The EV6 wasn’t Kia’s first electric car, but it’s the one that really cemented the Korean automaker’s place at the forefront of the modern EV revolution. Sharp styling, a long range and fast charging speeds helped win it numerous awards and thousands of customers, but the three-year old fastback has now been facelifted to help out battle newer rivals, including its own already-revised Hyundai Ioniq 5 cousin. We grabbed some seat time in Europe to see what the facelifted EV6 has to offer ahead of its arrival in U.S. and Canadian showrooms next spring.
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QUICK FACTS
SWIPE
What’s new?
Things change even more rapidly in the EV segment than they do for normal ICE cars, with non-stop tech advances quickly making older EVs looks outdated and impractical. But the EV6 was so advanced when it appeared in 2021 that Kia hasn’t felt the need to do much beyond making some subtle improvements.
So the exterior design is little changed, the most obvious tweaks being the new headlights, although the lower bodyside moldings, wheels, bumpers and distinctive full-width rear light bar are also refreshed. The modest update means the curvy EV6 has quite a different look to Kia’s latest cars like the EV3, EV9 and combustion-powered K4, but it still presents as modern and exciting.
More: Kia’s Updated 2026 EV6 Adds Range, Tech, And A Fake Gearbox For GT
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There are also some interior changes, which we’ll get to later, and bigger battery packs to increase the already respectable range figures. All cars in the UK, where we drove the EV6, now come with a 84 kWh battery (up from 77.4 kWh), while in markets that offer two sizes, like the US, the base battery steps up from 58 to 63 kWh. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 received the same upgrade when it was facelifted at the beginning of this year.
What’s the lineup?
While the US will carry over the availability of a single-motor base car with 167 hp (169 PS / 125 kW), the UK lineup skips that and goes straight for the 225 hp (228 PS / 168 kW) version, but also driving only the rear wheels.
A dual-motor version provides all-wheel drive and a bump to 320 hp (324 PS / 239 kW), and as before the even more powerful GT tops the lineup. That inherits the Ioniq 5 N’s 641 hp with overboost (650 PS / 478 kW) setup and fake transmission for 2025, but we’ll have to wait to drive that one another time.
Prices start at £45,575 for the base model 225 hp Air and top out at £58,125 for the GT-Line S with the optional heat pump. GT prices, and prices for US models, will be announced later.
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How’s the interior?
Much like the exterior mods, the changes to the interior focus on refining what’s already there, rather than ripping it up and starting again. So while the general layout of the interior and console is familiar, the dashboard is improved by a pair of 12.3-inch digital displays hidden behind a single pain of glass that’s now more rectangular. It brings the EV6 closer to newer models like the EV9, though the EV6 retains its strip of touch sensitive buttons below its air vents rather than adopt the SUV’s rocker switches. I prefer the EV’s setup.
Related: Hyundai Group Models Get Google Maps Overhaul Ahead Of Full Shift To Android Auto OS
GT-Line cars get a sporty three-spoke steering wheel, but base-model Air trim in the UK (and their ‘Light’ equivalents in the US) still has the old two-spoke rim. All trims get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto this time, but they keep last year’s unnecessarily large center console that blocks access to the storage area below. Swapping the rotary gear selector for the EV9’s twistable column shifter would have allowed a big chunk of the console to be chopped away and improved practicality.
Other minor grumbles are the poor visibility resulting from the thick rear pillars and a cargo bay that’s a little shallow, capping the space available at a so-so 490 liters (17.3 cu-ft). Single-motor models augment that with a usable frunk, but it shrinks to almost nothing when you spec a front motor.
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Rear passenger space, however, is huge. There’s plenty of knee-room, and headroom isn’t bad despite the sloping roofline. But because the front seats are mounted so low rear riders can’t get their feet under them, which is going to make long journeys uncomfortable.
How does it drive?
The EV6’s sporty profile promises a good time behind the wheel, and even if the experience isn’t as dynamic as what the far more expensive Porsche Taycan serves up, the tight suspension and relatively low center of gravity mean it’s more agile than some other electric cars. Even without the flagship GT’s torque vectoring, the regular models steer smartly and put their power down cleanly.
True, the ride is on the firm side, an almost inevitable payoff for the good body control, but it’s never harsh. Think 2000s-era Fords, but with a bit more polish, and also a bit more precision than last year’s EV6 thanks to additional body strengthening and improved steering response.
We didn’t drive the GT, but the regular dual-motor car is no slouch. It gets to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.3 seconds, which is almost a match for a Tesla Model Y (4.8 seconds), and pushes you back in your seat between 10-50 mph (16-80 km/h) hard enough to make you feel slightly nauseous, like fast EVs do.
More: Can The Kia EV6 GT Beat A BMW M2 In A U-Drag Race?
The single-motor EV6 isn’t anything like as rapid, needing 7.7 seconds for the 62 mph run compared with just 5.7 seconds for the similarly priced RWD Model Y, but the surprise is it never feels truly sluggish thanks to the instant throttle response. Factor in the extra agility that comes from the lighter curb weight and better weight distribution, plus the lower price and longer range, and you could easily argue that it’s the pick of the lineup.
How far will I go on a charge?
Upping the battery size has stretched the WLTP range in the entry-level, single-motor EV6 from 328 miles (528 km) to 361 miles (581 km), while the US specs for the same model list the range climbing 9 miles (15 km) to 319 miles (513 km).
The dual-motor car is now rated at up to 339 miles (546 km) rather than 314 miles (505 km) in Europe, but we don’t yet have EPA numbers for that one. What hasn’t changed is the charging speeds, which were already super-quick due to the E-GMP platform’s 800-volt electrics. Find a charger kicking out at least 260 kW and you can take the battery from 10-80 percent in 18 minutes.
What else do I need to know?
Remember how Hyundai bowed to customer pressure and put a rear wiper on the facelifted Ioniq 5? Sadly, Kia didn’t rectify the same mistake on the EV6. And although all versions of the EV6 charge at the same speed, charging will be a less comfortable experience in the entry-level Air because it doesn’t get the powered lie-flat seats fitted to GT and GT-Line S models.
Otherwise, the Air is well equipped, coming with 19-inch alloys, heated seats and wheel and adaptive cruise control. GT-Line cars get wireless phone charging, privacy glass and sportier trim, including the three-spoke steering wheel, while GT-Line S versions ramp up the luxury with 20-inch rims, a head-up display and ventilation for the front seats and heating for the rears.
Another important factoid for US buyers is that the Georgia-built EV6s arriving in showrooms next year will feature a North American Charging Standard (NACS) socket. UK cars obviously don’t get the same upgrade.
Verdict
There wasn’t much wrong with the EV6, which was deservedly named European Car of the Year in 2022, but Kia has still managed to improve it in some key areas. The most useful of those is the bigger battery, which should now mean most owners see close to 300 true miles (483 km) between charges in the single-motor, rear-drive car, and we also like the new infotainment system and wireless CarPlay functionality.
The tweaks should help keep the EV6 on most EV buyers’ shortlists if not necessarily in top position, though by this time next year it will have some awkward opposition on its hands. That’s when Kia launches the EV5, and considering the EV9 has already had a detrimental impact on EV6 sales despite costing far more, the smaller SUV is bound to steal some attention. But until then, or for buyers determined not to buy an SUV or a Tesla Model Y, the EV6 remains a great electric buy.
