2022 Kia EV6 RWD Examined: Lengthy Ranger

Outdoors of Tesla’s enviable Supercharger community, the general public charging infrastructure for EVs in lots of locations is grim. Oh, certain, it is promised to get higher, however how a lot does that assist whenever you’re standing exterior a damaged charger or ready for somebody to depart a spot so you possibly can juice up? Buyers who prioritize vary when selecting an EV reduce their interplay with the general public charging community, and for these taking a look at Kia’s spectacular EV6, which means going with the single-motor configuration. That is the variant we have examined right here, within the GT-Line trim degree.

For 2023, the EV6 is obtainable with three powertrains, as the bottom Mild mannequin with a 58.0-kWh battery pack and a 167-hp motor has been dropped. The one-motor model now comes normal with a 77.4-kWh battery and makes 225 horsepower within the Wind and GT-Line trim ranges. Those self same two trims are additionally provided with all-wheel drive and twin motors making a complete of 320 horsepower, once more utilizing the 77.4-kWh battery. And, lastly, there’s the new-for-2023 high-performance dual-motor GT with a mixed 576 horsepower.

Vary Numbers

The one-motor drivetrain yields the perfect EPA-estimated vary: 310 miles. That betters the the dual-motor Wind mannequin’s 282 miles, the dual-motor GT-Line’s 252 miles, and the EV6 GT’s dramatically decrease EPA vary estimate of 206 miles.

Not solely does the single-motor EV6 have the perfect EPA vary of its siblings, it additionally exceeds most of its rivals. The Toyota bZ4X maxes out at 252 miles, the Audi This autumn e-tron at 265 miles, and the Volkswagen ID.4 at 275 miles. The Kia falls simply in need of the longest-range variations of the Ford Mustang Mach-E (312 miles) and the Tesla Mannequin Y (330 miles), however as we have identified in a current SAE paper, these on-paper benefits might not equate to a real-world vary benefit at freeway speeds.

Driving the EV6

The draw back is that the single-motor EV6 does not have the sports-car quickness of the dual-motor model. In our testing, the dual-motor all-wheel-drive GT-Line zipped to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, whereas the single-motor GT-Line took a extra languid 6.7 seconds. It was an analogous story taking a look at quarter-mile instances, with the dual-motor automobile’s 13.3 seconds at 102 mph effectively forward of its single-motor sibling’s 15.2 at 93 mph. In fact, pulling away from a cease is not all the time a time trial—or so we’re informed—and the single-motor EV6 strikes by way of visitors eagerly sufficient, notably at metropolis and suburban speeds.

The rear-wheel-drive GT-Line got here to a halt from 70 mph in 168 ft, though for light stops, some drivers may not have to make use of the brakes in any respect. Within the highest (i-Pedal) setting, brake regeneration permits for one-pedal driving, however drivers who don’t need that a lot regen can select 4 different ranges, together with none—all chosen through the steering-wheel paddles. The EV6’s cornering is succesful if not keen, principally because of the moderately lifeless steering, and on the skidpad, the automobile demonstrated 0.87 g of grip. Far more noteworthy is the journey high quality, because the EV6 reveals spectacular composure over bumps, with zero harshness making its method to the cabin.

EV6 Inside

That cabin contains a mod-style design with a striped sample on the sprint that repeats on the middle armrest, and illuminated blue stripes seem underneath the vents. The suede seat upholstery with synthetic-leather trim is $295 additional (and unavailable on the Wind mannequin), and its white accents brighten the in any other case black cabin. The rear seat cushion is low—obligatory, maybe, to create enough headroom for six-footers underneath the squashed roofline (this is the place the mechanically comparable however boxier Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a bonus). The seat is a lot large for 3, although, and the ground is flat.

Up entrance, twin screens dominate the sprint. The central show is impressively broad, though, on the house display, that area is basically wasted, because the default show is only a clock. Beneath it, the touch-sensitive local weather controls oddly additionally do double obligation working the audio system, which means you need to toggle backwards and forwards between the 2 units of features. The digital instrument cluster is barely configurable, with the middle part capable of present driver-assist information, a visit laptop, turn-by-turn instructions, or tire strain. The middle console tasks out over a big, open storage bin, and on prime, there are cupholders, coated storage, and a spot to cost your telephone wirelessly. Shifting is through dial, and there are additionally buttons for seat heating and cooling, the parking digital camera, and the parking sensors.

The 2023 EV6 GT-Line in single-motor type presently begins at $54,225—there’s additionally the EV6 Wind, which could be had in the identical configuration for $50,025. For the GT-Line, the single-motor powertrain saves $4700 over the dual-motor model; within the Wind trim degree, the distinction is $3900. So, we see that those that have mastered the artwork of endurance are rewarded with a fatter pockets in addition to the flexibility to journey larger distances earlier than plugging in.

Deputy Editor, Opinions and Options

Joe Lorio has been obsessive about vehicles since his Matchbox days, and he bought his first subscription to Automotive and Driver at age 11. Joe began his profession at Vehicle Journal underneath David E. Davis Jr., and his work has additionally appeared on web sites together with Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.