KIA EV6 TEST: The killer of Tesla Model Y ?

Electric cars are starting to proliferate everywhere on the market. Car brands are no longer content to release a model but to develop a whole range. The Hyundai / Kia group is ahead in the field, since the launch in 2014 of the eSoul. With his expertise, he recently created the E-GMP platform which allows him to offer electric vehicles with high-end technology such as the 800 V. The Kia EV6 is the first to have it for the Seoul brand.

Kia France invited us to try this novelty on the southern coast of Spain in the seaside resort of Marbella. An ideal place to enjoy its 22 ° C at the end of October. Let's leave the Iberian weather aside to focus on today's car. The Kia EV6 is therefore the brand's first car to be designed on the E-GMP platform. And for this new electric strategy, the brand has decided to put the small dishes in the big ones at the risk of shocking its admirers. Gone are the tigernose, Kia's stylistic signature since the arrival of Peter Schreyer in 2005. Luc Donckerwolke has turned all this upside down by creating a very striking style. 

Electric technology makes it possible to redesign the front of cars, here it has become very plunging and short. It bothered me at first before finally finding some dynamism in this style. The wheels being ejected from the four corners of the chassis, the cabin accommodates five adults without difficulty and in royal comfort. The lack of a central tunnel and the 2.9m wheelbase help a lot. All in fairly contained dimensions: 4.68 m long, 1.88 m wide and 1.55 m high. The roominess for passengers is particularly generous, close to that of a Touareg which is however 19 cm more in length and 10 cm more in width. As for the trunk, the capacity is 572 dm3, which is good but not great (as Les Dmens said).

You've probably noticed it, I forgot to tell you about the rear of the car because I find it quite rude: this protrusion of the rear lights, like an Aston Martin DBX spoiler, shocks me. I hadn't had this feeling in a photo, whereas in real life ...

However, we recognize this car at first glance because it imposes its own character. In an automotive market where all cars tend to look the same, it must be said that it feels good to see something new.

From Marbella airport, I embark in the car of the day with my passenger and lifelong sidekick JB from the YouTube channel Le Billet Auto.

By taking a seat behind the wheel, you immediately feel at ease. The steering wheel and on-board instrumentation fall perfectly into the hand. The driving position is a bit high for me but it seems that is what is popular with the target audience for this car so ... 

The floating center console makes it easy to store a handbag or a camera in our case. The closed storage between the seats is deep enough to put my whole arm in it.

Opposite, there are two screens of 12.3 inches each arranged in a curved way for more visibility.

Under the right hand, the by-wire rotary selector (without physical link) of the gearbox. And just above, the heated steering wheel control as well as the heated and ventilated seat (and this from the second level of the range). Very useful equipment on an electric vehicle because it consumes less energy than air conditioning.

The GT line version tested during these 24 hours is the most upscale on sale in France, pending the GT version of 575 hp which will be available in mid-2022. Our version is therefore equipped, as usual from Kia, with a lot of on-board technologies. Safety includes autonomous emergency braking with detection of pedestrians and cyclists in crossings, recognition of speed limit signs or even adaptive cruise control with Stop & Go function. The level 2 semi-autonomous driving is of a very good level.

Other very rare comfort technology equipment is present on this EV6 such as the pretium 3D 360 ° vision technology which allows you to turn around the car; an assistance system which displays in the instrument cluster the blind spot camera on the side where you have chosen to put your indicator, quite stupid but devilishly effective; autonomous parking assistance from outside via the vehicle key; and finally a technology that I have only seen today on the most technological car in the world, the S-Class: the augmented reality display in the head-up display. The car in front will (if you've engaged adaptive cruise control) to stress the car in front of you and follow its movements. She also goes if you have started a GPS navigation, show you where to turn and which lane to take on the highway. Stunning basic, but at this price it's crazy!

And if we add the Meridian sound system to all that, as in our test model, we then take advantage of another dimension for trips aboard this EV6.

The first laps of the wheels are very pleasant. The car is very comfortable. The suspensions are calibrated to perfectly reduce the inconvenience of the defects of the road. This comfort is accentuated by soft seats and very good soundproofing. This is very appreciable on an electric vehicle. 

On the motorway, the car drives very simply, especially if you have engaged semi-autonomous driving, which allows it to stay in its lane without difficulty. Perhaps I would have liked a little more sensitivity of the steering wheel so that it understands when you hold it in your hand and the car stops beeping for nothing. Nothing dramatic, but over time it can get painful.

In town, the car behaves very well despite its almost 4.70 m long. The electric car's turning radius allows it to overcome urban difficulties.

Finally, on the secondary networks, the car behaves like a comfortable car. The comfort type of the chassis does not allow it to go flat in the corners like a Taycan. If you pick up the pace, the car will sag on its front end, but still remain very healthy. We will have to wait for the GT version of 575 hp to have a truly sporty chassis. I look forward ! Not you ?

On the consumption side, the car inherits the efficiency of the group's electric cars. On the highway, I consumed an average of 19 kWh / 100km at 120 km / h with the air conditioning. Which is very satisfactory for the weight of the vehicle. With a mix of city and secondary networks, you will arrive without paying attention to a consumption of 15 kWh / 100 km. The more than 500 km of autonomy is perfectly achievable with these 77.4 kW of battery. The manufacturer announces 528 km of autonomy for the two-wheel drive version (508 km for the 4WD version).

Finally, the car is fitted with paddles on the steering wheel to manage the regenerative force of the electric motor when releasing the accelerator pedal, in four levels: from the fullest freewheel to an e-Pedal allowing single-handed driving. foot. What you help to consume even less!

If we have to compare this car, it is above all with its group cousin, the Ioniq 5. We have not yet been able to test it on the Blog, but we know that it has more or less the same technologies. and above all an 800 V on-board network allowing theoretical recharges in 18 minutes from 10 to 80%, with a peak at 239 kWh on the Ionity terminals. The comparison here is mainly on the design of the car. And there, it must be said that we have two opposing choices. On the one hand, a very cubic and futuristic style for the Ioniq 5 while on the other, a vision of the future with a more sporty and aggressive approach for the EV6. Personally, I prefer the Ioniq 5. How about you?

The comparison also stands with the Volkswagen iD4, with a 77 kW battery, an advertised range of 520 km and a 400 V on-board network limiting its charging speed to 125 kWh peak. It takes 31min to make the 10-80% with the latter. Charging is charged per minute on the French Ionity network, so it will cost € 12.09 against € 7.02 with the KIA EV6. No comment.

The other car that comes head-to-head with the Kia EV6 is Tesla's Model Y. The latest arrival from the Californian manufacturer is undoubtedly the one that will sell the most. Why ? Thanks to its network of superchargers making it very easy to cover 1000 km in a day without asking the question of where to stop to recharge the car and especially whether the terminal will work well. But since Tuesday, November 2, Tesla has launched the experiment of opening its network to other electric vehicles. What will make you fall for a Kia EV6 or an Ioniq 5?

To conclude, the Kia EV6 is full of good ideas and will undoubtedly be a hit with people who will like its rather specific design. Its very satisfactory autonomy, its comfort and its advanced on-board technology will make more than one crack. Even if deep down there will always be a lack of a heat engine, we must admit that with such a vehicle we have reached a certain maturity of the electric car and that is good to see.