The Korean brand’s first dedicated EV previews a new design direction for all its future offerings. Read on for more about the Kia EV6.
Hot on the heels of Kia’s rebranding with a new logo, slogan, and brand strategy, comes its first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6.
It’s the sister car to Hyundai’s recently unveiled Ioniq 5, sharing its Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), and presumably a lot of other tech. In case you didn’t know, Hyundai and Kia share a close relationship as part of the same conglomerate.
Unlike the Ioniq 5, which is a retro-styled hatchback, the Kia EV6 is a sleek and modern – if conventional looking – crossover. Up front, squinty LED headlights form part of Kia calls the car’s “Digital Tiger Face” (nope, we can’t visualise it either); in the middle, there’s a low-slung, sporty roofline; while at the rear, there’s a full-width light bar that gives off slight Aston Martin DBX vibes.
It’s all part of Kia’s general new design philosophy “Opposites United” – based around five key pillars: ‘Bold for Nature’, ‘Joy for Reason’, ‘Power to Progress’, ‘Technology for Life’, and ‘Tension for Serenity’. This will influence the look of all Kias moving forward, both EV and fossil-fuelled.
Like the exterior, the EV6’s interior is more conventional than the Ioniq 5’s. Instead of an open-plan “living space” concept, the EV6 sports a traditional dashboard and console layout, with extra storage space between the front seats.
In front of the driver sits a twin widescreen setup – one screen for the driving displays, the other for infotainment – just like Mercedes’ EQA, and recycled plastics also feature in the seat fabrics.
Kia hasn’t mentioned any technical details yet, but given its E-GMP base, we reckon its drivetrain specs will be very similar to the Ioniq 5: two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations, 58kWh or 72.6 kWh battery options, and a potential maximum range of 480km.
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