We live in an age of changes, evolutions and, all in all, uncertainties: what were a dream until yesterday have now become reality. I’m talking about electric cars, real fantasies out of the most incredible science fiction movies that the world of Hollywood has ever made. Kia is a company that since its inception (founded in 1994 in Seoul) has distinguished itself for innovation, for its desire to be the first in its field and moreover, if still today – almost a century after its appearance – we drive his cars with pleasure, we can well say that the goals and challenges over time have been won. Yesterday I was able to “make friends” with this completely innovative and completely premium car: Kia EV6 looks like a crossover, a true hybrid between sedan and small SUV with a sporty soul. Here’s how it went!
A milestone for the future
Monolithic, almost a single block, faceted and shaped. Lines and shapes that connect with each other, delimiting lights, colors and spaces. This and much more is EV6, a car that is much more than a simple moving object, it is the starting point (for many an arrival) for the future of the Kia Motors brand which recently removed the word Motors from the name, to become Kia Italy (or the country of reference). This because? Well, it is easy to say: From today Kia is no longer just a brand that produces (expertly ed) cars, but also alternative electric mobility, aimed at changing the way of moving around the city, living in a greener way, and obviously EV6 is the first means by which this revolution will be expressed.
Let’s go back to the real star of the day: Kia EV6 is based on the EGMP platform, which decomposed becomes Electric Global Modular Platform, a newly conceived platform that sees four wheels connected to a base which is the same as the battery of the vehicle, almost as if it were a skateboard on which to build the vehicle you want. The battery with 800v technology allows for EV6 to go from 10% charge to 80% in just 18 minutes (if obviously connected to columns that allow a passage of high voltage current). Thanks to its battery from 77.4kWh the Kia EV6 is able to offer 528km of autonomy in the two-wheel drive version and 229hp peak power, while in the twin-engine version (one rear and one front) we find 325hp and 506km of autonomy, which obviously is slightly reduced as more engines have to be powered. The two versions will be available respectively at the price of € 49500 and € 53000 to which a € 2250 comfort pack can be added to make it richer in terms of internal equipment.
For the most demanding customers in terms of design and performance, a € 61,000 GT-Line version is also available, the two models are able to do the famous 0-100 respectively in 7.5 seconds and 5.4 seconds for the GT -Line. The rich and performing one will come later EV6 GT, a product destined for sure not to the mass as adoption but that guarantees a power of 585hp, four-wheel drive and 400km of autonomy, all at the incredible price of € 69500 which will allow you to shoot from 0 to 100 in 3.5 seconds (It makes you lose your head thinking about its 740 nm of torque immediately available). Kia plans to sell about 600 models every year in our country and the vehicle can be ordered as of today, expected waiting times just a few months (at the convention we talked about two or three months) for all except for the GT that will arrive on the market in the course of 2022. The company has thought of everything and thanks to the partnership with the company Ionity and Enel X through the Juice App, you can quickly charge your car with € 22 for a full tank, in addition to the 7 + 7 + 7 plan which provides a 7-year warranty with unlimited km on EV6 (batteries excluded), 7 years of scheduled maintenance and 7 years of Kia Connect services (which allows, as mentioned before, the free partnership with Enel X and Ionity as well as other ancillary services).
EV6: traveling by electric
I got to spend a few hours on EV6: I was thrilled. Starting from the external aesthetics, I loved the full led matrix headlights similar to arrowheads with a spectacular detail on the led system: the face of this electric car is completed with the integration of the front radar system in the lower part of the grille, where in generally an endothermic car uses space to get air. Laterally the mirrors stand out which have small leaks towards the outside, a really interesting stylistic element, while from the front wheel starts a miniskirt that ideally connects with the rear lights (interrupted only by the rear wheel) which in this case are LED beams that they run along the whole rear and which is completed with the arrows at the bottom, almost creating a shell between the two indicators.
Always at the rear there is the power socket, able not only to take energy but also to donate it, as long as the car has at least 30% of the battery charged. This transforms the car into a real powerbank on wheels, capable of recharging any car or powering whatever we prefer. On the rear window a spoiler equipped with LED lights completes the whole, giving a touch of sportiness and originality that we also find in the retractable handles on all the doors (a solution that immediately makes it clear that we are dealing with a luxury product) . As soon as you enter, you will be struck by this giant, curved 12.3-inch screen capable of returning all the driving info you can imagine and perhaps go even further. The dashboard is separated from the central tunnel which goes a long way Star Trek Enterprise, in fact I admit that I felt like Captain Pikard when I started the car and I didn’t hold back from saying “Activate!” when I hit the accelerator.
The EV6 looks very rich on the inside. Unlike many electric ones I have tried so far, it is modern and spacious, with many interesting solutions and hidden LED lights that pamper you during the night journey. I was not crazy about the leather upholstery of the steering wheel – in my opinion to be reviewed – but in this I can say that I am very demanding. I immediately found an innovative solution: there were paddles behind the steering wheel, typical of the gearbox of an endothermic car, but this is electric so… what are these elements doing here? Well, by pressing them I realized a brilliant solution: you can interact on the engine brake by managing how much power to give to the latter up to the One Pedal mode, that is the characteristic of accelerating and braking with the same pedal.
Excellent response from the engine when stationary, even if the recovery from 70km / h to 100km / h was less brilliant than what I expected (on the rear two-wheel drive model). I was impressed by the comfort and precision of the steering wheel, the softness that is perceived in the suspension when facing a hole or a bump, and the design of the main dashboard combined with the driver’s armrest; while I think I found myself in front of the first model of electric car that really is able to do the km declared by the house, that is 528km, because although I “mistreated” it trying to reduce the mileage, the latter did not go down never irregularlyon the contrary, it always maintained a high level of performance. Chapeau Kia! Obviously we’re a long way from a full product review, but I can tell you that the first impression is undoubtedly super-positive and I can’t wait to have more time to delve into everyday use.
Final surprise
During the event I was also able to see the “future / present” of the company: Kia Sportage is renewed and although there has been no specific mention of engines (which we know will be electrified in a hybrid way) the aesthetics of the product was the queen of the surprise. Internally almost identical to its cousin EV6, Sportage it presents itself with a spectacular exterior, LED light beams instead of traditional headlights, central grille with lights and sporty rear as befits its essence. Soon to talk about this medium too but it must be said that the company’s management is undoubtedly clear and precise: just think of the next eleven (yes, you got it right) models of electrical products that will be presented between now and 2026.
And if you want to experience the event with us, find all the photos below!
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