The Kia EV6 is leading the way in the electric car segment with its sleek design, premium user experience, and exciting performance.
Following its success in the global market, the Kia EV6 electric car is expected to enter the Vietnamese market this year. Let’s find out how foreign experts evaluate this electric car.
Kia EV6: Compact yet nearly perfect car!
First and foremost, it is important to note that the Kia EV6 is an attractive, fun, and practical car. Its range per charge and fast charging capability are at a good level – a crucial factor for an electric car. Although the car’s design may still be strange and quirky in the eyes of conservative consumers, along with the fact that the price of the Kia EV6 is not cheap, overall, it is still a very reasonable electric car.
When mentioning the Kia EV6, it is impossible not to mention the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Both cars are developed on the same E-GMP platform of the Hyundai-Kia group. In fact, both of them have another luxury “sibling” car, which is the Genesis GV60. In Vietnam, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has also been introduced to consumers by the distributor Thanh Cong.
Better driving experience than its Korean brother Ioniq 5
The Genesis GV60, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Kia EV6 all belong to the category of electric cars with SUV hatchback-like designs, or to describe it more accurately, “high-performance SUVs”. All three Korean cars are developed based on the 800V electric architecture, with many modern operating technologies, useful features, and a range of over 400km (for the 58 kWh battery version) up to nearly 500km (for the 77.4 kWh battery version) per full charge.
Having a slightly shorter wheelbase than its counterparts, the Kia EV6 still provides a very interesting driving experience: the interior is modern and youthful, emphasizing the spirit of sports and encouraging steering.
The real driving experience for both cars also shows that the Kia EV6 offers agile driving, responsive steering, and better body control than the Ioniq 5. Switching the dial under the steering wheel to the sport driving mode, the Kia EV6 immediately responds to each throttle input, while the steering wheel also becomes firmer; at the same time, the screen changes to red and the car produces more simulated sounds to create a more exciting feeling.
Of course, the acceleration of the Kia EV6 cannot reach the level of a neck-snapping sports car like the Porsche Taycan, but compared to other mainstream cars, the power of the Kia EV6 can be considered strong; especially for the version with two electric motors.
In the UK market, the Kia EV6 is available in 4 versions: standard (with 1 motor producing 225 horsepower at the rear axle and a range of over 520 km), GT-Line and GT-Line S (with two more powerful motors producing 320 horsepower, all-wheel drive – allowing the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds but with a range of only 480 km) or the top-of-the-line GT version (with a configuration of 2 extremely powerful motors: 584 horsepower, accelerating 0-100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds, comparable to a supercar and a range of over 400 km).
To summarize its performance, the Kia EV6 should not be considered a sports car. Instead, it should be seen as a great everyday car: quiet, comfortable, and “not to mention” its “supercharged” accelerating ability like a supercar.
Friendly, modern, “familiar yet unusual” design
Not appearing extremely different and outstanding like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 with its sharp flat cuts, the Kia EV6 has a softer and more traditional design. However, it cannot be denied that this is a car with a modern appearance.
The curves are beautifully designed. The front grille is minimized in size but still brings a familiar look similar to the traditional tiger-nose design of the Kia family. The beautiful full LED headlights resemble those of European cars. The front lower bumper is also arranged like those of high-performance cars.
The highlight of the rear of the Kia EV6 is the brake light cluster – very sexy. This cluster runs horizontally across the rear of the car, dividing the upper roof section and the lower trunk section into two separate layers. The curved rear end of the Kia EV6 is easy to remind many people of the British supercar Aston Martin DBX.
Sharing the same chassis platform with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 also has a very spacious interior compared to petrol cars of the same overall size. All passengers can sit comfortably in all 5 seats. The legroom, backrest recline, and headroom are all excellent.
Spacious interior, modern convenience, eye-catching equipment
Both the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV 6 use PET plastic made from recycled bottles to complete the interior, creating a very beautiful surface: a modern dashboard, seats made from friendly faux wool.
Unlike the minimalist, spacious, comfortable, and quiet design like being in a living room on the Hyundai Ioniq 5; the interior of the Kia EV6 is neatly arranged. The gear shift knob is beautifully shaped like a gear – made of rubber material – fits in hand, providing a good tactile feel.
Two 12.3-inch screens are horizontally arranged on the dashboard with a friendly, easy-to-observe, and easy-to-use interface. The climate control area is equipped with two buttons and haptic feedback feature (vibrates when touched). All details bring convenience and familiarity, any passenger who steps into the car can easily grasp them in just 1 minute.
The ADAS driving assistance technology package, the large-size HUD screen are also fully equipped for the car, enhancing its safety performance. The 800V E-GMP electric architecture of Hyundai-Kia allows the car to provide reverse power to peripheral devices – acting as a power station, especially useful when going camping.
Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
Source: TopGear
