I was really excited to spend some time with the Kia EV6 GT. I read all the specs. 576 horsepower. 545 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 in less than 3.5 seconds. It’s the quickest car I’ve ever driven, but none of that matters. The only thing that matters is I couldn’t drive it without an extreme sense of dread. I knew that every single time I pushed the accelerator all the way down, huge chunks of driving range would be wiped away, and it would not be an easy task to replenish those lost miles.
Nowhere I was going had chargers, and if they did then they were slow or broken. My apartment in New York City does not have chargers, and if I charged at my parents’ house in New Jersey, I’d just be plugging a really powerful EV into a regular wall outlet. It’s brutal out here, folks.
Full Disclosure: Kia was kind enough to lend me a 2023 EV6 GT with a mostly charged-up battery to play around with for a long weekend.
All Out In The EV6 GTPhoto: Andy Kalmowitz / Jalopnik
There are three different power levels when it comes to the EV6: a 225 horsepower RWD model, a 320 horsepower all-wheel-drive model and the GT’s 576 horsepower and 545 lb-ft of torque. If you’re buying the GT you obviously care about performance above all else, but unfortunately, my performance-oriented driving in the EV6 GT was limited to a few twisty corners and a handful of off-the-line pulls. There was also a little bit of tail-happiness that occurred on the 86th Street Transverse going through Central Park, but I will not speak on that.
For most of my time in the EV6 GT, I was plumped squarely in Eco Mode trying to get as much out of this car’s range as possible. It stunk. (The situation, not the car.) Even in Eco, the EV6 is a great car. That’s to be expected, as its platform mates, the Hyundai Ioniq5 and 6, are also great cars. None of that really matters, though, when you’re worried about getting to your next stop with some juice left in the battery.
This is not a performance-driving review of the EV6 GT. That’s too bad, but circumstances just didn’t allow it to happen. We’ve talked about the GT in the past, so if that’s what you’re looking for, then head on over to my colleague’s review.
A Range Of Issues
Other EV6 have driving ranges between 252 and 310 miles, depending on how they’re spec’d. No matter how you get your EV6, they all come with the same 77.4 kWh battery. The GT, with its more powerful dual motor setup, has to make do with just 206 miles of range. That’s a number that I feel is a little bit, let’s say, generous. You’re going to have to be taking it pretty easy in the aforementioned Eco mode to hit it. Even so, that gives you about 190ish miles of usable range before anxiety starts to set in. That’s fine if you’ve got a regular commute, do not do a ton of other driving and you’ve got a home charger. If you bought an EV6, a home charger is non-negotiable. You’re getting one.
Here’s the rub, though. For a sticker price of $62,865, I was expecting a little bit – you know – more. I get it has two big, powerful motors, but dammit man. This thing was exhausting. I’ve driven other EVs before – ones with better range and worse performance – and they provide a far more enjoyable experience because I wasn’t stressed out the whole time.
Part of that stress also comes down to the loud-as-shit Goodyear Eagle performance tires fitted thing. The road noise took away almost all of the peace-and-quiet people usually get in EVs. They provide good enough grip for this 5,700-pound behemoth around a corner, but at what cost?
What this comes down to is the idea that if you are going to hook 576 hp worth of motors to a battery pack that – in the base car – only needs to store power for a single engine with 225 horsepower – you’re going to have a bad time. I’m not an engineer, but if you’re going to add all that power, add a little bit of battery capacity to help cope with it. I know that’s probably an engineering nightmare, but that isn’t my problem to deal with.
If you take away the range issue – and what causes them – you’re left with a regular EV6 – the car you should actually buy.
Pretend It’s A Regular EV6
I think I’ve done enough ranting, so let’s take some time to look at the EV6 GT as a car, separate from its range in GT trim, the EV6 is a great car.
Just like its Ioniq5 and 6 stablemates, the EV6 is just about the class of the small EV segment. Sitting in the car’s cockpit and using its electronics is a far more pleasant experience than in something like a Tesla Model 3 or Y. The interior has a lovely blend of that ultra-futuristic vibe you may want from an electric vehicle with a healthy dose of familiarity. Just about everything is exactly where you’d expect it to be, and if you’ve spent any time in an internal combustion-powered Hyundai or Kia, you’ll feel right at home. The whole thing feels very well put together, even in my press car with nearly 7,000 miles on the clock. (That may as well be 1,000,000 regular miles).
The only thing that sets the GT apart from other EV6s inside are the sport bucket seats. They look great, and they’re comfy, but if you are a little chubby in the thigh area, you could feel a bit squeezed. It’s a small price to pay for performance, I guess.
It comes with some great little features like blind spot turn signal cameras – which all cars should have – and the floating center console which means you can put an inordinate amount of shit in the front passenger area. It’s wonderful. On the topic of size, I was able to get an entire Ikea bed and drawers into this thing without any issue, even though it’s not very big. That’s one benefit of having an electric car – automakers can maximize the space inside.
Step outside the EV6, and it’s still a pleasant experience. This car looks cool, full stop. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but I dig it, man. Up front, it’s pretty conventional, but few cars look this cool from the back – especially with that rear lightbar.
The GT gives you neat-looking 21-inch wheels and lime-green brake calipers. It sets the car apart, and it lets folks know you’ve got something special.
Returning To Reality In The EV6 GT
The car’s range issues prevent it from being the special vehicle it should be, and that’s just too bad. If you’re okay with the range or can charge at home and at work, this car is for you. But, if you’re not after 3.5-second 0-60 times that eat away at chunks of your battery life, then you should not buy the EV6 GT.
All that being said, don’t let my general distaste for the GT stop you from buying a regular EV6, Ioniq5 or Ioniq6. Those are all wonderful cars, ones that’ll make you happy even if they don’t melt your face in a straight line. The EV6 GT had a chance to be something great, but instead, it just made me long for a more sensible electric car.
If you’ve really got your heart set on the EV6 GT, just make sure you’ve also budgeted for a good home charger.