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, positive, it is promised to get higher, however how a lot does that assist if you’re standing outdoors a damaged charger or ready for somebody to depart a spot so you’ll be able to juice up? Customers who prioritize vary when selecting an EV decrease their interplay with the general public charging community, and for these Kia’s spectacular EV6, meaning going with the single-motor configuration. That is the variant we have examined right here, within the GT-Line trim stage.

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 only-motor model now comes customary 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 supplied 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 only-motor drivetrain yields the very best 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 very best EPA vary of its siblings, it additionally exceeds most of its opponents. The Toyota bZ4X maxes out at 252 miles, the Audi This fall 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 would 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 identical story quarter-mile instances, with the dual-motor automobile’s 13.3 seconds at 102 mph nicely forward of its single-motor sibling’s 15.2 at 93 mph. After all, pulling away from a cease is not all the time a time trial—or so we’re instructed—and the single-motor EV6 strikes via site 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 mild 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 by way of the steering-wheel paddles. The EV6’s cornering is succesful if not keen, principally as a result of moderately lifeless steering, and on the skidpad, the automobile demonstrated 0.87 g of grip. Rather more noteworthy is the experience high quality, because the EV6 exhibits spectacular composure over bumps, with zero harshness making its option to the cabin.

EV6 Inside

That cabin incorporates a mod-style design with a striped sample on the sprint that repeats on the middle armrest, and illuminated blue stripes seem beneath the vents. The suede seat upholstery with synthetic-leather trim is $295 further (and unavailable on the Wind mannequin), and its white accents brighten the in any other case black cabin. The rear seat cushion is low—mandatory, maybe, to create ample headroom for six-footers beneath the squashed roofline (here 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 house is essentially wasted, because the default show is only a clock. Beneath it, the touch-sensitive local weather controls oddly additionally do double responsibility working the audio system, that means you must toggle forwards and backwards between the 2 units of features. The digital instrument cluster is barely configurable, with the middle part in a position to present driver-assist information, a visit laptop, turn-by-turn instructions, or tire stress. The middle console tasks out over a big, open storage bin, and on high, there are cupholders, coated storage, and a spot to cost your cellphone wirelessly. Shifting is by way of dial, and there are additionally buttons for seat heating and cooling, the parking digicam, and the parking sensors.

The 2023 EV6 GT-Line in single-motor kind at present begins at $54,225—there’s additionally the EV6 Wind, which may 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 stage, the distinction is $3900. So, we see that those that have mastered the artwork of persistence are rewarded with a fatter pockets in addition to the flexibility to journey better distances earlier than plugging in.

Deputy Editor, Critiques and Options

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