spacious that two fists can fit even when an adult male is seated.
/Photo by Lee Ki-min

Inside, suede material seats and door centers provided a comfortable seating experience. Sitting in the second row, even an adult 180cm tall had about 20cm of ample knee space, making it suitable for family use. The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and the panoramic display integrating audio, video, and navigation (AVN), along with the augmented reality head-up display (HUD), added to the driving enjoyment. However, the sunroof was a wide-type rather than the panoramic type commonly installed in recent SUVs, which might feel somewhat confining to drivers who prefer openness.

During this test drive event, we drove the EV6 GT-Line 4WD on a 120km round trip from Kia's electric vehicle specialized cultural complex EV6 Unplugged Ground located in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, to Pocheon City in Gyeonggi Province. The EV6 GT-Line, equipped with 20-inch tires and 4WD, has a zero to 100 km/h acceleration time of 5.2 seconds, slower than the GT model (3.5 seconds) to be released next year, but it felt fast enough to catch up with any car on the road.

The EV6 GT-Line can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds with 20-inch tires and 4WD.

Photo by Kia

The stability was even more impressive. Even when accelerating to the speed limit on the highway using sport mode, the vehicle felt firmly planted on the road with minimal body sway and no motor noise. Cornering stability was excellent on winding sections. However, despite slowing down for speed bumps, the impact was quite noticeable, which was a bit disappointing. Since the electric motor delivers maximum torque immediately upon power delivery, driving in the city requiring frequent acceleration and deceleration was comfortable without inconvenience.

The vehicle tested this time was equipped with 20-inch tires, the basic high-tech trim, sunroof, Meridian sound system, built-in cam, and Yacht Blue color, priced at 62,620,000 KRW.

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