Well, this might just be the most exciting Kia product to date. The new Kia EV6,
it's on its way to Australian showrooms in the first quarter
of 2022. But before it arrives, we've been afforded a sneak peak. Now,
we already know this five-door electric crossover has award-winning DNA. Let's take a closer look.
The EV6 is the first of seven dedicated new electric models from Kia, and is spun off
the same EGMP architecture as our 2021 Car Sales Car of the Year, the Hyundai IONIQ 5.
Due to arrive in Australian showrooms from the first quarter of 2022,
the EV6 will initially be limited to just 500 examples nationally during its first year on sale,
shared across base and GT trims. About 12 months later, we'll also get limited stock
of a fully-fledged EV6 GT Flagship. Pricing is yet to be confirmed but the EV6 is likely to sit above
the $72,000 starting point for the IONIQ 5. Kia says cheaper variants are expected down the track.
So I suppose that technically speaking, the EV6 is kind of a fast back style crossover. It measures
4.7 metres in length, and like the IONIQ 5, it rides on a wheel base measuring nearly 3
metres. The translation of that is a big footprint on the road and plenty of space
inside the cabin. From a design perspective, the EV6 takes on a whole new direction for
Kia. Now they're kind of referring to it as opposites united in all their marketing spiel,
but for me, I look at it, it looks like no other Kia before it.
This GT line prototype rides on big wheels and features production shadow matt grey paintwork.
Look closely and the EV6 exterior features an assortment of hidden cameras and radar sensors,
a pointer to its extensive safety suite.
The Kia EV6 is a car full of contrast, and I feel like the interior is a great testament to that.
You look up here, there's a single pane of horizontal glass that's curved,
and it houses the infotainment on one side, the digital instrument cluster on the other.
Underneath it, it's flanked by this haptic panel of switchgear. There's no physical
buttons or switchgear other than these two knobs, but all of your infotainment, all of your climate
control interface is housed very smartly into this panel, and you're able to switch between the two.
Being an electric car, you get all the virtues of excellent space, excellent storage,
a flat floor as well. It really does allow you to rethink what's possible from the interior of a new
vehicle. With all of that said though, the EV6 balances it with a sustainable approach. You're
able to get certain models with recyclable materials, as well as vegan seat material.
The EV6 will initially be introduced in Australia with a long-range, 77.4-kilowatt hour battery
pack. Base variants will be rear wheel drive, while the GT line will be all wheel drive.
The latter will offer 239 kilowatts and 605 Newton metres, as well as a nought to 100 time of 5.2
seconds. Range extends as far as 510 kilometres claimed for the rear wheel drive model.
The EV6 makes a big statement in terms of recharging as well. It has 800 volt
technology available, the translation being, if you visit a 350 kilowatt DC fast charger,
you're gonna get 10 to 80% battery capacity in just 18 minutes. A lot like the IONIQ 5, there's
also vehicle to load technology, which means you plug this device in here and supply charge back
to other appliances or even EVs to supply them charge. Those are just a few of the takeaway
points from the new Kia EV6. It's a vehicle that I'm really excited to drive, and no doubt
plenty of other people are as well with 16,000 expressions of interest in Australia already.