FIRST DRIVES
KIA EV6
This electric SUV intends to solidify the brand’s new standing with eye-catching design, a premium feel and a sporty driving experience
NEW CARS TESTED AND RATED
TESTED 6.8.21, FRANKFURT, GERMANY ON SALE EARLY 2022 PRICE £46,745
In one aspect, this car feels rushed through and barely considered. Seriously, Kia, how many minutes did it take you to settle on ‘EV6’ for the first in a series of bespoke electric vehicles? No messing around creating a sub-brand like ID, EQ or Ioniq here, just does-what-it-says-on-the-tin, calling-a-spade-a-spade simplicity.
Now, the Korean manufacturer insists that it chose this name precisely due to its simplicity, because it didn’t want to add any further confusion to the already complex terminology surrounding electric cars. Which makes sense.
Clearly, it has instead devoted its time to the really important stuff. In every regard bar the name, the EV6 feels like the result of extensive consideration, planning, research and development. Which it is because, as the first Kia built on the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform for EVs, it’s a very important car.
“It’s a showcase for what we want to stand for,” says European product chief Sjoerd Knipping. “It’s very well thought through why the EV6 is our first model on the E-GMP. For sure, in 10 years we will be talking about EV6 as the model that changed the Kia brand.”