Review: The KIA EV6 – Swift, sleek and sensible. The way we like our EVs

We got behind the wheel of the KIA EV6, the brand’s all-electric crossover. Elegantly different, swiftly smooth with a touch of the future. Here’s what we think.

At first glance itself, you’ll realize that the KIA EV6 doesn’t quite look like your average electric car. It’s because it isn’t. But moreover, it’s better. If I had to sum up my thoughts about this car and save you the time of reading this article, I’d say that it’s a sparkling cocktail of all the right elements an EV needs in India. But now that I have your attention, spend the next few minutes understanding why. The KIA EV6 is the brand’s electric, based on the firm’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that will sets the blueprints for a slew of Kia EVs arriving in the future.

It’s a new chip on the table for KIA, but seeing how its sister, the Hyundai Ionic 5 seems to be embracing this electric stride and its success, we’re excited to see how this plays out for the brand, especially in India’s niche-yet-competitive EV market.

KIA EV6 Review: Price in India, interior, specs

First, let’s talk design. When I said the EV6 doesn’t quite look like your average EV, I wasn’t kidding. It’s overall near-wedge like design and sleek-yet-aggressive design is a big win in our books. It’s as if the car’s built for space but it’s race-ready too. Trust me, it isn’t shy of rippin’ those electric motors, we’ll get to that in a bit. Up front, the headlights are sandwiched between two massive strips of DRLs almost stretching mirror to mirror. Considering it’s an electric car and that there’s no chunky engine up front, I like the fact that KIA didn’t throw in a pretentious fake grill here. However, the lower grille on the bumper actually has function, it’s flows air into the motors, keeping things cool.

The rear too, is quite a conversation piece. It literally boasts wheel to wheel tail-lights. Slightly lower, it’s mirrored by lights too, these are side indicators. This design makes for a very futuristic and sharp-looking rear. Perhaps, one of my favorite deets about the car.

While all of this sounds great, the real magic is inside the cabin. It’s quite driver-focused, I must say! It’s practical and smart like how a good EV should be. I can’t say that things are minimalist here but it’s definitely uncluttered. You can switch between driving modes using a knob instead of stick. Everything is quite ergonomic, and it wants the driver to keep its eyes on the road instead of distracting him with a bunch of control panel buttons and knobs. You also get two massive screens – One as the instrument cluster and other for infotainment. It’s slightly curved, facing the driver. The interior is also jacked with a 14-speaker Meridian system setup. Overall, I think the KIA EV6′ interior gives off a very futuristic vibe and is supported with an intelligent yet elegant design.

The drive. Given the chance to drive it at the Buddh International Circuit, I certainly made the most of it. Thanks to the 77.4-kWh lithium-ion battery, you can zoom from zero-to-100-kmph in 5.2 seconds, and even after that, the electric surge prevails and climbs rapidly. If you go with the RWD, you get 229-bhp and 350-Nm of torque. On the other hand, the AWD version gives you 325-bhp and 605-Nm of torque. I understand that electric cars deliver a serious jolt upon pick up and the EV6 is no slouch when it comes to showing that off. For a few sweet seconds, it feels like an electric rocketship, especially when it touches its top speed of 192-kmph.

The drive is buttery smooth. Quick and steady, whenever you need it. To help you cruise better, you get three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Sport. In terms of braking too, you get Normal and Sport. However, much like many EVs today, the KIA EV6 too boasts motor braking regeneration (automatically halting the car). Now this can be adjusted to your preference and is a great feat when navigating through busy city roads.

Now, the big question – What does the charging department look like? Impressive, to say the least, yet nothing out of the ordinary. Using a 350-kW DC charge, expect an 80%% charge in 18 mins. On the 50kW, about 73 minutes for the same. As a default, you get a 22-kW wall box charger when you buy the car.

All in all, we quite like the KIA EV6. It certainly isn’t your usual electric car and it beautifully embraces that. I don’t really have any complains about the car. As the headline suggests, it’s swift, sleek, and sensible. The driving tech is great for Indian roads in terms of auto-braking and the power delivery. Not too much, not too little, just hits the sweet spot. Also, it’s a pure driver’s car and the brand have embraced this. For their first EV, it sets the bar quite high. The KIA EV6 costs 59.95 lakh for the single-motor RWD and 64.95 for its big-boy dual-motor AWD.

All images: Courtesy brand