The EV6 GT and its stunning performance courtesy 585 hp, 740 Nm, and electric four-wheel drive only begin to describe the fastest car from Kia. Ever.
The Kia EV6 has been in India for some time now and we were pleasantly surprised when we drove it last year. It was brisk, comfortable, well-equipped and offered a mix of grand touring and everyday usability that’s genuinely hard to deliver from any car let alone a pure-electric effort. The standard car with two-wheel drive and the more powerful and rather expensive GT-Line AWD were already more than adequate performers. Kia, however, had a little more up their sleeve. A lot more, actually, in the form of the EV6 GT.
The Korean auto major has formally launched their much-anticipated high-performance EV, the EV6 GT, built to be extreme from the outset. Its dynamic development was aided by its E-GMP architecture—set to underpin up to seven all-electric Kia models—which ensures optimal driving characteristics thanks to a balanced weight ratio of 49:51 front to rear, achieved by placing the battery pack across the floor of the vehicle and spreading out the mass thereby giving the EV6 GT a low centre of gravity. This, in turn, enables superior handling and performance characteristics, especially on winding roads. However, it does retain familiar dimensions and the 2.9-metre wheelbase freeing up an interior fit for grand touring.
Inside is a sporty-looking cabin that is both comfortable and practical. Suede-trimmed bucket seats provide full support during spirited driving, as well as long-distance comfort, sports-inspired touches create a purposeful ambience, ambient lighting across the GT’s door panels, centre console and dashboard delivers a soothing glow during night-time driving, dual curved 12.3-inch infotainment displays deliver all driving, connectivity and entertainment functions in high-resolution clarity, and the horizontally aligned dashboard gives the interior a cosseting and high-tech feel. The two-spoke steering wheel includes a dedicated new “GT” drive mode selector, enabling a customised driving experience.
The highlight though is the high-tech, high-performance, all-electric dual-motor powertrain specifically engineered to deliver an enthralling and powerful yet progressive drive experience. The front axle has a 160-kW motor good for 218 hp from 4,400 to 9,000 rpm and 350 Nm—on par with many premium 2.0-litre turbo-petrol offerings. The rear axle has a more powerful 270-kW motor making a turbo-V6 like 367 hp from 6,800 to 9,400 rpm. Together, the peak combined power output is 430 kW (585 hp) with a V12-like 740 Nm of torque. The output is channelled to all four wheels to maximise traction and put down the power smoothly, even over the most challenging surfaces and in all sorts of weather conditions.
The power and traction fom the EV6 GT’s dual-motor, all-wheel drive set-up makes for some truly scintillating performance. It can accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds and get up to a top speed of 260 km/h. It offers a range of up to 424 km.
