FIRST DRIVES
KIA EV6
TESTED 19.10.21, SUFFOLK ON SALE NOW
Flagship EV crossover has a lot going for it on paper – but it’s on the road that counts
TESTER’S NOTE
Despite the EV6’s relatively compact footprint, its 2900mm wheelbase is longer than that of the Sorento – Kia’s largest UK-market car – which sits in roughly the same price bracket as the EV6.
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Kia has a sense of humour. Case in point: in 2017, unfazed by the German marques’ longstanding dominance of the sports saloon segment, it launched the Stinger –a 3.3-litre V6-powered drift machine that looked laughably out of place in its dealerships (especially in bright orange or yellow) but remains available against the odds, four years later, much to the delight of car fans and keen drivers.
The Korean firm also continues to sell the Soul, a boxy electric crossover that commands a premium over the closely related e-Niro, offers little in terms of material advantage and is outsold by its more cautiously styled sibling at a rate of about 10 to one. But company bosses remain adamant that it’s an essential part of the line-up and won’t be going anywhere any time soon. It’s fun to look at and fun to drive and some customers love it. If it fits, so the saying goes, it sits. A refreshingly good-humoured approach to product strategy; what better marketing strategy than simply selling cars that make drivers and their neighbours smile?