2022 Kia EV6 revealed, Australian launch confirmed
The 2022 Kia EV6 electric SUV has been revealed in full – and it's coming to Australia.
“We will be bringing EV6 to Australia and production will commence during [the fourth quarter of] this year. Timing of arrival – along with further details regarding pricing and specs – will be confirmed at a later date," a spokesperson for Kia told local media earlier today.
Underpinned by the Korean brand’s E-GMP platform – shared with Hyundai and Genesis, and used by the former's Ioniq 5 electric mid-size SUV – the EV6 will be offered in three guises: a standard variant, the sport-themed GT-Line, and the high-performance GT.
Above, in grey: 2022 Kia EV6 GT. Below, in red: 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line.
Standard and GT-Line vehicles are offered with a choice of two battery pack sizes (58.0kWh or 77.4kWh), and single-motor (rear-wheel drive) or dual-motor (all-wheel drive) configurations – matching the twin under the skin Ioniq 5.
Meanwhile, the flagship, performance-focused GT comes with the larger battery pack and dual-motor set-up as standard, putting out an impressive 430kW and 740Nm.
It is capable of completing the 0-100km/h sprint in a claimed 3.5 seconds – on par with the flagship Tesla Model Y Performance electric SUV – on the way to a top speed of 260km/h.
It also benefits from a number of styling upgrades over entry-level EV6 models, including more aggressive front and rear bumpers (albeit shared with the GT-Line), unique alloy wheels, and lime green accents adorning the brake calipers and interior trim.
Also exclusive to the GT is an electronic rear limited-slip differential, and uniquely-tuned sports suspension allowing it to sit 5mm lower than standard or GT-Line variants.
Outputs for lesser EV6 models comprise 125kW/350Nm for the rear-drive 58kWh configuration, 168kW/350Nm for the rear-drive 77.4kWh variant, 173kW/605Nm for the all-wheel-drive 58kWh option, and 239kW/605Nm for the all-paw 77.4kWh grade – the lattermost capable of a 5.2-second sprint from 0-100km/h.
All variants of the EV6 feature an 800-volt high-speed charging system which, according to Kia, allows the battery to recover 70 per cent of its capacity (from 10 per cent to 80 per cent) in just 18 minutes.
The rear-wheel drive, 'standard' EV6 fitted with the 77.4kWh battery pack represents the longest-range option in the line-up, offering up to 510km on Europe's stricter WLTP combined cycle. This model can reportedly add 100km worth of charge in four and a half minutes.
Battery power in all variants of the EV6 is topped up via two primary forms of energy recuperation: a heat pump and a regenerative braking system.
The heat pump scavenges thermal waste from the vehicle's coolant system and repurposes it to manage and maintain battery temperatures, while the regenerative braking system captures wasted kinetic energy under deceleration to recharge the battery.
The EV6 GT measures in 4695mm long, 1890mm wide and 1545mm tall, sitting on a 2900mm wheelbase – 60mm longer, 60mm lower and 100mm shorter in wheelbase than an Ioniq 5, but identical in width.
Those dimensions mean it's likely to be officially classified as a large SUV on the Australian sales charts, albeit as one of the smaller offerings in the segment.
Inside the cabin, the EV6 features a 12-inch infotainment screen and a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, both of which are integrated into a single curved display.
Further visual media can be fed to the driver via an integrated head-up display system, while a 14-speaker Meridian sound system delivers audio on higher grades.
GT models also score figure-hugging sports bucket seats, as well as a 'GT' shortcut button on the steering wheel, similar to that fitted to Hyundai's N performance range.
Storage comes in the form of a 520-litre boot (or 1300 litres with the rear seats laid flat) at the back, and a small storage compartment in the car’s nose, colloquially referred to as a 'frunk' (front trunk).
This ‘frunk’ offers an additional 52 litres of space in single-motor variants; however, this drops to just 20 litres of usable space (roughly the size of a small backpack) if the front motor is optioned.
Standard-fit advanced driver assistance systems include adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, remote smart parking assist (which allows the operator to park the car from outside the vehicle), and Safe Exit Assist (which notifies passengers of oncoming hazards when opening the side doors).