Kia EV6

Kia aims to launch 11 new electric vehicles by 2026 and the entire portfolio starts with the 2022 Kia EV6 compact crossover. It rides on the E-GMP platform, so it shares its core with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the soon-to-launch Genesis GV60. That said, the EV6 is a bit of a milestone for the Kia brand as it’s the very first EV from the company to be built from the ground up as an EV first as opposed to previous, EVs that were based on ICE-powered models. The EV6 has its work cut out for it, though, as it has to face models like the Volkswagen ID.4, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and – indirectly – the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y.

These are all very tough models to compete with, in what’s becoming a very cutthroat segment, but the EV6 isn’t coming to the game half-cocked. It starts out at just $40,900, offers up to 310 miles of range, and can be had with up to 320 horsepower with a range-topping 576-horsepower model on the way. Clearly, the EV6 is geared to be very competitive in this segment, and it’s a space we need to watch. So, we asked Kia if we could spend some time with its new EV, and they were happy to oblige. Is the Kia EV6 truly the gamechanger it seems to be and does it stand a chance against more established EVs already on the market? The answer to these questions might surprise you.

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.

The Super Bowl is the biggest event of the year and companies spend a lot on advertisements. At this point, it’s kind of become a tradition, and even car companies don’t shy away from spending big bucks on commercials. Last year, Jeep stole our hearts with ‘The Middle’ ad, and the year before that, GMC brought out the ‘Quite Revolution’ in the form of the reincarnated Hummer – with a new spirit, of course.

This year, automakers have been a little more proactive and many of them have come out with Super Bowl commercials. The 56th American Football Championship is scheduled for 13th February, and here are the car commercials that are already released:

The 2022 Kia EV6 will hit U.S. dealerships in the upcoming weeks at a starting price of $40,900. But, the EV6 is eligible for a $7,500 federal vehicle tax credit, so, the actual price goes down to $33,400.

The 2022 EV6 will be offered in three trim levels: Light, Wind and GT-Line and both RWD and e-AWD configurations. To be more precise, the Light version will only be offered in rear-wheel drive configuration, while Wind and sporty GT-Line variants will get both rear-wheel drive and Dual Motor e-AWD configurations.

KIA is planning on fully revealing the EV9 SUV on November 17 at the Los Angeles Auto show, but before that has happened, the brand has released some new teaser images.

Electrification is the way to go whether you like it or not. Enough and more has been said about the advent of EVs, so we won’t get into that. Every automaker is coming up with their own new offerings, but there are some that stand out. The Kia EV6 is that stand-out model. Built from the ground up, the EV6 doesn’t seem like a half-hearted attempt from the automaker just because it needs to have a presence in the EV market. It is based on a new platform, a new design philosophy, and excels in most of the departments. It isn’t a perfect product, obviously, but it has a lot going in its favor and that’s precisely why it should be the talk of the town and why Porsche should be a little worried.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Kia has entered the EV segment with a bang. The company recently revealed some images of its first fully battery-electric vehicle called the EV6 without accompanying it with any data. But, the company has now officially debuted the car and it seems very impressive.

For starters, the Kia EV6 will make 577 ponies and 546 pound-feet of torque. It takes just 3.5 seconds to sprint to 62 mph from rest, which makes it faster than some Tesla models and Taycan iterations, too. And, did I mention it looks pretty hot?