► Price for the revised Kia EV6 start from £45,575
► SUV gets some slightly different front-end styling
► And a bigger battery with a longer maximum range
The Kia EV6 has always looked like it’s just fallen out of a time machine – but that hasn’t stopped Kia from trying to make it look (and act) even more futuristic for its facelift.
This is the revised car – and it’s had a series of well-aimed but very welcome upgrades. So, it has a larger battery, faster charging, a longer maximum range and a new front end that drags the EV6’s styling into step with the EV9 SUV and revised Picanto city car.
It’s available to order in the UK now with prices starting from £45,575. Considering the number of improvements Kia has made, that’s pretty good value – especially when you consider the old car had a starting price of £45,275.
Tell me more about the Kia EV6’s specs
As before, the EV6 range is separated into three specifications. They’re called Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S – and they’re all exceptionally well-equipped. Even the entry-level model comes with automatic air conditioning, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a pair of 12.3-inch screens and a snazzy vehicle-to-load function that allows you to use the car’s battery to run equipment such as power tools and kitchen appliances.
Step up a rung to the £48,575 Kia EV6 GT-Line and you’ll get a sporty body kit, adaptive LED headlights, rear privacy glass, a wireless phone charger and faux leather sports seats. The GT-Line S model, meanwhile, features 20-inch alloy wheels, heated outer rear seats, a head-up display and an arsenal of additional safety technology. You pay quite a lot more for the privilege, though. Prices start from £53,675.
What about its powertrains?
The entry-level EV6 Air is only available with one powertrain. It mixes Kia’s new 84.0kWh battery pack with a single 225bhp electric motor on the rear axle. Kia says this system has a maximum range of 361 miles, which is a 33-mile improvement on the cheapest pre-facelift car. It can also shove the EV6 from 0–62mph in 7.7 seconds.
GT-Line and GT-Line S cars come with the same powertrain as standard, although buyers can choose to upgrade to Kia’s more potent all-wheel drive system for a bit more money. This adds another motor on the front axle, boosting power to 320bhp and slashing the car’s 0–62mph time down to just 5.3 seconds.
However, because both these cars use the same 84.0kWh battery, their maximum ranges fall to 339 and 324 mile respectively. Still, you can improve the efficiency of the GT-Line S model by splashing some more cash on Kia’s optional heat pump.
Kia has also improved the EV6’s charging speeds as part of its facelift. Now, the car can accept DC charging speeds of up to 258kW. That’s a 7.9% increase over the pre-facelift car’s 239kW capability – and it means a 10–80% charge now only takes 18 minutes from a suitably rapid charge point.
Anything else I should know?
Other new features for 2024 include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, an auto lock function if the key holder walks away from the car and an improved digital key function that’s compatible with more devices, including Google Pixel smartphones. There’s also a fingerprint scanner on the centre console that’ll allow drivers to quickly load their driver preferences without poking around the touchscreen.
Kia has tried to make the EV6 safer, too. Rather unusually, Kia has made the car’s B-pillars thicker, which the brand says has strengthened its body and should make it perform better in a crash. It’s also now fitted with all the latest EU-mandated safety tech, which includes a fresh driver monitoring system.
First deliveries of the standard Kia EV6 will arrive in autumn 2024, but Kia is already making plans for the launch of its facelifted EV6 GT. That’s set to arrive in early 2025 – and we have it on good authority that it’ll nab some of its technology from its chassis sibling, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. Namely, that car’s clever simulated gear change tech.