Kia s EV6 is an exceptionally good electric vehicle with distinctive styling and one of
the best charge curves on the market. The GT model gets all that, then adds blistering performance.
In my first piece, I took on Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Didn t hit the top speed of 161 MPH
We are up to 120 but did get a solid taste of what it can do, including drift mode if you want
to destroy expensive Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric tires. I ll just let this shot play out.
Love that. At around $63,000, the most powerful Kia ever is easily half the price of a Porsche
Taycan with similar performance figures. It was a great day of driving. The one thing that couldn t
be tested test was how far it goes before needing a kilowatt cocktail. So I snagged a GT for a few
days to figure it out. Let s do the range of ranges when it comes to EV6 because there
s quite a spread. The EPA rates the rear drive model at 310 miles, all-wheel drive as high as
282. GT here, 206, which happens to be Seattle s area code. That s what happens when you add
more powerful motors and performance tires. I saw the same issue when I drove a BMW i4 M50.
The optional sticky rubber alone shaves 43 miles of the traveling distance. The same thing happens
in a gas-powered car, it s just much easier to gauge in an EV. Kia sells a GT-Line that s less
potent than the GT and the EPA rated range on that AWD model is 252 miles, an extra 46 miles or 74
kilometers. Here s what drains the range- We have a lot of a really crazy specs for this car, so we
take the rear motor that's in the standard dual motor configuration for the Wind or GT-Line we
bring 160 kW rated motor to the front and then we add an even more powerful motor to the back
so that's 270 kWh, that s how you get your 430kWh so that s 576 horsepower and change. And then from
a torque standpoint it s pretty off the charts, 545 lb-ft, it s just a smidge higher than that.
GT adds a new mode to wring the most out of the updated equipment. Modes are a little fussy to get
into especially the dedicated drift mode. The dedicated suspension gets electronically
controlled dampers, firmness depends on the drive mode. Front suspension components are unique, and
there s an electronic limited slip differential. Larger brakes too. The front rotors are 15 inches
the rears are 14.2. But this video is about efficiency, not performance. The bodywork tweaks
front and rear are subtle. The stronger calipers are the surest sign of buying the fast EV6.
The GT is extremely quick, 0 to 60 happens in just over three seconds. But accelerating
like that destroys range. I m gonna be kind of conservative on the throttle for this range test
I showed a couple folks the near violent acceleration, factor that in to the results.
I m in Eco mode and yeah, it ll probably add some range, but the real advantage it makes
this high-performance machine a daily driver. It s very docile not high strung at all.
The firmer suspension and low-profile tires make a difference in ride quality though. The
difference between the GT and less potent EV6s is noticeable. Not a deal breaker, but it s there.
If you understand electric vehicles at all, you know what lowers the range. Cold temperatures,
rain or snow on the road, using the HVAC system. Though all-wheel drive EV6s come
with a more efficient heat pump. And anything that uses electricity, the excellent Meridian
sound system, heated seats and steering wheel, headlights, all drop the distance to various
degrees. And EVs are less efficient at highways speeds, where about half of my test happened,
and half of that was done at speeds at around 70 miles an hour. I tried
to mix it all in. The large heads-up display is especially useful, but really hard to shoot.
All the smart people say EVs are better for the environment cradle to grave. But not all are
created equal. The GT model is less efficient than many. Just like a V8-powered Mustang Mach 1 gulps
more gas than an EcoBoost model. Compared to the most efficient EV6, GT here will cost around
$300 more annually to fuel up. So while EVs don t have tailpipe emissions, some of them are greener
than others. To better lighten your carbon footprint, ride a bike, walk or take ride mass
transit. EVs are good though, coal makes up a shrinking amount of power generation and the
environmental impact of drilling for petroleum is just as damaging, or more so than mining
battery materials. Hey, I had a lot of time to think. I really like the recuperation set
up in this vehicle. You can back it all the way off, so there s no drag whatsoever or make it much
more aggressive. One pedal driving is easily a thing. Choice. It s a really good thing to have.
On the track I could appreciate that the 77.4kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion pack in the floor
keeps the center of gravity low. I could also feel its heft when slinging it through curves,
the GT weighs around 4,800 pounds or 2,170 kilos. It s something felt in everyday driving,
especially in Eco mode when the shocks are relaxed. There is some road feel through the
wheel, not a ton though. All right, the moment of truth, what we ve all come here for, the range.
Keep in mind that it s around 50 here in Seattle. I ve done an even split of highway and city
driving, and I haven t driven too aggressively. I am getting about what the EPA rates this at,
200 miles. That is my real world experience with the EV6 GT. Keep in mind that I only had this
car for a couple days and I could only really get one cycle of the battery before I had to give it
back. And you know, driving 200 miles, especially in the city, is harder than you might think.
Other than the pop of piping in the GT the cabin looks much the same as the GT Line
with this texture here and here. The ambient lighting is always Kermit Green in the GT,
it changes color with the drive modes in GT-Line. And then there are the seats, that cradle drivers
of all sizes well since the dramatic bolstering is on the soft side. Heated, but not vented,
they do not get power adjustments. Instead of a frunk Kia engineers offer storage and legroom.
The user interface is solid, it doesn t have a knob or pad if touch screens aren t your thing.
When the battery level got low, the navi system offered up directions to charging stations. There
s a vented Qi charger but Android Auto and Apple CarPlay require a cord. And this is still around,
it toggles the knobs between sound system controls and HVAC temperature operation. It
always seems to be in the wrong mode for me. And yes, I m fully aware that it can be assigned to
the setup used most often. I m still not a fan of the setup. We all have our likes and gripes.
When the EV6 does need to be juiced up, it can happen rapidly. There are many variables when it
comes to charging speed, but EV6 has advantages. In ideal conditions and situations, the 800V E-GMP
platform it shares with Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes. Getting that lofty ability
means using a 350kW station which is not nearly as popular as these 150 units and if you don t travel
a lot and you charge it home charge speed doesn t really matter as much because if you re using
level two your plug-in at night and wake up to a full battery. At this 150kW terminal it took 27
minutes to go from 3 to 80 percent since this was the highest power delivery offered up. Like all
EVs, once 80 percent happens, the charge curve slows dramatically to protect the pack. In the
time it took to shoot this sequence and grab some supermarket sushi, I was nearly fully charged. A
reminder that home charging is often a quarter the price of DC fast charging. Depends on where you
live but it s much cheaper and convenient to take on electrons where you sleep. The GT hauls butt,
and people. Here, head and knee room are generous, good thing because foot room is not. Storage is
scarce, these are small and there are no pockets on the seatbacks. The seatbacks recline and can
be dropped from here. A real world cargo test, I came back from a trip with some friends. All our
luggage fit and the other couple both brought golf clubs. It was a little tight but clubs,
four carry-on bags and a bunch of backpacks and purses fit. You guys okay back there?
Yeah we re fine. Okay it was a little tight but it was loads of stuff. Wondering about headroom?
Even you re okay. All 6 8 of me. Not bad. Here s a more conventional look at the trunk. The floor
is at its higher level to stow the Vehicle to Load adapter, that plug into the charge port. There s a
120V outlet in the back seat too. The trunk is deep so these help, seats up there s 24 cubic
feet of storage. Wish there was a pass through or 40/20/40 split seats. All of them down there s 50
cubes. Remember, no frunk. Time for Red Light Green Light. Green Light- If you can find it
at retail, the GT brings supercar performance home for 63 grand. It s a potent machine that offers a
reasonable amount of comfort, it s an everyday driver. The 800V architecture and charge speed
is tough to beat unless Taycan and Lucid are on your shopping list. Like all EV6s it s a practical
vehicle, that never hurts. Yellow Light- At MSRP GT is a deal, good luck finding one without
additional dealer markup. Love the support of the seats, wish they had more adjustments, ventilation
and power. Yes it can recharge lickity-split, but 350kW stations are needed for that.
Red Light- The GTs high performance is big fun that turns tedious on long road trips. Even in
the supplest mode, there s a good amount of starch in the suspension. I find that
switchable dash panel and getting into some of the performance modes a bit convoluted. But that could
be good if handing this over to a teenager. That s not a wise idea. Only a decade ago,
this kind of go-fast meant a horse or bull logo on the hood. Kia with it s squiggly new signage
has pulled itself up by its bootstraps in dramatic fashion. To be pragmatic about it, it would
be difficult to use the superhero performance of the GT on public roads on a daily basis it
s extremely capable and powerful. If you go with a GT Line, it cost less it has better range and
it s still fun to drive still GT is bragging rights are pretty appealing. For track days,
this would be a hoot. And if nothing else, it sends the message that Kia is no longer the cheap
and cheerful automaker. The GT is serious about performance, if not road tripping.
Thanks to Glen Iwasaki for driving duties this week. For the full performance look at the EV6 GT,
check out my first video. I enjoyed my time burning range off in this one. On I5, I played
with Highway Driving Assist 2. It s really quite good, staying confidently centered in the lane
even through moderate curves. In lighter traffic it would go a good 90 seconds before checking in
to demand hands on the wheel. And a reminder that gas stations are still good to have,
even if you re driving an EV. They re a great place to get snacks and drinks. Before I go,
there s been talk about Kia s new logo. Some see it as Nine Inch Nails or K&N. That would lead some
people to believe that it s a complete and utter failure. But if you talk to the Kia executives,
they couldn t be happier. For starters all of the media attention is stuff that they dream of,
plus they wanted it a little bit more abstract, because, before the other one was seen as KIA or
killed in action to some. Also, Kia loosely translated means ascending from Asia and if
you look at it all of these angles, they all go up at the same degree. Pretty cool. Logos,
kind of a black art, I really like mine by the way. Anyways, thanks for watching,
remember to subscribe to this channel and click notifications. Some people have said they want
to send me money. I m not opposed to that, do it using Super Thanks or Venmo. Follow me on social
media and if you have a question leave it in the comments. That s Driven, I m Tom Voelk