If you’re on the market for a new electric vehicle in that premium-ish £40,000 to £50,000 price bracket, you are awash with superb options. One such example that might fit the bill is Kia’s EV6, which has only this year seen a refresh and facelift. With it comes a bigger battery, more tech, some added refinement, and a restyled exterior, among other noteworthy improvements. I’ve actually driven the entry-level trim package, the EV6 Air and while it’s a great overall package, Kia’s even cheaper EV, the EV3, nearly gets you there. So, does bringing the EV6 more upmarket, with this GT-Line trim, make it a better deal?
What Is The Kia EV6 GT-Line About?
If you had the chance to check out my review of the mostly similar entry-level Air model, then the GT-Line isn’t too dissimilar. As such, you could check out my in-depth breakdown of the EV6’s overall styling and key design elements there, instead. With that in mind, the particular EV6 that I have here does come in a lovely candy red paint. In so doing, it helped to show off some of the contours and curvature of the EV6 as a whole much better than the muted grey on the Air variant that I drove. Moreover, that red looks especially gorgeous and a tad bit more pronounced when contrasting it against the gloss black trim, making it look a smidge more premium.
Another noteworthy difference between the entry-level Air trim and this mid-range GT-Line model is the slightly different lighting signature at the front. Unlike the EV6 Air that I wrote about prior, this GT-Line here has a slim lightbar in the faux front grille, connecting the distinctively unique headlight design together. That extended lighting unit not only looks good, but it’s one of the easier ways to tell apart the EV6’s varying trim levels. If not, the GT-Line and the Air look basically the same, even down to sharing the same 19-inch alloy wheel design. At the very least, this time around, I have the alternative powertrain option for the new EV6 to try out.
How Does It Drive?
As I mentioned in my EV6 Air review, Kia’s updated and refreshed EV6 line-up comes with two different electric powertrain options. On the one hand, you could pick the potent dual-motor set-up, which further gives you the all-season capability of all-wheel drive. All in all, you’re looking at a fairly speedy 320bhp and 605Nm of torque. It comes with an equally impressive 0 to 62mph time of just 5.3 seconds, making the EV6 one of the fastest EVs in its class, before topping out at 116mph. Nevertheless, the alternative isn’t too bad either, this being a single-motor, rear-wheel drive layout, cranking out 225bhp and 350Nm of torque, which are all modest figures.
That should be enough for a 0 to 62mph sprint in a respectable 7.7 seconds before you top out at 115mph. I’ve now experienced what the single-motor version is like, so it’s time to check out how the dual-motor setup feels in this EV6 GT-Line model. In short, it is a huge boost, which you’d ideally expect when you’re adding nearly 100bhp to anything, not to mention almost doubling the torque output. As a result, whether you’re going fast in a straight line, or for more practical day-to-day scenarios, such as overtaking, speeding up on the motorway, or charging your way out of an intersection, this dual-motor powertrain feels significantly faster.
It’s a great bit of fun too, with more power and torque always available for you to play with, in addition to that instantaneous torque that you get from an electric motor. While I do find that the single-motor arrangement is sufficient for daily driving – as well as it being a lot cheaper. If I had some extra cash to spare, the dual-motor arrangement here does make the EV6 a more pleasurable machine to drive. If anything, you’re certainly not going to feel like it’s lacking power in some cases. Other than that, the GT-Line model, with the dual-motor spec that I have here, is just as comfortable, quiet, and refined to drive as the Air variant.
Therefore, it makes the EV6 a fantastic daily driver, though sprightlier and more athletic. You get the same, extensive suite of driver aids, carried over from the EV6 Air. Alas, the GT-Line variant doesn’t really bring many meaningful changes aside from what’s included there, so you’ll have to move up to the pricier GT-Line S trim. This should bring with it even more neat ADAS systems. These include, but aren’t limited to… A remote smart parking assist system, a more advanced highway driving assist system, a really handy 360-degree surround-view camera system, and even a blind-spot camera, similar to what you’d get in some Hyundai/Genesis models.
What Is It Like Inside?
Just like the EV6 Air, the GT-Line model comes packed with both form and function. It has a rather voluminous boot space, even for an electric car with a big battery. It’s nice, though the sloping roofline might’ve compromised a tiny bit of vertical storage space. Further up front, there is also a good bit of legroom and headroom for your passengers. Crucially, this is where we notice one other upgrade over the cheaper Air, a dress-up in upholstery and use of materials. This time, we have some plush servings of artificial leather, as well as a two-tone black and white finish. Speaking of changes, the steering wheel is a 3-spoke instead of a 2-spoke.
To be fair, they both feel comfortable in the hand. And, the 3-spoke wheel still retains the drive mode selector on it for easy access. Visually then, it’s not that much of a variation compared to the Air, so do check out my review of that one for a more in-depth breakdown of the Kia EV6’s cabin. For instance, you’ll still get a pair of 12.3-inch screens, one for your gauges and the other for your infotainment. In addition, both of them sit on the same curved bit of glass which makes it a bit easier to see and use them from the driver’s seat. On top of that, you’ll notice that same, fairly high-up centre console, as well as the huge cubby hole underneath it.
On that centre console is also where you’ll find the wireless charging pad for your phone. Overall, it’s a superbly posh, comfortable, yet practical cabin, no doubt a great place to spend those countless commuting hours in. For reference, if you are thinking of upgrading over to the higher-end, top-spec GT-Line S variant, there are a tonne more improvements that you could get over this mid-range GT Line model. In the interior, specifically, it offers a set of heated rear seats, some ventilated front seats, and an upgraded sound system. To be precise, the GT-Line S comes with a 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system, compared to the 6-speaker set-up we have here.
Granted, it still sounds very good for what it is, so the Air and GT-Line models aren’t that much of a downgrade. Furthermore, the GT-Line S trim includes a heads-up display (HUD), which is more of a nice-to-have, rather than an absolute necessity, as well as the ability to use your phone as a digital key fob. One novel bit of tech that will be included as part of the GT-Line S upgrade is the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner. Instead of being a security feature, like with your phone and laptop, this fingerprint scanner is more there to let you save and apply driver-specific personalisation settings. For the extra cash then, the GT-Line S brings a lot more to the table.
The Experience
Across the entire facelifted Kia EV6 line-up, there is only one battery size option – an 84kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Of course, seeing that the EV6 GT-Line model that I have here comes with dual motors instead of just one, your range is moderately compromised due to all that added weight and the extra electricity consumption. Still, with around 339 miles of range, according to the folks at Kia, it’s a commendable amount of endurance! When you’re driving around in the real world, though, you’re likely not getting near that figure. Otherwise, high-200s or low-300s (if you’re careful with the throttle) is right around the ballpark you’d expect from daily driving.
Once the battery dies, thanks to Kia’s ultra-fast charging tech, you could top up the new EV6’s battery from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. Granted, you would have to scout around for a super rare 350kW DC charger if you’d want to take advantage of that. Thankfully, if you can’t max out the EV6’s peak 350kW charge rate, a common 50kW DC charger should still manage that 10% to 80% charge in around 1.25 hours. For EV owners that have an 11kW AC 3-phase wall charger at home, the EV6 would trickle charge (10% to 100%) in around 7.5 hours. Aside from that, the EV6 comes standard with V2L (vehicle-to-load), letting you use it as an external power source.
Kia EV6 GT-Line Cost
With a starting price of £45,575 to get into the Kia EV6 family, it’s a good price for a premium electric crossover SUV, especially with everything that comes bundled with the entry-level Air variant. On the other hand, the mid-range GT-Line model starts from a costlier £48,575. Alternatively, it’s £52,075 if you’re moving up from the RWD single-motor powertrain to the AWD dual-motor version, not including options. If you’re feeling like going all the way to the top, the flagship GT-Line S trim level, including the heat pump, is a whopping £58,125. Either way, for long-term ownership, I do appreciate Kia bundling their lengthy, generous 7-year warranty with the EV6.
Verdict
As I opined in my review of the facelifted Air model, the EV6’s value proposition has been somewhat a tiny bit compromised by Kia themselves. Following the introduction of its tinier and way cheaper EV3 compact electric crossover SUV, the EV6, when it’s put side-by-side, doesn’t really scream bang-for-buck. For most folks who just need a competent, practical, refined, and versatile electric vehicle for daily driving, the EV3 would do the job for 90% of what you’d need it to do. However, it’s that extra 10% where the EV6 truly sets itself apart, and it’s easily an easy car to shortlist, whether you want it for the bigger battery, punchier powertrain, or its unique styling!
Specification
Kia EV6 GT-Line Specs
- Price: £52,075
- Engine: Dual-motor, 84.0kWh battery
- Power: 320bhp
- Torque: 605Nm
- 0-62mph: 5.3 seconds
- Top speed: 116mph
- Weight: 2,165kg
- Economy combined: 339 miles (WLTP)
- CO2: 0g/km