Kia EV6 (2024 - ) Electric review

The EV6 gives you a lot for your money with its balance of range, charging speed, style, and standard kit. While this facelifted model is now slightly more expensive than it was previously, the starting price is in line with newcomers such as the Peugeot E-3008 and the Extended Range Ford Explorer, although it’s worth noting you could have a top of the range Renault Scenic E-Tech for the money. Entry-level EV6 models have an official 361-mile WLTP range and for those able to charge at home running costs should be kept to a minimum. Meanwhile company car drivers can make the most of Benefit In Kind incentives for low emission vehicles.

Kia is well known for its generous seven-year/100,000-mile warranty and while it didn’t quite make it into the top 10 of WhatCar?‘s latest brand reliability survey, it did finish a respectable 11th just behind Hyundai. At model level the EV6 hasn’t always fared as well for reliability as some of its rivals, but as with all EVs it has fewer mechanical parts to go wrong than a traditional petrol or diesel alternative. The battery has its own eight-year/100,000-mile warranty, plus all new Kias come with a 12 months of Roadside Assistance cover for extra peace of mind.

The EV6 was awarded five stars by Euro NCAP when it was tested back in 2022 and the car comes with a long list of safety features as standard, including lane keeping assistance, adaptive cruise control and forward collision avoidance. However, you’ll need to opt for at least GT-Line to get blind-spot monitoring, and the additional live camera view when indicating is reserved for top of the range GT-Line S models. With this trim the car can steer for you, and it can even change lanes on a motorway. By modern car standards the EV6 didn’t bing or bong at us too much. There is a steering wheel shortcut to mute the warning for going over the speed limit, but it will still beep at you every time the limit changes which is annoying. Another inconvenience was the front A-pillar fell at just the wrong angle for our driving position and obscured visibility, particularly at roundabouts.

The layout inside the EV6 hasn’t changed but there’s a smart new two-tone steering wheel and the main screen has been modernised giving the interior a visual lift. Those with an eagle eye will notice the glossy back plastic – a magnet for scratches and fingerprint smudges – has been replaced with classier textured surfaces and there’s some new ambient lighting. The EV6 remains a very comfy place to be and despite having a relatively small boot compared to the Volkswagen ID.4, the main cabin has ample space to seat five. With a flat floor in the back, even a middle passenger won’t feel short-changed and upfront it is roomy with a good amount of storage between the two seats. There’s also a ‘frunk’ storage space under the bonnet, though it’s smaller on the all-wheel drive models. Each level of trim gets its own combination of faux leather upholstery fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles and you get more electrically adjustable features as you work your way up the grades. We were particularly impressed by ride quality. The EV6 takes potholes in its stride and glides over rough road surfaces. This is a stark contrast to many electric SUVs which rattle around like a Victorian bicycle.

All EV6s come well equipped as standard and feature a new infotainment system, which is more intuitive, supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and can receive over-the-air updates. Entry-level Air trim gets a reversing camera, dual-zone climate control, rain sensing windscreen wipers, keyless entry, and vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability allowing you to charge other devices like a laptop or e-bike from your car’s battery. Moving to GT-Line you’ll get additions such as ambient lighting and a handy wireless phone charger. Top of the range GT-Line S models get a Meridian sound system, sunroof, ventilated front seats, and heated seats outer seats in the back. You’ll also gain a crystal-clear head-up display, 360-degree camera with parking sensors all round, and a new fingerprint recognition system to adjust the car to your pre-set preferences. This is all the features you could possibly need and more, so if your budget can stretch, we’d recommend going for it. This does come with a slight range sacrifice, but you can pay for a heat pump on GT-Line S models to help improve efficiency in colder temperatures.

The EV6 is quiet, smooth, and relaxing to drive. Being behind the wheel is a joy. There are two power options using the same 84kWh battery: a single motor with rear-wheel drive, or a dual motor all-wheel drive. While upgrading to over 300 horsepower gives you a rapid turn of speed, the single motor is still perfectly fast enough and will be your best option if maximising range is your priority. The weighting of both the pedals and the steering is nicely balanced so you can roll along effortlessly and it’s easy to adjust the strength of the regenerative braking using the paddles on the back of the steering wheel. You can also cycle through ‘Eco’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ modes to give a noticeably different driving experience whether you need to conserve range in ‘Eco’ or want to enjoy a country road in ‘Sport’. For top-ups on the go, Kia says the EV6 should be able to go from 10-80 per cent in as little as 18 minutes in optimum conditions and on our test drive we managed to get around 3.6miles/kWh out of both the rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive GT-Line S cars we tried, suggesting the EV6 should be relatively efficient in the real world and a solid choice for anyone going electric.