This review is based on 14 days experience test driving the Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD, during which I drove 487 kms, equivalent to 12,688 kms per year.
I am a retiree in my early 70’s and had never driven an EV until late 2024. But I have driven internal combustion engine (ICE) cars in many countries.
In Africa a manual Ford Anglia and Renault 12, in North America a manual Honda Civic Station wagon (left hand drive of course, driving on the wrong side of the road you could say!), VW Golf in Ireland and Holden Commodores, Ford Falcons and Toyota Camrys in Australia.
Given that this was my third EV for review and the second Kia, I did not need much of an introduction to the features and I was comfortable driving it from the first moment. The gear selector is well placed, located where a gear stick is located in an ICE.
My initial thought was that the EV6 was a large and wide car and may not fit into my garage as the wing mirrors are rather big and stick out a fair bit on the sides but I need not have been concerned.
On reversing, I incidentally noticed that the wing mirrors adjust down so that the driver can see more of the lower areas of the road, an excellent safety feature.
On driving it on the motorway, in Eco mode, I found that the car had lots of power. I understand that the car can do 0 to 100 kms in about 5 seconds but I was not interested in racing down the highway to compete with ICE drivers!
The engine’s response was smooth and the ride very comfortable, though I found the driver’s seat not as comfortable as that of the Niro. Likewise the rear seats, although the backs can be tilted back with the lever on the side, the seats were not comfortable for my passengers, especially the middle seat.
I have come to realise by now that one pedal driving gives me better control of the car as opposed to driving an ICE. I feel that I have better control, especially noticeable when I am going round sharp corners and bends.
I would assume that one reason for this is the heavy battery located at the base of EVs which lowers their centre of gravity, resulting in better road handling. A definite advantage. One aspect of one pedal driving that I haven’t figured out yet is whether I would get stiff muscles in my right leg as my foot has to be constantly on the accelerator pedal!
I was really impressed with the very informative dashboard. It displays the usual features i.e. odometer, auto hold, lane assist, adaptive cruise control, all can be adjusted with well located buttons on the steering wheel. In addition, it displays the percentage charge of the battery, outside temperature, kWh/100 kms for the trip and average over time.
The multiple cameras provide a view of the surroundings, especially useful when parking in tight spots. The feature that I liked best was the view of the blind spot on the dashboard when the turn signal was on.
The EV has a sunroof and sunshade which can be operated using the switch on the overhead console. I did not use this feature much during the day as we have been experiencing hot sunny days.
The charging port for the EV6 at the rear right is well located as opposed to the Niro EV and Kona front location, where the charging port could be damaged easily if one is involved in a rear-ender.
I used my 10 amp socket in the garage to charge the car, at all times using surplus solar power during the 2 weeks review period.
The EV6 has a Heads-Up Display feature, shows speed, distance to the car in front and lane markings. This is a very useful safety feature, allowing the driver to concentrate their line of sight on the road. I found this feature particularly useful when driving at night and during inclement weather.
The car features USB A and C ports in the front console and 2 USB C ports on the back of the front seats for passengers in the back. A well thought and innovative offering! In addition to that, 2 well located climate control air vents are located on the vertical door struts for the rear passengers. There is plenty of legroom for the rear passengers even if you have the front seats all the way back.
In fact we managed to fit in a 55″ TV box, transported safely from the retailer to my son’s home, with the TV box standing safely upright in the passenger footwell.
In terms of storage space, the car has a large boot with a sturdy boot cover. There is a 12 V charging port on the left of the boot, ideal for accessories like a car fridge or rear dashcam.
Should you want more space to transport a tall object or lots of luggage all you have to do was to remove the boot cover. It is easily removed by disengaging the horizontal strut and folding back the rear seats.
The Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD is an impressive, very well designed car.
An ideal family car, with lots of power, comfort features and storage space.
Recommend highly for a family of 4 or for grandparents ferrying grand children around.
The GT-LINE RWD lacks some of the luxe features like a sunroof but has the same core driving experience, slightly more range and is more affordable.
Charging Cost: Home Solar vs Petrol Car
With an average over the month of 15.2kWh/100km the Kia EV6 AWD was reasonably efficient considering its size and power.
This means it has lower cost of ownership compared to some other more inefficient, heavier EVs.
Assuming a lost solar feed in tariff of 5c/kWh and 74.02kWh (plus some charging cable losses) used charging from my spare home solar generation, 487km of driving cost me about $3.70 in electricity.
In comparison my Mazda 3 would have used about $41.34 of unleaded fuel @ $1.70/litre.
EDITORS VIEW
The Kia EV6 is one of my favourite driving dynamic EVs.
I really enjoyed driving a blue Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD during the Christmas period of 2023 from Sydney to Melbourne and back again via the more scenic Victorian coastal route and inland through Cooma and Queanbeyan via Eden.
Despite being originally designed several years ago the EV6 still looks stylish. What has held it back from selling in larger numbers (1,785 EV6 were sold in Australia during 2024) is the relatively high price.
Even now with a Kia EV6 refreshed version about to be sold in Australia, this older version without app connectivity the base Kia EV6 Air model (which also lacks features like a 360 camera, powered tailgate, electric adjustable seats, sunroof, rear privacy glass) still sells for $78,524.25 driveaway in NSW.
Kia has not changed it’s pricing to reflect the new reality of the Australian EV market where Chinese electric cars offer all those features missing in the Air for a whole lot less money.
To sell many thousands of EV6’s in Australia during 2025 the price of each newly refreshed model really needs to be $10,000 to 15,000 less than before.
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