Kia EV6 came to India with a limited number of units and was quickly sold out. Kia India has recently reopened the booking for the premium electric SUV. This means there are more units headed to the Indian shores and if you were planning to buy one, this is your chance to get your hands on one. Now that the bookings for the Kia EV6 have reopened, we thought it is a good time to reflect back on this premium EV and tell you why it makes sense to buy one.
1. Design
The Kia EV6 is nothing like anything we are used to seeing on Indian roads. Not only that, it is quite different from the Kia cars we have come to know in the past few years. The signature Tiger-nose grille makes way for the new age “digital Tiger-nose” which will be carried forward to other EVs under the Kia banner. The design of the EV6 is based on Kia’s new design philosophy, “Opposites United” which takes inspiration from the contrasting elements found in nature and humanity.
The design overall is sporty with a sharp front and one single crease line running across the body. The rear also has a distinct look with a unique tail lamp setup and sharp sporty lines. Without getting too technical, the EV6 tends to leave a lasting impression on the onlooker’s mind.
2. Range
Range anxiety is one of the main issues that customers have with electric vehicles. The EV6’s ARAI-certified range of 708 km per charge perfectly allays this worry. Taking those long-distance trips is possible with the EV6’s range as you do not need to make frequent stops for recharging the battery. Inter-city trips that add up to 500-600 km for a return journey are fairly comfortable on a single charge. Besides that, Kia’s most recent smart regenerative braking system, adds to the overall range while the car is running.
The car has four levels of regenerative braking, and the ‘i-PEDAL’ driving mode enables the driver to gently stop the car without pressing the brake pedal. The regenerative braking can easily add up to 20-50 km range on a 300-400 km journey. It can even do more if you have long stretches of downhill roads. In all certainty, where most people choose an EV as their secondary car, the Kia EV6 can be the only car in your garage.
3. Speed (0-100)
The Kia EV6 does not just look sporty, it is sporty in its character as well. The EV6’s potent all-electric motor, which generates 605 Nm of torque, makes it an absolute joy to drive. The car can accelerate from 0 to 100 in just 5.4 seconds and has sporty handling due to its low center of gravity. If you like being pushed into your seat when accelerating, the Kia EV6 can give you quite the rush.
4. Fast Charging
The Kia EV6 is equipped with a massive 77.4kWh battery pack. However, it is also equipped with an 800-volt ultra-fast charging capability. A 0-80% charge can be achieved in as little as 18 minutes provided you are using a 350 kW charger. The 100 kW chargers which have now started popping up in our country can do the same in about 55 minutes. If you are charging at home, with a 7.2 kW wall box charger, 0-100% takes about 9 hours which is fairly fast for a 77.4 KWh battery back.
5. Safety
The EV6 has scored a 5-star rating in the Euro-NCAP which makes it one of the safest electric SUVs on the Indian market. It is equipped with eight airbags, all-wheel disc brakes, ABS, ESC (electronic stability control), HAC (hill-start assist control), MCBA (multi-collision brake assist), BAS (brake assistant system), VSM (vehicle stability management), ESS (emergency stop signal), front and rear parking sensors, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. In short, it has all the tech and equipment that will keep the passengers safe in the event of a collision.
6. ADAS
The Kia EV6 is one of the most tech-loaded electric SUVs and comes equipped with ADAS features as well. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that come with the EV6 make driving safer and more comfortable. In addition to forward collision avoidance assist (FCA) for vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and junction turning, the vehicle also has lane keep assist (LKA), blind-spot collision avoidance assist (BCA), rear-cross traffic avoidance assist (RCTA), safe exit assist (SEA), lane follow assist (LFA), blind-spot detection (BSD), driver attention warning (DAW), and smart cruise control (SCC) with stop and go functionality. These assist features to keep the driver alert and minimize driver errors hence preventing accidents.
Kia EV6 – An All-round Package
The Kia EV6 is a high-end, sporty electric SUV that allays customers’ worries about electric cars. The long-range and fast-charging capabilities ensure that you will not need another ICE vehicle in your garage. The overall quality and safety that the Kia EV6 offers surpass global standards hence, justifying its price.