Kia’s award-winning EV6 electric crossover sees India launch
Undercuts rivals like Audi e-tron and Mercedes EQC by a margin of over 40 lakh
Kia took the world by storm with its latest flagship all-electric offering called the EV6. The dedicated all-electric urban crossover received praise worldwide for its flashy looks, practical packaging and a range of more than 500kms on offer. The Kia EV6 bagged awards more than the praise, consisting of the ‘Best Electric Vehicle’ by U.S. News, red dot awards for ‘innovative product’ and ‘best of the best car design’. It was also named the 2022 European Car of the Year and the joint world champion for the Best Car of the Year along with its mechanical sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. And now, the Kia EV6 will make its way to the subcontinent.
As the EV6 gets built on Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) dedicated for EV production, Kia will be shipping the car to India via the CBU route. Hence, the prices of the Kia EV6 are on the steeper side as it bears the full brunt of excise duties. Kia will be selling the EV6 in two trim levels in India – GT Line RWD and GT Line AWD. While the former costs INR 59.95 lakh (ex-showroom, India), the latter demands INR 64.95 lakh (ex-showroom, India). Kia had initially allotted 100 units of the EV6 for the subcontinent, but the brand has reportedly received more than 300 pre-bookings already, entailing a second could be likely to follow suit.
In design, the Kia EV6 appears to be a cross between a hatchback and a crossover. However, the wraparound headlights, slim grille and haunched rear accented with a width-spanning tail light provide it with an attractive look. The design doesn’t scream SUV but instead flashes itself as a stylish urban commuter.
An attempt has been made to replicate the funky exteriors inside the cabin. Following the EV norm, a dual-screen setup makes up for the infotainment and instrument cluster. A floating centre console houses the power button, the rotary gear knob, and other drive mode settings. The front seats can recline flat, and the rear bench gets no transmission hump as Kia has integrated the battery pack on the EV6’s floor. Safety features are brimmed to the gills with a built-in Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, ADAS semi-autonomous features and reverse surround view monitor with a 3D model listed out, among many others.
The Kia EV6 is the brand’s first attempt at building an EV from the ground up. Powertrain duties are managed by electric motors depending on the variant chosen. The RWD trim spec sees a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. Power output figures are rated at 229bhp and 350Nm, which allow the EV to crack the 0-100kph barrier in 7.3seconds. The All-Wheel-Drive or AWD derivative uses two electric motors with 325bhp and 605Nm max output, shaving the 0-100kph time to 5.2seconds.
Both variants of the EV6 get powered by a 77.4kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. Kia claims the RWD will offer a WLTP certified range of 528km on a single charge, whereas the AWD has to do with more than 450kms courtesy of added performance. Upon utilising an ultra-fast charger, the Kia EV6 can gain up to 100kms in just 4.5mins while a regular 50kW charger will do the same job in 73 mins. But thanks to its dedicated EV architecture, the EV6 also supports Vehicle to Vehicle charging.
Deliveries for the first batch are set to commence by September 2022.
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