The Kia EV6 is one of the more attractive EVs currently on the market. With unique styling, plenty of power, and relatively good range figures, the Koreans have figured out how to make an electric car that is both practical and damn nice to look at.
No cars are perfect, and as much as I hate to say it, the EV6 isn’t either. Let’s go through some reasons why you’d wanna open your wallet in exchange for one of these in your driveway and why other options may be better.
Kyle Edward
Reason to love it #1: Iconic design
It should be no surprise by now that Kia and Hyundai have been on a bit of a design renaissance lately, and the EV6 is no exception. With its sharp, thin headlights, downward sloping roofline, and segmented full-width taillights, the EV6 looks every bit like a spaceship.
The GT-Line trim gets more aggressive front and rear fascias, body-colored cladding, and different side skirts. In other words, if you want the best looks that the EV6 has to offer without splurging for the GT, the GT-Line is your best bet.
Kyle Edward
Reason to love it #2: Ultra-fast charging capabilities
The Kia EV6 comes with two battery packs: a 58-kWh pack in the base model and a 77.4-kWh unit in all the others.
With an operating voltage of 800 volts, Kia claims the EV6 can charge from 10 percent to 80 in under 18 minutes with a DC fast charger. If you’re only able to get to a Level 2 outlet, it’ll take 7 hours to get from 10 percent to 100.
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Reason to love it #3: Long driving range
The larger battery pack in the GT-Line has an EPA-estimated range of 310 miles in the RWD configuration that drops to 252 miles in the AWD configuration. That’s a pretty steep drop, but if you’re after more power rather than mileage, you might not be so vexed about it.
Still, those aren’t terrible numbers, especially considering how quickly you can add more miles with access to a fast charger.
Kyle Edward
Reason to love it #4: Unique interior design
The interior is equally as attractive as the exterior, with its unique two-tone, three-spoke steering wheel, digital cluster, floating center console, and gold accents throughout. A special mention goes to the start button on the center console that’s angled towards the driver, encouraging you to get up and give it the beans. These designers need a raise.
Kyle Edward
Reason to love it #5: Excellent sporty driving dynamics
While the Kia EV6 GT is the head honcho in the model’s lineup, the lower GT-Line can still excite for less. In its RWD configuration, the GT-Line puts out 225 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque for a $54,295 MSRP. Step up to the $58,995 AWD model, and those figures jump considerably to 320 hp and 446 lb.-ft. of torque.
Hyundai
Reason to think twice #1: The Ioniq 5 is slightly more affordable
If you’ve looked into the EV6 before, you likely know that the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is its twin. In its highest, Limited guise, the 2024 Ioniq 5 gets the same 77.4-kWh battery rated at 266 miles with dual motors and 303 miles with a single motor. Hyundai claims the same 10 percent to 80 percent charging time of under 18 minutes with a DC fast charger.
As for power, the bigger battery with RWD puts out 225 hp and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, while the AWD can do 320 hp and 446 lb.-ft. of torque.
Price-wise, the Limited AWD starts at $58,795. In other words, the top trim Ioniq 5 is $200 cheaper, has a slightly better range from the same battery, and has the same power output. The two Korean automakers’ design languages are vastly different, so the decision could depend on that.
Kyle Edward
Reason to think twice #2: The infotainment could be better
While the 12-inch infotainment screen is solid and does the job, its menu structure could be a little better. Some features are buried and need some digging to get to, but that’s nothing an OTA update couldn’t fix.
Final thoughts
It’s hard to argue that the Kia EV6 GT-Line is not a fantastic choice if you’re looking for an electric car. Where other EVs may look like uninspired blobs, the EV6 actually takes design into consideration and is the kind of car you’d look back at in a parking lot.
The GT-Line AWD is also the perfect middle ground between relative affordability and the performance of the top GT trim. It really is getting the best of both worlds.
That said, it’s never all sunshine and rainbows when looking at cars. Its twin, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, may end up eating the EV6’s lunch if its pixelated design is something that appeals to you.
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About the author
Gabriel Ionica
Senior Editor, Autoblog