Kia is popping issues up a notch. The EV6 is persistently lauded as among the finest EVs on the market proper now in its value vary, sitting alongside its sister automobile, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and automobiles just like the Tesla Mannequin 3. As an electrical automobile, even the bottom mannequin EV6 has some severe kick to it — however final yr, the Kia EV6 GT-Line introduced issues to the subsequent stage. Now, Kia is making the automobile much more spectacular, as soon as once more, with the Kia EV6 GT.
The EV6 GT is designed to take a seat on the prime of the EV6 lineup, with the very best efficiency and essentially the most spectacular options. And it is sensible why Kia can be on this place. Loads of carmakers are nonetheless unveiling their first-generation electrical automobiles, however Kia has been working at them for years, via automobiles just like the Soul and the Niro EV. That’s to not point out the primary few generations of EV6.
And, certainly, the EV6 GT impresses, from the primary time you see it.
A (barely) tweaked design
The adjustments to the Kia EV6 GT begin with the design, however don’t count on any main adjustments — that is nonetheless the EV6 that you already know, simply with a bit extra aggressive styling and accents.
Most of that extra aggressive styling boils all the way down to 21-inch wheels, barely tweaked vents, and different small exterior particulars. You gained’t miss the neon inexperienced brake calipers seen in these 21-inch wheels, although. These aren’t branded brakes, however they appear to be they need to be.
Matching neon inexperienced accents await you on the within, coupled with sport bucket seats to essentially make you’re feeling such as you’re in a race automobile.
I want Kia went a bit additional with the aggressive styling on the GT. You need to look fairly laborious to note any massive variations between the EV6 fashions. After all, a few of that’s purposeful — Kia describes the EV6 GT-Line because the automobile for many who just like the GT styling however don’t care as a lot concerning the efficiency enhancements, whereas the GT is for many who need each. Nonetheless, in case you like the general design of the EV6, you’ll just like the look of the EV6 GT.
“This can be a Kia?”
It’s laborious to overstate the adjustments that Kia has remodeled the previous few years, and the EV6 GT seems like a end result of these. It’s out with the outdated and in with the brand new, and whereas that implies that beloved automobiles just like the Stinger may be on the chopping block, it additionally means we’re getting fairly candy new rides just like the EV6 GT.
So what does the EV6 GT provide that you simply don’t get on different fashions? There are a couple of variations that each one come all the way down to “going quicker.”
The EV6 GT delivers 576 horsepower, with the power to speed up from 0 to 60mph in 3.4 seconds. Kia is fast to level out that it has a quicker 0 to 60 time than the 2021 Ferrari Roma and the 2020 Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder RWD. You would possibly discover that neither of these is an EV, and EVs just like the Tesla Mannequin 3 Efficiency can beat the GT, at 3.1 seconds. It does nonetheless beat the Mustang Mach-E GT although, which will get to hurry in 3.5 seconds. So this isn’t the quickest EV, however it’s nonetheless impressively quick.
That shouldn’t take away from the truth that driving the EV6 GT is an absolute blast. The automobile will get an all-new drive mode — GT — which activates with a faucet of a devoted neon inexperienced GT button on the steering wheel. Participating it unlocks full use of the 160kW entrance motor and 270kW rear motor, tunes the steering to be extra responsive, and extra.
There’s even a drift mode. Sure, I drifted an EV6, and sure, I used to be unhealthy at it.
Perhaps not the EV6 for you
All of that is tremendous cool, and truly fairly candy worth. When you’re on the lookout for a high-performing EV that doesn’t price Mannequin S or EQS-type cash, the EV6 GT is a killer choice. It begins at $61,400, which is lots to make certain, however cheaper than the Mannequin Y Efficiency and the Mustang Mach-E GT.
However whilst you pay extra for the EV6 GT, you additionally lose some issues — notably, vary. The EV6 GT will get an EPA-estimated vary of 206 miles, which is kind of a bit lower than the 252 miles the GT-Line AWD achieves, and the 310 miles the RWD EV6 Wind and GT-Line obtain. In different phrases, whereas you’ll probably exceed estimates in case you largely use the lower-power Eco and Regular modes, you continue to gained’t get as a lot vary as you’ll get from different fashions with much less highly effective motors. I like driving quick, however not by sacrificing vary, which has extra of an influence on my day-to-day life — and I believe most are the identical. Fortunately, the EV6 GT will get the identical 350kW charging speeds, which ought to enable it to cost in beneath 20 minutes.
After all, the EV6 GT isn’t essentially for many who care most about vary, and Kia is aware of that. The corporate is just constructing the automobile in a restricted manufacturing run of beneath 2,500 automobiles. Whereas it says it could construct extra if it sees numerous demand, it’s not less than conscious of the truth that this mannequin might be for a smaller crowd. It’s not pushing the EV6 GT because the EV that everybody ought to attempt to get.
However whereas this explicit EV6 isn’t for everybody, the EV6 GT does assist cement the EV6 generally as an amazing choice for a variety of consumers. The EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are, for my part, the very best EVs available on the market proper now for most individuals.
When you do purchase an EV6 GT with the understanding that you simply’ll get decrease vary, although, you gained’t be dissatisfied. It’s simply one of the enjoyable EVs on the market proper now, and whereas competitors is coming, proper now many EVs might use a bit extra enjoyable.
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