Kia’s First EV Can Go From 0-100kmph In Just 3.5 Seconds!

• It will get two drivetrains -- RWD and AWD -- with two battery pack options.

• The range-topping EV6 GT gets a long-range battery pack as standard.

• The performance-oriented GT can go from 0-100kmph in just 3.5 seconds.

• The EV6 can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.

• It can go 100km on a charge of less than five minutes.

Kia has unveiled the EV6, the first of its seven fully electric vehicles to be based on the new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) -- a dedicated EV platform of the Hyundai Group. The EV6 will come in a ‘GT Line’ trim and a performance-oriented ‘GT’ version.

It will get the choice of two battery packs -- a 77.4kWh long-range option and a 58kWh one. While the EV6 GT will get only the former, the GT Line will be available with both. The EV6 will get both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive options.

In the RWD long-range model, the battery is paired with a 229PS and 350Nm electric motor on the rear axle and gets a WLTP-claimed range of 510km. The AWD version gets an extra electric motor on the front axle, pushing out 325PS and 605Nm, and capable of going from 0-100kmph in a decent 5.2 seconds.

The standard-range model’s 0-100kmph acceleration time is 6.2 seconds, only a second more than the long-range model. The RWD version is powered by a 170PS and 350Nm motor, whereas the AWD version generates 235PS and 605Nm.

That’s not all. Kia has catered to the needs of performance enthusiasts as well. The EV6 GT can go from 0-100kmph in just 3.5 seconds in its AWD form (with a top speed of 260kmph). This can be attributed to its dual-electric motors that put out a whopping 585PS and 740Nm. The EV6 GT also gets an exclusive electronic limited-slip differential for improved control at high speeds.

Here’s one for the range-anxious. The EV6 (across all its variants) can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes with high-speed charging. The long-range RWD variant takes less than four and a half minutes of charge for a 100km range.

Like its platform cousin, the Hyundai IONIQ 5, the EV6 supports 400V and 800V charging infrastructure. Like the IONIQ 5, it also supports Vehicle-To-Load (V2L), whereby the car’s battery can be used to generate up to 3.6kW of power to charge other electronic appliances. It can also charge an EV! 

Kia has packed the EV6 with a bunch of Level 3 autonomous driver assist systems. These include Safe Exit Assist (that warns passengers trying to exit from the rear about surrounding traffic), Lane Following Assist, Highway Driving Assist, and Remote Smart Parking Assist (that allows one to auto-park the car while being outside of it).

Up front, the EV6 sports a new Digital Tiger Face replacing the traditional Kia Tiger-nose grille. It is sleeker and minimalistic, flanked by a pair of dynamic LED headlights and sequential DRLs. Its Urus/RS Q8-like silhouette, with an extended character line, adds definition to its appearance. At the back, an LED light bar spans the boot width. To check out the interior and exterior of the EV6, head here.

Going forward, by 2030, Kia intends to have at least 40% of its total sales from EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs. There is still no word on whether the EV6 will make it to India or not.