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First drive: Kia EV6 84kWh. Image by Kia.

First drive: Kia EV6 84kWh
A modest programme of updates for the excellent Kia EV6 keeps it, well... excellent.

   



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2024 Kia EV6 AWD 84kWh GT-Line S

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It's facelift and mild tech update time for the superb Kia EV6 electric fastback, with the key upgrades relating to the car having a bigger battery and faster charging speeds to go with it. Along with some gentle polishing of its looks, inside and out, the result is every bit as good as you'd expect.

Test Car Specifications

Model: 2024 Kia EV6 AWD 84kWh GT-Line S
Price: EV6 range from £45,575, AWD GT-Line S as tested £57,175
Motor: 239kW dual electric motors
Battery: 84kWh (net) lithium-ion
Transmission: single-speed reduction-gear automatic, all-wheel drive
Power: 325hp
Torque: 605Nm
Emissions: 0g/km
Range: up to 324 miles
0-62mph: 5.3 seconds
Top speed: 116mph (limited)
Boot space: 490-1,300 litres
Kerb weight: 2,065kg

Styling

In the EV6's case, facelift means facelift. The most obvious visual change is the adoption of the 'Star Map' angular light signature at the front, a jagged affair which is redolent of the some of the latest versions of Kia's products, including the larger electric model, the EV9, as well as visual refreshes of both the Sorento and Picanto. Kia says the rear LED clusters also display the Star Map but it's less noticeable a shift in the aesthetics back there, while a smattering of new paint colours and some swanky new alloy wheel designs - not least the 20s on our test GT-Line S - make up the sum total of the design changes. No bad thing, of course, as the EV6 is still a great swoopy spaceship of a machine that really draws the eye; we're big fans of it, in case you hadn't worked that out already.

Interior

Another minor set of detail updates in here, rather than drastic, wholesale remedial work. And, again, this isn't a criticism, because the EV6's interior is a lovely blend of the comfortable with some high-tech flourishes, like the twin 12.3-inch screens in the main curved display and that clever switchable panel bar on the centre stack which can toggle between climate controls and commands for the nav/sound system. Kia's only real alterations within, then, are a more rubberised wireless smartphone charging pad that now has 15-watt speeds, redesigned ambient lighting that better accentuates the horizontal forms of the EV6's cabin at night, and the replacement of glossy piano-black trim coverings with a more textured effort - this is a move aimed at reducing the amount of greasy fingerprint smudges your eye will pick up in the Kia's passenger compartment.

Practicality

There's acres of room inside a Kia EV6, with a flat floor in the rear of the cabin at least allowing for the potential of accommodating three passengers across the back bench, while up front are plenty of good storage spaces and deep door pockets. Perhaps the one area the Kia EV6 falls down a bit is on boot space, with 490 litres behind the back seats, and either 20 or 50 litres of front boot capacity. The variance there depends on whether you have the single- or twin-motor models: go for the latter and the front propulsion unit reduces the 'frunk' to the smaller figure. Other points of practicality include two full Isofix positions in the rear of the EV6 with the centre position also having a top tether, while the back doors open wide to make loading in child seats that bit easier.

Performance

There are no changes to the motor(s') power, so opt for a 228hp/350Nm single-motor RWD variant or upgrade to this twin-motor AWD and its impressive 325hp/605Nm outputs. Those numbers are enough to trim nearly two-and-a-half seconds off the RWD's 7.7-second 0-62mph time, the AWD clocking in with 5.3 seconds, although it only adds 1mph to the (irrelevant) top speed (115- versus 116mph). There's no word yet as to whether the mighty 585hp GT will be making an appearance in the revised line-up, but we'd be surprised if it didn't return.

With its advanced 800-volt architecture, you might be tempted to think that Kia has done nothing to the powertrain at all, but in fact it's the battery size and charging speeds which have been upgraded here. For the former, instead of 77.4kWh of usable capacity, now the EV6 has fully 84kWh to play with. This gives the single-motor RWD an official claimed range spread of 347-361 miles, the car achieving the greater figure if it's in Air or GT-Line specification on smaller wheels, and dropping to 347 miles in the grandest GT-Line S trim grade. It's the same story for the AWD - 339 miles as a GT-Line, 324 miles as this GT-Line S we're testing here - and as it's not available as an Air, that's a straight fifty-fifty call.

But despite having a larger collection of battery cells, the EV6 can still do a 10-80 per cent charge in 18 minutes, because its fastest DC replenishment speed has been ramped up by eight per cent to 258kW, from a peak figure of 239kW previously. The maximum AC charge rate remains at 11kW, which'll mean you need around eight hours to do a full 0-100 per cent charge on a domestic wallbox, although on the more typical 7.4kW unit it'll be more like 10-11 hours for the same job.

Whether you think the circa-20-mile range sacrifice is worth it or not for the additional performance provided by the AWD is probably a moot point, because the 228hp RWD is more than quick and capable enough for most needs. You won't regret going for the AWD, though, and it does feel properly rapid in comparison to the single-motor EV6, although we did see a recorded 3 miles/kWh from the 325hp Kia, while the RWD managed a more impressive 3.3 miles/kWh. These numbers were both recorded on the same 40-mile route in broadly equivalent weather and interior energy consumers' usage conditions. Although that discrepancy could also have easily been because we were enjoying the power delivery of the AWD that bit more...

Ride & Handling

Kia has simply slightly retuned the frequency selective dampers (FSDs) on the 2024MY EV6, so it drives broadly as it did before. This is to say it drives well. The way it balances off exceptional ride comfort and rolling refinement with reasonably talented handling is quite remarkable for something which clocks in at 2,165kg. We wouldn't say it's the most engaging car in the corners, though, even if some think the RWD is a little livelier in the bends than the AWD - which feels like it wants to nothing more than understeer the minute it loses grip - but the body control and steering are both good enough on the EV6 dual-motor to allow it to cover undulating country roads at considerable pace. However, its real strength is its supreme comfort levels and dignified manners at all road speeds, which gives the Kia the impression that everything it does is effortless.

Value

Prices for the revised range start at more than £45,000 for a RWD Air, but of the seven available specifications of EV6 you can configure, five of them are beyond £50,000. We say seven specifications because, on the GT-Line S models, you can choose whether to have them with a heat pump or not, although it's a shame this item is a £950 uptick if you want it - really, a heat pump ought to be standard on a car which, as we tested it, came in at £57,175. However, in the Kia's defence, it's really no more nor less expensive than many similar, grand and long-legged EVs from other manufacturers, and you still get the Korean company's twin desirable hallmarks of loads of standard equipment on all models plus that brilliant seven-year warranty, so the EV6 doesn't feel wildly overpriced as it is.

Verdict

Not much has changed on the Kia EV6 for the 2024 round of revisions, but two reasons why this isn't a major issue: one, the things that have changed are most worthwhile updates, like the faster charging, the greater driving range, the improved wireless smartphone pad in the cabin and the more distinctive front-end styling; and two, the EV6 didn't need massively updating anyway. Because it was a brilliant electric vehicle before, and it remains a brilliant electric vehicle now; one of the best, long-range, super-comfortable EVs you can get.



Matt Robinson - 4 Oct 2024



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2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.

2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.2024 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line S. Image by Kia.








 

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