2022 Kia EV6 – Highlights
As we enter the EV world there seems to be a difference in approaches to the design of these cars for example this is a normal GV70 but when it goes electric it’s going to look pretty much the same and then you kind of get to the ones that look like they’ve been inflated with a foot pump Mercedes-Benz EQS and then you enter the spaceship territory. It is like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that it shares a platform with. The 2022 Kia EV6 is another new EV that tries to be kind to your wallet.
Starting at 45 grand Canadian dollars it boasts the same 10 to 80 charge time that the Ioniq 5 does, 18 minutes. If you’ve only got 5 minutes to spare at the charger you can top up to 70 miles. However, with all its fancy GT line bits and all-wheel drive, it can run you just over 60 grand Canadian dollars.
The EV6 has a unique naming convention. The EV part means electric vehicle and the number represents where the vehicle sits in its lineup. That’s inspired because it takes a lot of courage to name a car and it takes, even more, to not name it at all. This is one of the new comfortable and more affordable EVs.
2022 Kia EV6 – Range and power
Now, top-line numbers this has in all-wheel drive, long-range GT line form, 320 horsepower that is the same as the Ioniq 5 all-wheel-drive long-range. This means it also boasts a similar five-second or just over five-second naught to 60miles time which is all the power you could ever want. It delivers it incredibly smooth and the other big number that matters is of course the range.
Even though this has the same battery setup and everything as the Ionic 5, this gets more range. We think this must be because it’s a bit lighter and also maybe something to do with aerodynamics in this spec. That means this has 274 miles of range unless you are in a colder region then it’ll be less.
Comparing this to the other all-wheel-drive long-range cars in this kind of class. 2022 Kia EV6 is second only to the Model Y from Tesla. With Kia EV6, you might not be impressed with the range but will be definitely impressed with the ride. Kia EV6 is soft. It isn’t aggressively tuned in any way but it doesn’t do that waft of Hyundai Ioniq 5. So, that’s an improvement. It does drive incredibly, competently, and even if you drop it into sport mode which we don’t think you’re ever going to use because of the range thing, this EV moves really smoothly more than a 4500 pounds car should ever do like the Ioniq 5.
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On braking, it’s very confident that feels like a normal car. It’s quick, it’s smooth, it handles the corners, it challenges that waft the Ionic has. Overall, we can say it’s the sportier version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
2022 Kia EV6 – The design
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When it comes to design, it’s one of the best-looking electric cars till now. They’ve stayed true to their language. They have the digital tiger-nose grille which we saw on the Kia K5. In the GT line, you got 20-inch wheels the steel matte gray paint which looks fantastic. Taillight at the back looks like the one that’s on the new EQS. It does however suffer from the same absolutely rubbish frunk that’s in the Ioniq 5. It’s practically useless.
Even though it’s bigger in the rear-wheel-drive version, it’s still absolutely tiny. However, the strong suit of the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is that neither of them looks like their Genesis GV60 sibling which looks like a fly. 2022 Kia EV6 has a wheelbase that’s slightly shorter than the Ioniq 5. The wheelbase is 114.2inch which is still as long as a Kia Telluride.
2022 Kia EV6 – The interiors
This is a big car. An advantage to that though should be that it has a very roomy interior. On the inside, you get a darker cabin which you will really like. Actually gone is the white squared-off bezel that’s in the Ioniq 5. Now, It has the black angled one with the cool design elements going across the dash. You got this design even on the armrest.
In all ways, this feels more like a spaceship. The circular drive shifter is placed on the central console. Unlike the higher trims of Ioniq5 where you move the central console back and forth to have more space, you do not have this option in Kia EV6. The climate controls are also on the central console. You have still got plenty of storage space in the central console. You got wireless charging and USB ports as well. The cool features include the heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and heated as well as ventilated seats on the front.
The dashboard and driver’s cabin
On the central dashboard panel, you have has two different functions. You have to toggle between the radio stuff and the climate stuff. So when you’re on the climate side, the knob controls the climate, and then you have to press the button to control the volume. As far as the infotainment goes, it is very similar to the Ioniq 5. We have the same gauge cluster in front which is not the most intuitive not the most exciting but it works and at least unlike a Tesla Model 3 or Model Y it’s directly in front of you.
We’ve got the two spoke design of the steering wheel. Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis are leaning hard into it right now. This is an interesting decision because it’s a bit divisive and not everyone’s a fan of it. The one in the Ioniq 5 is better looking but it’s got the same functionality here with drive mode.
As far as the more affordable EVs go, these cabins are getting really really quite nice. Even the materials going on here are all soft-touch leather and vegan stuff. It feels really up the market. For the entertainment part, we’ve got the Meridian sound system which is as wonderful as it looks.
2022 Kia EV6 – Seating space and comfort
2022 Kia EV6 doesn’t benefit from the moon roof that the Ioniq 5 gets. You just get this smaller sunroof so it is a bit disappointing to find that out. The seats are very comfortable. The headroom doesn’t feel massive in here. If you’re quite tall it might be an issue. However, there’s tons of legroom. So you can just go back as far as you want. Although one thing is that the headrests are in a really good position for driving because they hold your head forward. But if you just want to rest at a traffic light, they don’t adjust back so that it feels a bit pushy.
In the rear, it’s a similar story as far as space knee room is legion and the headroom is pretty good. But it’s not quite Ionic 5 level. However, the seats do recline forward and aft like the Ioniq 5. But they don’t move back and forward which is what allowed you such customization in the Ioniq 5. You can drop the seats down from the boot whereas in the Ioniq 5 you have to go around. The boot space feels very similar to Ioniq 5 again. All in all, it’s a great cabin.
2022 Kia EV6 – Conclusion
The EV6 despite its curves isn’t officially a sportier Ionic 5. Just the sportier-looking one. But what it is is another quite wonderful option in the world of EVs from afar. In photos, it has a design that could make most hot hatches of the last decade blush and in the incoming GT form, a 0 to 60 speed to match its range is competitive as is the price. Its drive is smooth and the interior is roomy. A Mustang Mock E is still dynamically superior. A Model Y gets the supercharger network. The fact that at the north of fifty thousand dollars 2022 Kia EV6 sits near the top of the list of desirable.
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