2022 Kia EV6 Review

The EV6 is the first electric vehicle to be built using Kia's new Electric-Global Modular Platform, which will eventually underpin seven EVs the automaker is introducing over the next few years. As a compact SUV/hatchback, the EV6 is aimed at the heart of the marketplace, and its performance specs give it the tools necessary to strike at the Tesla Model Y. Underneath the EV6 shares much of its EV tech with the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

The base Kia EV6 Light trim comes standard with a 58-kWh battery pack and an 167-horsepower electric motor that drives the rear wheels. Kia fits all other trims with a 77.4-kWh battery pack. The rear-drive version with this bigger battery is rated at 225 hp, while selecting all-wheel drive bumps this to 320 hp. According to Kia, the big battery with AWD helps the EV6 sprint from 0 to 60 mph in a quick 5.1 seconds.

I had the opportunity to drive the rear- and all-wheel-drive versions of the EV6 in the GT-Line trim. To say I'm impressed is an understatement. Acceleration is brisk enough to pin you to your seat, but not so much that it reorganizes your internal organs like some other EVs. Kia's estimate of 5.1 seconds to 60 mph seems to be about right. 

Mounted on the steering wheel are some familiar paddle shifters, but instead of selecting gears, they control the amount of deceleration when you lift off of the accelerator pedal by adjusting the amount of regenerative braking (using the car's momentum to recharge the battery). In its lightest setting, the EV6 feels as though it freewheels like a bicycle, with very little deceleration. Holding the left paddle for a few seconds engages the i-Pedal setting, which allows for true one-pedal EV driving that rarely requires the use of the brake pedal. It's my preferred setting in the city as well as on a twisting mountain road.

The EV6 is surprisingly fun to drive around turns. Body roll is prevalent but not at all off-putting. On several occasions, I caught myself driving rather quickly on some challenging backroads, gleefully chuckling the whole time. The all-wheel-drive EV6 is as entertaining to drive as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is really saying something.

I'm aware that most drivers wouldn't engage in such antics, but that handling performance should instill plenty of confidence in your daily commute. It also bodes well for the forthcoming high-performance 576-horsepower EV6 GT.

The ride quality is pleasantly smooth. You'll still feel a lot of small bumps and seams in the road, but even moderate potholes are kept from sending sharp jolts into the cabin. And that cabin is eerily quiet, without the low-frequency boominess that some other EVs exhibit. Road noise does make itself known on coarser asphalt surfaces, but turning on the radio will easily fix that. Wind noise is essentially nonexistent at highway speeds.

The front seats are cushioned and shaped for long-distance comfort, yet they're adept at holding you in place when cornering. There are just enough power seat adjustments to find your preferred position, but taller drivers might find themselves wanting a bit more extension from the telescoping steering wheel.

We didn't have the opportunity to witness charging firsthand, but Kia's estimates should raise some eyebrows. The EV6, along with its corporate sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, can support super-quick DC fast-charging speeds of up to 350 kW.

What does that mean? In optimal conditions, Kia says you can replenish 70 miles in less than 5 minutes and charge from 10% to 80% capacity (217 miles) in under 18 minutes. Unfortunately, these 350-kW stations are very rare. Even so, you can consider the Ioniq 5 to be future-proofed to take advantage of more powerful fast charging as it rolls out in the coming years.

Cruising range will depend on which model and configuration you get. The entry-level Light trim that is exclusively rear-wheel-drive is estimated to return 232 miles on a full charge. The Wind and GT-Line trims should get you 310 miles, but if you upgrade to AWD, that estimate drops to 274 miles. We'll have estimates on the EV6 GT closer to its release later in the year.

The EV6's interior isn't as futuristic as the cabins of some other EVs, and for that, I'm thankful. In place of novelty or minimalist aesthetics, the dash is attractively modern and functional. The wide digital panels atop the dashboard are easy to read at a quick glance and have the stylistic flair of some Mercedes and BMW vehicles.

Unlike some EVs that force users to dig through menus to find some of the simplest controls, the EV6 features a row of shortcut buttons and knobs just below the air vents. There's even a cool and very useful button that switches those controls from climate to audio and navigation functions. It's an elegantly simple solution that I hope other carmakers will take notice of.

Just below that multifunction panel, at the leading edge of the center console, are additional capacitive touch buttons for seat heating/ventilation and the heated steering wheel, if equipped. It was too easy to accidentally trigger those buttons during my drive, causing some rather humorous reactions of "Oh no, am I getting a COVID fever?" I'm certain that with more time and care, this wouldn't be an issue. It's a nitpick, for sure, as is the rather large front roof pillar that tends to block your view through sharp left turns. This is a review after all, not a commercial.

There are no complaints when it comes to the rear seats. There's a wealth of legroom, plenty of space in front of your knees, and even taller passengers won't brush their heads against the headliner.

As noted earlier, the EV6's infotainment system may not dazzle with minimalist design. Rather, it pleases with functionality. That idea even makes itself known with the wireless charging pad. Its grippy rubber tray is able to hold a Max-sized iPhone with a larger-than-normal bumper case, and the overlapping armrest ensures that phone will stay in place.

The EV6 also provides available vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities. This is essentially a function by which you can power electronics or appliances, such as a smartphone, laptop or even a coffee maker or hair dryer, using the battery pack. You can plug in using the car's exterior charging port (with an adapter) or a household-style power port inside the vehicle.

The typical safety and driver assistance features such as frontal collision mitigation, a blind-spot monitor, adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist are all standard. More desirable features such as a head-up-display, automatic lane change, remote self-parking, evasive steering assist and a surround-view monitor are either optional on the midtier Wind trim or exclusive to the GT-Line. In our time with the GT-Line, all of these systems functioned well enough to not notice they were working, though the lane keeping assist puts up a bit too much resistance to driver steering corrections.