Kia has finally launched its first EV for India, the EV6, at ₹60 Lakh for the rear-wheel-drive variant and ₹65 lakh for the all-wheel-drive variant. Kia will be selling the EV6 in limited numbers (100 units to be precise) and it will come to the country via the CBU route. Bookings for the EV6 are already underway and the EV6 is available in 2 variants and 5 colors, namely, Moonscape, Snow White Pearl, Runaway Red, Aurora Black Pearl, and Yacht Blue. The EV6 goes up against the likes of the recently launched BMW I4 and the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Design
The new Kia EV6 brings along a long-range, zero-emissions powertrain, 800V ultra-fast charging, and a neat styling package to the crossover SUV market. Talking about the design aspect in particular, at the front, the DRLs display a sleek appearance. They form part of the car’s digital tiger face, a design progression that is in line with Kia’s tiger-nose grille for the electrified era. Below this, a low air intake visually widens the front of the car.
As part of the optimization of airflow from the front, the air is channeled through and under the car’s flat floor for optimum aerodynamics. The side profile is smooth and it features flush door handles to aid aerodynamic efficiency. Even the 19-inch wheels are aerodynamic with most of the parts closed off. The sloping roofline merges into the rear spoiler which then slightly rises into the wide LED taillamps which stretch across the width of the car.
Interior
Moving inside the EV6, one of the major highlights of the EV6’s cabin is a curved high-definition audiovisual and navigation (AVN) screen. Extending from the steering wheel across to the center of the car, it displays an instrument cluster in front of the driver and infotainment and navigation above the center console. Underneath the AVN screen, the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) settings are situated which provide haptic feedback when operated, while below this panel, the dashboard slopes away towards the front of the car.
The EV6 also features an augmented reality (AR) head-up display system, which projects driving information onto the base of the windscreen in the driver’s line of sight. The seats are slim and lightweight and clad in fabrics created using recycled plastics. Some of the features include an Augmented Reality heads-up Display, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, a pair of 12.3-inch screens, connected car tech, electrically adjustable and ventilated front seats, a smart power tailgate, a 360-degree parking camera, 64 color ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, wireless smartphone charging, and a large sunroof. The boot space is rated at 520 liters. In terms of safety, the EV6 comes with 8 airbags, HAC, VSM, TPMS, ISOFIX child mounts a host of ADAS features such as lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitor, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision assist.
Powertrain
The EV6 in India is offered with a sole 77.4 kWh battery pack. It is offered in the rear-wheel-drive guise wherein it produces 229hp and 350nm of torque. The all-wheel-drive variant makes 325hp and 605nm. The more powerful variant can achieve 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and reach an electronically limited top speed of 192km/h. The EV6 gets two charging options- a 50kW that can charge from 10-80% in 73 minutes and a faster 350kW option that can charge from 10-80% in just 18 minutes. The EV6 gets a claimed range of 528km.