Kia EV6: Full Specs, Price, Range, and More

For EV shoppers looking to purchase an all-electric car that isn’t a Tesla, the Kia EV6 is well worth a look.

From its strong technology, excellent displays, and sporty design, Kia’s first entry into the EV space has already won plenty of praise.

Is it a Tesla Model Y killer? No, but the EV6 offers a truly impressive blend of price, comfort, and style.

6 Key Points and Facts About the Kia EV6

• The Kia EV6 gets up to 310 miles of range on a single charge.
• Its models come available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive.
• It is capable of receiving over-the-air (OTA) updates year-round.
• The EV6 is powered by a 58 or 77.4 kWh battery.
• The EV6 GT-Line can go from 0 to 60 mph in 5 seconds.
• The EV6 is Kia’s first all-electric vehicle.

Kia EV6 Specs

Kia EV6: Where to Buy

For any buyers looking to purchase one of the EV6 models, start with the Kia website.

It’s here that you can explore the various trim levels and compare the different exterior and interior options before finishing your car build. Once a buyer has finished building a car, Kia’s website locator will identify any local dealerships with a car that matches your specifications. Once a car is located, heading to the dealer is the next step to test drive and negotiate the price. 

The History of the Kia EV6: What to Know

First revealed to the world in March 2021, the EV6 marks the first electric vehicle in Kia’s lineup.

The EV6 name invokes a new nomenclature that Kia has designated for its future lineup of all-electric vehicles from EV1 to EV9. Released to the world on August 2, 2021, the EV6’s rear design is meant to invoke a reminder of a famous 1970s rally car, the Lancia Stratos. The front of the car takes inspiration from Kia’s famous “tiger nose grille” but has been redesigned for the electric era. 

Likewise, Kia’s engineering team invokes a desire to not only make the EV6 a fun-to-drive electric vehicle but to also ensure easy accessibility. The result is the S-shaped seats for comfort, the curved display, and the instrument panel that all point slightly toward the driver. A lot of these features stem from the work of Kia researcher-engineer Kim Jung-Jae, who developed the EV6 and its seamless relationship between both charging speed and charging compatibility. 

Kia EV6 Versions: Each Edition

Kia’s notion that drivers have different needs and use cases has led to the availability of a variety of trim levels for the EV6. 

Light RWD

The introductory model in the EV6 lineup is the Light RWD, which comes with a 58 kWh battery, up to 232 miles of range, and has the lowest base price of $41,400.

While it lacks towing capabilities, the Light RWD still offers the same 19-inch wheels as its more powerful trim level cousins, as well as the same wheelbase, storage, headroom, interior, and exterior design.

Unsurprisingly, it’s the slowest model in the lineup with a 0 to 60 mph rating of 8.0 seconds. Even with some tradeoffs from the higher-level trims, the Light RWD still maintains fast charging capability of 10 to 80% in just 18 minutes.

Wind RWD or AWD

Upgrading from the Light RWD to the Wind RWD is well worth its $47,500 price tag.

For the extra cost, you receive a host of additional exterior color options and one extra interior color option. Towing capacity is also introduced at this trim level, with a max capacity of 2,300 pounds.

Jumping up to 225-horsepower from the Light RWD’s 167-horsepower, the Wind RWD can push 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds with a top speed of 115 mph with its 77.4 kWh battery. This range puts the EV6 firmly in line with other electric compact SUVs, including the Tesla Model Y and Hyundai Ioniq 5. 

If you choose the optional (and 200-pound heavier) AWD Wind trim level, you’ll jump your cost to $51,400 for the better driving experience, but drop your battery range to 274 miles. The bump to 320-horsepower in the AWD option propels the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.2 seconds.

The AWD still keeps all of the same exterior and interior color options as the RWD model. Whether RWD or AWD, both cars include charging from 10 to 80% with a total range of 310 miles on a single charge. 

GT-Line RWD or AWD

The current top trim line is the GT-Line and it is available in both RWD and AWD.

The $51,700 starting price for the RWD includes a 225-horsepower and offers the max electric range of 310 miles on a single charge. 0 to 60 mph time backs down to 7.2 seconds, which is still quite fast.

One notable difference between the Wind and GT-Line is that the latter offers three fewer exterior paint color options but adds one additional interior color choice. The RWD GT-Line also sticks with 19-inch tires and 2,300 pounds of max towing capacity. 

Stepping up to the GT-Line AWD will increase your starting price to $56,400 and increase horsepower to 320, but drop down to 274 miles of range. The 0 to 60 mph time of 5.2 seconds is plenty fast and with a top speed of 117 mph, there’s more than enough power to handle everything from highway driving to long road trips.

Like the rest of the EV6 lineup, fast charging from 10 to 80% is maintained at the higher trim levels in under 18 minutes as is adding over 60 miles of charging in just around 5 minutes. 

GT 

Set to arrive sometime in the second half of 2022, the Kia EV6 GT will be the most powerful trim level in the lineup.

Offering 576 horsepower, the GT is expected to hit a 0 to 60 mph time in fewer than 3.5 seconds.

Powered by the same 77.4 kWh battery, Kia has yet to release official range numbers. But, there is little doubt that the extra power and AWD offering won’t hit the maximum 310 miles of range that is available on the Wind and GT-Line RWD versions. There’s a good chance the GT will compare nicely to the power of the Tesla Model 3, even if it lacks the same range. 

The Public Response

Initial public response to the Kia EV6, regardless of trim level, has been overwhelmingly positive. Both the interior and exterior of the car have received praise for their unique design and high comfort level.

The Kia EV6 has already been named the 2022 European Car of the Year in its first year of production, as well as TopGear.com’s “crossover of the year.” Early positive customer reviews have highlighted the different trim levels and price points along with every model including the dual 12.3-inch displays, something that is often not found in lower trim levels on non-electric vehicles. 

Oddly enough, one negative review that has been widely shared is the lack of a rear wiper, which is a truly unusual omission by Kia’s design team. The rear wiper aside, the only other major negative review that has been shared by EV6 buyers is a disappointing amount of storage space. While 24.4 cubic feet of storage behind the rear passengers is good enough for groceries, suitcases, and kids’ baseball gear,  the “frunk” has left many Kia EV6 buyers wanting more. 

Final Thoughts

The Kia EV6 offers ideal features and capabilities for anyone looking to make the jump over to electric cars.

The sporty design will definitely turn heads on the road and the GT trim level is surely set to impress—especially those who think this is just another economical, “soccer mom” car.

Kia has proven over the last decade that it can make some of the most reliable cars on the road and, with the EV6, they have created one of the most stylish, high-performing electric cars.

Up Next…

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