Electric cars are certainly starting to take a hold of the evolving automotive market, but batteries are still big and heavy, range is still an issue, and packaging is still being fine-tuned. That’s why we have cars like the Porsche Taycan – it’s sporty but large enough to support a decent-sized battery – and the Ford Mach-E, which obviously has enough space to house a large battery. Automakers are venturing more into smaller cars too, but the idea of something compact and sport that can offer decent range and performance isn’t something that’s really on the menu yet. The Kia EV6 does come pretty close, though it’s more of a low-slung four-door crossover than the sport hatchback it could really have been. What would the EV6 look like if it was a sporty hatchback? This rendering from X-Tomi answers that question well.

Kia EV6 Hot Hatch – Is This The Future?

Since this was a conversion from four-door to three-door, with a side dish of sportiness, there are no changes ahead of the front door. The rear doors are now gone as is the D Pillar, which makes for large rear quarter glass and what seems like a slightly longer front door. The roof is slightly sloped and while we can see a full shot of the rear, it looks like the rear hatch would also be on the sportier side. The overall design leads to a fairly smaller vehicle, something that would be more likely to compete with cars like the Volkswagen Golf or Hyundai Veloster. Would this be all show and no go, though? Well, the EV6 Is actually decently equipped.

In the U.S. the EV6 is available with a 58-kWh battery or a 77.4-kWh battery pack, both of which can support 400- and 800-volt charging and can recuperate up to 80-percent charge in 18 minutes flat. There are a total of three trim levels, but it’s the EV6 GT that would be the most likely candidate for this design, but we’ll start from the top. There’s the EV6 Long-Range, which can be had with 2WD or AWD with either 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque or 321 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. This model, in AWD form, can zip up to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.

Then you’ve got the GT line, which is the tamest of the bunch and is only offered with the 58-kWh battery pack. Available in 2WD or AWD, this model is good for 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque or 232 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. This one is one second slower than the long-range model, taking 6.2 seconds to get to 60 mph. Finally, we have the EV6 GT, which would be what the hot hatch in this rendering is based on.

The EV6 GT is only available with the 77.4-kWh battery pack and all-wheel drive. This baby has 577 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque at its disposal and, when all is put to good use, it can get you to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 162 mph. Being a three-door model that’s a bit smaller, however, a car like the one in this rendering may actually be faster to 60 mph, although it’s hard to imagine a Kia be that fast as it is. The EV6 GT will arrive in the United States in late 2022 and will go on sale as a 2023 model. Do you think Kia should offer it as a three-door hatch too? I certainly do!