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The all-electric Kia EV6 will start from £40,895 in the UK, while EV6 GT-line models start from £43,895. Pricing for the high-performance GT model starts from £58,295. More detailed UK specifications will be announced from May 2021. UK deliveries of the new Kia EV6 will commence from October 2021, with the EV6 GT to follow in 2022.
The EV6 offers buyers a choice of multiple fully-electric, zero emission powertrain configurations, including long-range (77.4kWh) and standard-range (58.0kWh) high-voltage battery packs. The EV6 GT-line is available with both long-range and standard-range battery packs, while the EV6 GT features the long-range battery pack only. This is Kia’s first electric vehicle to be available with two-wheel (rear-wheel) drive or all-wheel drive (AWD) options.
The 2WD 77.4kWh EV6 can travel over 316 miles on a single charge on the WLTP combined cycle. With a maximum 605Nm torque available on the AWD version, the EV6 can accelerate from 0-62mph in just 5.2 seconds. The 77.4kWh battery pack is paired with a 168kW (229ps) electric motor powering the rear wheels, and for AWD models two electric motors, powering the front and rear axles, produce a total of 239kW (325ps).
The 58.0kWh EV6 can accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, with a maximum 605Nm torque available on the AWD version. The 58.0kWh battery pack is paired with a 125kW electric motor powering the rear wheels; AWD models feature two electric motors, powering the front and rear axles and producing a combined 173kW (235ps).
Equipped with 430kW dual motors, the EV6 GT has 740Nm of torque, and the AWD GT version accelerates from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and can reach a top speed of over 160mph. The EV6 GT version features electronic-Limited Slip Differential software.
The EV6 is fitted with energy-recuperation technologies to maximise driving range. This includes Kia’s latest-generation energy-efficient heat pump, which scavenges waste heat from the car’s coolant system. This ensures that at minus seven degrees Celsius the car can achieve 80 per cent of the range that would be possible at 25 degrees Celsius.
Also featured is the latest generation of Kia’s smart regenerative braking system, which is operated by paddle shifters behind the steering wheel so drivers can quickly and easily slow the car and recuperate kinetic energy to maximise driving range and efficiency. Drivers can choose from six regenerative braking levels (none, 1 to 3, ‘i-PEDAL’, or auto mode), depending on the desired level of energy recuperation. The system’s ‘i-PEDAL’ driving mode also allows the car to harvest the maximum amount of energy from its brakes, and enables the driver to bring the car to a gentle halt without needing to push the brake pedal.
The EV6 offers 800V and 400V charging capabilities, without the need for additional components or adapters. The car is capable of a high-speed charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes on all variations or a top-up charge of 62 miles of driving range in less than four and a half minutes when pairing 2WD with the 77.4kWh battery option.
The car’s charging system is more flexible than previous generation BEVs thanks to an Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU). The ICCU enables a new vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which is capable of discharging energy from the vehicle battery. The V2L function can supply up to 3.6kW of power and is capable, as an example, of operating a 55-inch television and air conditioner simultaneously for more than 24 hours. The system is also able to charge another EV, if needed.
With more than 35 per cent charge left in the battery, the EV6 can tow items weighing up to 1,600 kg. Together with the V2L function, EV6 owners can take everything they need on an outdoor adventure with friends and family and do it all with zero emissions.
The EV6 also features an augmented reality (AR) head-up display system, which projects driving information onto the base of the windscreen in the driver’s line of sight. The system displays details of vehicle speed, and turn-by-turn navigation instructions.
The Kia EV6 is now available for pre-reservations in the UK. Customers can secure an early ordering slot for the new BEV with a fully refundable £100 charge. Pre-reservation customers will then be invited to place their order during an exclusive two week ordering period in May, ahead of general sale.
When pre-reservation customers opt to fulfil their order they will benefit from a tailored charging service, featuring one year’s free subscription to KiaCharge Plus, alongside access to Ionity’s pan-European ultra-rapid EV charging network.
The Kia EV6 is the first of 11 new BEV models from the brand by 2026 – seven built on the new E-GMP architecture, and four EVs based on existing models.
It also kicks off the company’s mid-to-long term strategy for BEVs, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and hybrid electric (HEV) vehicles to make up 40 per cent of Kia’s total sales by 2030, with an annual sales target of 1.6 million units. As part of this, Kia aims to grow its BEV sales to 880,000 units in 2030 and become a top global seller.
