Kia EV6 review: a gold star electric vehicle

The EV6 is designed to be seen. It was designed to be enjoyed while behind the wheel.

The South Korean automaker has learned a lot from its EV and gas-powered vehicles over the past few years. The result is a smart, exciting, and downright outstanding entry into an increasingly crowded market that includes the Volkswagen ID 4, Ford Mustang Mach-E,Tesla Model Y, and Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV.

The danger that follows the EV6 is an issue. Don't get me wrong, the vehicle is safe. The drivers in the adjacent vehicles on the highway and in town are trying to take pictures and videos of the vehicle as you drive by. It looks different on the road. An aggressive front end gives way to a longer-than- expected profile and is wrapped up with a rear end that is equal parts futuristic and eye-catching. The lightbar is one part signal, one part spoiler and starts its journey at the wheel wells.

The EV6 is a joy to drive, so the general public should be wary of avant-garde looks to stop putting their lives in danger. Looky-loos will be damned.

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

A New EV Platform

The E-GMP architecture is at the core of the vehicle. It is the basis for the EV6, Ioniq 5 and Genesis. The automaker plans on introducing 23 global EV by the year 2025. The Genesis GV60 is expected in the spring of this year, and there are already two on the road.

The group made sure that it was future-proof. E-GMP vehicles use an 800-volt architecture, while most other automakers use a 400volt system. The EV6 and Ioniq 5 can charge at a DC fast charging station at a rate of up to 350 kilowatts. That's quicker than every other EV on the road.

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Kia’s EV6 is a small electric car with big dreams

We talk about range anxiety. As the infrastructure continues to grow, it may be replaced by charge anxiety, and that's whyHyundai is making sure its drivers don't feel left behind as quick charging stations appear on the landscape. You can take most modern EV hundreds of miles on a single charge, but it still takes longer to charge a vehicle than fill it with gasoline.

In 18 minutes, the EV6 will charge from 10 percent to 80 percent. I wasn't able to test this since the station I encountered was over 260 kilowatts. I was back on the road quicker than I anticipated, charging from 25 percent to 90 percent. I had enough time to get a drink from Starbucks and take a few photos.

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

The EV6 has an onboard charging station. It is quick enough for level 2 overnight charging, which is how most of these vehicles will be charged.

The vehicle-to-load capability is unique. You can even power your house. There is a 120-volt outlet in the middle of the rear seats of the higher trim levels. If you don't want wires running out of your car when you're outside, there's a plug that plugs directly into the charge port. It is great for tailgating, camping, and possibly keeping the fans going in your house during a heat wave.

A Hot EV Hatch

America doesn't like wagons. The EV6 is marketed as a CUV. It looks a bit like a wagon in real life, but it is important for marketing that it is a cross over. The vehicle has a high sitting position. It is really a wagon. A wagon that quickens the pulse and handles better than it should.

The RWD version of the EV6 is the second fastest trim level. The eAWD version is the fastest. While rolling with one motor, I wasn't wanting for power.

It's fine to have a 0–60 of 7.2 seconds off the line at a standstill. It goes off every time you hit that pedal. The single rear-mounted motor in the vehicle has a combined power of over 200hp. When I needed to pass a semi that seemed to have issues staying in its lane, there was always enough time to get up and go.

I've driven the eAWD GT version with its dual motors, 320 horsepower, 446 pound-feet of Torque and a time of 5.2 seconds. The RWD GT is more than adequate for day-to-day driving.

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

The EV6 handles corners well. When pushing the vehicle, there was excessive body roll and tire squeal. The EV6 felt planted on the back-roads of Northern California, powered by both gas and electrons. The RWD version of the car has enough oversteer to keep the purists happy, and you can turn off the traction control if you want to do donuts in abandoned parking lots.

The EV6 was at ease in traffic, dense urban areas, and on long highway drives. The steering is very tight.

Eco, Normal, Sport, and Snow are the driving modes offered by the company. Normal and Eco never felt underpowered. Sport showed a power difference that you could see without looking at the dash cluster. The power was always there on the back roads.

There are four different regen modes. The first level is coasting. I-Pedal turned on the vehicle's one-pedal driving feature when Level 1 increased regenerative braking in gradual steps. The vehicle needs a long runway to stop. It was difficult to drive the EV6 without touching the brakes because you had to lift up quickly. I used the brakes at stoplights and signs as the days went on.

The RWD GT has a range of over 300 miles thanks to a 77.4 kWh capacity battery pack. The company doesn't know if 77.4 is the gross capacity or usable capacity. I was able to get over 300 miles of range during a range test of mixed driving environments of highway driving with the cruise control set at 70 miles per hour, driving around residential and suburban streets, and hitting the back roads of the region. Good news for those who are looking for a long-range vehicle that isn't aTesla, as well as for those who are interested in a vehicle that isn't a car.

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

The EV6 shines and feels more expensive than its sticker price indicates. Depending on your trim level, the price can vary wildly.

There are six different versions of the EV6. The top of the line GT starts at $51,200 for the RWD version and goes up to $55,900 for the AWD version. The Wind trim levels are below GT. The RWD Wind will set you back $47,000. The Wind with a Tech package costs $52,400. The RWD versions of these vehicles have a range of over 300 miles.

There is a Light RWD trim. The EV6 has a 58 kWh capacity battery pack, which equates to a range of 232 miles. All the vehicles have an efficiency rating of four miles per kilowatt, which is better than the one ofTesla.

Smart Interior

The interior of the EV6 is a triumph. It is comfortable for both the driver and passengers. For people over six feet tall, leg and headroom are adequate. I have to move the driver's seat forward when I sit in the back. In the EV6, there was no need for adjustments and I still had enough room for my knees.

The EV6 is the same length as the BMW 3 Series. The trick of the eye is caused by the wheels being pushed towards the edge of the vehicle. It is spacious and airy, with room for five if the people in the back are thin. Four adults will fit well.

The interiors of the two companies feel more upscale than their price would suggest. That goes over to the EV6. The vegan leather and recycled materials in the vehicle were very similar to what you would find in a much more expensive vehicle.

I am used to seeing tech in more expensive vehicles. When the blinkers are on, an external camera feeds a view of the vehicle's blind spot in the dash cluster. This is something we've seen on other vehicles, and it's nice to see it here.

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

I have seen something in the Mercedes S-Class and EQS that adds turn-by-turn arrows to the HUD. The HUD will show arrows to help you find your exit or next turn. It isn't quite as polished as the offering from Mercedes, but it is a nice touch and I found it helpful when I was driving.

It doesn't work with Apple Maps. The vehicle supports both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but don't expect floating arrows to help you as you drive.

The typical Kia system is housed in the 12.3 TFT touchscreen. Outside of the beautiful home screen that shares range data, media information, and the weather, the rest of the setup is essentially a tablet layout of features aligned along a rigid grid. I was able to find features without having to learn a new interface, which is not a bad thing.

The voice assistant is where things fall flat. It feels like it is two generations behind other offerings on the market. If you want the vehicle to be cooler, the system will set the temperature to 64 degrees. It will be set to 80 degrees if you want it to be warmer. All the way up is all the down.

Photo by Roberto Baldwin for The Verge

The driver assistance system gets marks for being able to follow a vehicle in stop-and-go traffic. When vehicles cut in front of it or when they moved out of the way, the EV6 reacted safely without too much acceleration or braking. I didn't feel the need to brake or accelerate because the system was too aggressive.

No More Compromises

I have been driving the EV6 before. It's fine for a first impression, but you need a few days behind the wheel to see how well it integrates into the lives of potential buyers.

I missed the vehicle as they picked it up. It's saying a lot for someone to drive over a hundred cars a year. We have two classes of vehicles, good cars and good electric cars. The EV6 is a good car. There is no need for a list of caveats to be explained to potential owners.

The extra money was spent on a robust 800-volt architecture. There are a number of vehicles coming to market with features found on more expensive vehicles.

The EV6 sets a bar for every other automaker as they enter the space. They need to build a great EV, not just an EV.

That's what a great EV is.