PHOTOGRAPHY MARK RICCIONI
T he term ‘crossover’ seems terribly vague these days, a lazy catch-all for anything that doesn’t seem to fit neatly into the strata of traditional naming strategies. And yet, when you consider something like the Kia EV6, it works. Because this is a car that will happily sit between several modes of operation, and also help Kia as a brand make the transition from also-ran to leader.
Let us explain. Kia’s problem has been one of worthiness. Well built, efficient, affordable, Kias in the European market have been very sensible cars to date. But no one desires sensible. Sensible is boring. With the EV6, the brand has gone all-in; wholly electric, wild styling, class-leading charging, gadgets galore. Yes, it might be based on largely the same platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but where that car delves deeply into the concept of a mobile lounge, the EV6 pushes into the darker corners of making an EV actually interesting to drive. There will be a 576bhp, 0–62mph in 3.5 seconds, 161mph GT coming soon for just under £60k. Sixty grand for an electric Kia performance car? A few years ago, that would be the punchline to a joke. Now, no one’s laughing.