LIKES
- Refined ride and handling
- Perky performance
- Loads of legroom
- 50 state availability
DISLIKES
- Limited front-seat adjustability
- Interior design doesn’t quite deliver
- No wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
BUYING TIP
The 2022 EV6 flexes all the strengths of electric vehicles in a package that’s as thrilling to drive as it is to look at.
What kind of car is the 2022 Kia EV6? What does it compare to?
The 2022 Kia EV6 is a four-door electric hatchback that Kia is marketing as a crossover. The EV6 offers up to 320 miles of range and is one of the lowest and sleekest-looking of a peer set that includes the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4, and its Hyundai cousin, the Ioniq 5.
Is the 2022 Kia EV6 a good car?
With a perfect green score, an excellent feature set, attractive styling, and a spacious cabin, the EV6 delivers all the performance it hints, plus more practicality, earning it a great TCC Rating of 8.2 out of 10.
What’s new for the 2022 Kia EV6?
This is an entirely new vehicle, on a new modular platform that’s the basis for a whole set of electric vehicles to be sold under the Hyundai (Ioniq), Genesis, and Kia brands. It reflects a clean-sheet approach optimized for battery-electric tech, with no accommodation for gasoline engines or hybrids.
The form of the EV6 doesn’t fit into a particular market niche, and it’s a little lower than other crossovers that makes it appear like a much larger and longer car than it is. Although it’s just 184.2 inches long, it rides on a 114.2-inch wheelbase—the same as the large Telluride SUV that seats up to eight people. With seats for five, the EV6 makes the most of the passenger compartment, with the flat battery pack under the cabin floor and the climate control, which is typically just inside the cabin, moved under the hood. Headroom is just adequate, but the cabin feels long, with plenty of sprawl-out space in the back seat and a 24.4-cubic-foot cargo area.
For now there are three powertrain configurations of the EV6, represented across five models—although an additional model is on the way later in the year. The core of the lineup for the U.S. is a longer-range 77.4-kwh battery pack, offered in mid-level Wind or sporty GT-Line models, both in a choice between single-motor rear-wheel-drive (225 hp) or dual-motor all-wheel-drive (320 hp) versions. A base Light version with a smaller 58-kwh battery pack and rear-wheel drive (167 hp) will also be available. Across the lineup, versions with the large pack and rear-wheel drive achieve an EPA-rated 320 miles of range, while all-wheel-drive versions go 274 miles and the base Light goes 232 miles.
The EV6 is built on a higher-voltage platform versus most other affordable EVs, which helps with that impressive efficiency and range but even more so, with super-quick charging. It can take advantage of 350-kw DC fast-charging connectors to charge up from 10% to 80% in as little as 18 minutes.
Safety features include a comprehensive list of active safety items, with more advanced assistance reserved for top GT-Line models—including an augmented-reality head-up display, and a driver-assist system that can complete a lane change.
How much does the 2022 Kia EV6 cost?
With the smaller 58-kwh battery pack and rear-wheel drive, the starting point for the 2022 EV6 lineup is the Light model, at $42,115, including a $1,215 destination fee. It features two side-by-side 12.3-inch screens, with one used as an instrument panel and the other a touch screen for navigation, entertainment, and more. With wi-fi compatibility, wireless charging, satellite radio, and more, all the features you might expect are here—just not wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
We like the value standpoint of the mid-range Wind model and its larger 77.4-kw pack—especially in single-motor form, at $48,215. The starting point for dual-motor all-wheel-drive form is in the Wind version, at $52,415 and the GT-Line AWD exceeds $57,000.
Where is the Kia EV6 made?
In South Korea.
Styling
The EV6 mashes up crossover, wagon, and sports-car influences into something that’s practical but head-turning.
Is the EV6 a good-looking car?
Most will agree that the EV6 is a very nicely proportioned car—rakish in profile, curvaceous up close, with truly distinct front and rear styling that won’t be mistaken for anything else. That exterior earns this model two points, and we add another for its stylish interior—even though the interior design doesn’t feel entirely in step with the exterior styling. It’s an 8.
The EV6 is refreshing as it isn’t trying to live up to a form factor Kia has offered before, or to a particular nameplate’s legacy. From the side, it’s a swept-back hatchback with a rather low nose and a tail that sweeps upward. From the front, the snout can look supercar-like, with LED running lamps forming an outline that exaggerates this model’s width. The rear end’s lights swoop up into what’s essentially a spoiler in the middle of the hatchback and feels influenced by some of the most creative Italian and French hot-hatch designs. Walk around a bit and there’s all kinds of sculpting and surfacing, tapering the cabin a bit toward the rear and flaring the haunches, making the shape of muscle and aerodynamics a cohesive whole.
Performance
A higher-performance version of the EV6 is on the way—though it’s already thrilling to drive.
The 2022 Kia EV6 lineup offers quick, quiet acceleration and responsive handling, which mean two extra points, for a 7 here. But it also offers an experience that’s above and beyond what the points represent—with well-coordinated details for body control, braking, and driver inputs, and a chance to dial in settings that will make nearly everyone happy. It gets the details right.
All that’s missing is steering feel and feedback, plus an extra bit of performance to rival top versions of the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. For the latter, that’s on the way later this year.
For now, there are three different propulsion configurations for the EV6. A 77.4-kwh battery pack can be had in single-motor rear-wheel-drive or dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions, making either 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque or a combined 320 hp and 446 lb-ft, respectively. The base Light version, which has a smaller 58-kwh battery pack, will produce just 167 hp. The EV6 can tow up to 2,300 pounds, provided you get the larger battery pack.
Normal, Eco, Sport, and Snow driving modes are offered, as well as six different settings for regenerative braking—selectable with steering-wheel paddles—ranging from a L0 coast mode to an aggressive L4 mode, as well as an I-Pedal setting for one-pedal driving and an Auto mode that adjusts regen to factors like surrounding traffic. Eco mode runs the climate control at a more conservative setting, and Sport mode sharpens accelerator response.
Is the EV6 4WD?
The EV6 is offered in single-motor rear-wheel-drive and dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions, although base Light models with the smaller battery pack don’t have the all-wheel-drive option. The EV6 drive modes affect AWD behavior; for instance, Eco mode disconnects the front motor for all but launches.
How fast is the EV6?
In its dual-motor form, with the large battery pack, the EV6 can accelerate to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, while versions with the single-motor layout and large battery pack can dash to 60 in the six-second range. The GT model, a late entry for the model year, will offer 0-60 acceleration in the vicinity of 3.5 seconds.
Comfort & Quality
Inside, the EV6 is comfortable, refined, and well-designed.
The racy-looking exterior of the 2022 Kia EV6 might prepare you for some kind of compromise in terms of cabin space, ride, or refinement. But that’s not the case here, because the EV6 was laid out on a dedicated EV platform that makes no concessions for engines, transmissions, fuel tanks, and all the rest. For its huge interior, excellent back-seat space, and quiet, refined ride, we give the EV6 an 8.
The EV6 is 184.2 inches long and 74.0 inches wide, which corresponds closely to crossover rivals like the Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y,yet it’s several inches lower overall than those other crossover EVs. That adds up to some unusual proportions at first glance. And stepping inside, the cabin feels vast in terms of leg room and sprawl-out space, but given the rather low roofline, airy wouldn’t be the word for it.
Front seats have just the right amount of support and bolstering for all-day comfort, but we found, as with the Ioniq 5, that a wider level of adjustability would be helpful. While not a deal-breaker, they place taller drivers’ heads closer to the windshield header and sunroof surround than they need to be. In back, entry is quite easy, and the seats feel a bit low to work around that roofline, but there’s more than enough space to sprawl legs out to, even with the front seats all the way back.
The aerodynamic shape of the EV6 appears to help keep the cabin hushed. Even at faster highway speeds there’s very little wind or road noise. You only hear some motor whine (more in front) when accelerating rapidly.
Safety
A completely new platform underpins the EV6.
How safe is the Kia EV6?
The 2022 Kia EV6 is a new model, unrelated to anything else in the brand’s model line, and so there aren’t yet any crash-test ratings. The closest reassuring item we have is that the related Hyundai Ioniq 5, has achieved a five-star rating in Euro NCAP testing; but these two models are quite a bit different in the details.
The entire EV6 lineup includes seven standard airbags. Base Light versions come with low-speed automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, active lane control, high-beam assist, a blind-spot warning system, and full-speed adaptive cruise control. The Wind model adds a driver-attention system, rearview camera system, rear cross-traffic functionality, and parking sensors, with blind-spot and surround-view monitoring plus remote parking functionality part of a Tech package. A higher-speed "Fusion Plus" version of automatic emergency braking and a machine-learning feature for the cruise control are exclusive to the GT-Line, as is evasive steering assist.
Features
If you value technology, the EV6 is leading-edge in multiple ways.
The Kia EV6 is built on a completely new propulsion system and the latest battery technology, and it offers some pretty impressive interface pieces like an augmented-reality head-up display. It’s also a strong value for the money, and it has an excellent warranty (5 years/60,000 miles on the whole vehicle, 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain). The only strange omission is wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You can get both features here in wired form, but the wireless charging pad and the lack of that connectivity is a disconnect. With one point deducted for that, it’s still an 8 out of 10.That quibble aside, the interface, with dual 12.3-inch screens, is sharp-looking and responsive. A lower strip of virtual buttons is in effect a touchscreen in and of itself with versions that apply for navigation and climate controls, depending on the momentary need. Steering-wheel toggles help navigate through what’s directly in front of the driver, and the head-up display included in top GT-Line models is impressive, packing navigation directions and feedback from active-safety systems into an enhanced but minimalistic display for the driver.
Which EV6 should I buy?
If you’re just fine with rear-wheel drive and don’t need the quickest model in the lineup, we think the mid-level Wind version in single-motor form will probably offer the best value for many, at $48,215. For $52,415, the Wind version in AWD form adds a heat pump and heated steering wheel, and you can option it with a Tech Package bringing blind-spot and surround-view monitoring, parking collision avoidance, and remote park assist. It also includes a Vehicle to Load (V2L) connector that can be useful for powering camping accessories, tools, or other items on the go, with a 1.9-kw output.
How much is a fully loaded Kia EV6?
In dual-motor all-wheel-drive form and top-trim GT-Line form, the EV6 costs $57,115. GT-Line models include the augmented-reality head-up display,ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated outboard rear seats.
Fuel Economy
The Kia EV6 gets more miles out of its energy than most other electric vehicles.
The 2022 Kia EVs is built on a platform that runs at a higher voltage, aiming for efficiency and weight savings, with the intent to extract more miles out of each kilowatt-hour. And to that, it’s mission accomplished—except versus the Tesla Model Y, perhaps. That’s a 10 here.
With the larger 77.4-kwh battery pack, the EV6 earns an EPA range of 310 miles in single-motor rear-wheel-drive form, or 274 miles in dual-motor all-wheel-drive form. Versions with the base 58-kwh battery pack and single-motor rear-wheel drive go an EPA-rated 232 miles. In terms of efficiency, which the EPA offers in miles per gallon equivalent for EVs, the RWD models are both rated 117 MPGe while the AWD configuration achieves 105 MPGe.
All-wheel-drive models include a heat pump, which will boost efficiency in some climates and especially on longer trips. AWD models also disconnect the front motor most of the time if you select Eco mode,which Kia says can further boost range. Neither of these items are factored into EPA results.
0 comments:
Post a Comment