Kia EV6 GT-Line S review

Driving position 

One of the things that makes modern cars so great is the incredible amount of adjustability in the seats – especially for the driver. 

Hop in the Kia EV6 and you’re greeted with a whole host of electrically adjustable seat controls to get you in the correct seating position – this includes the seat tilting function. 

This last one is very important if you’re taller than six feet because the batteries are right underneath the floor, so you’re sat higher up anyway. This can be a problem if you’re tall because even in the lowest setting, your head may scrape the headlining, especially with the optional sunroof option ticked. 

But this way, you can get the seat as low as possible then tilt the bottom part backwards for a little more headroom. It may not be the ultimate driving position, but we appreciate Kia for this walk-around. 

Tech and features 

As you’d expect from any modern car, the Kia EV6 is filled to the brim with the latest in tech and innovative features. 

The first change you’ll notice is the redesigned steering wheel which has a blockier look with physical buttons and feels great in the hand. In fact, the whole cabin has had a bit of a refresh to bring it in line with the rest of Kia’s electric range, namely its EV9 SUV. 

But something the EV9 doesn’t have is – yes, we’re going there again – physical climate controls. So many car manufacturers are removing them, and it’s hard to discuss them without sounding like a broken record, but we think it’s really important to have them, not to mention safer so you can feel your way without taking your eyes off the road. 

On either side of the two climate control knobs is a slim touchscreen to control fan speed and air-con features (they couldn’t launch a new car in 2024 and not include some screen-age, could they?) which also acts as a shortcuts menu to get to media or maps screens. 

This is a handy little screen, but not as good as the full 12.3-inch central infotainment display above it, offering crisp graphics and a fast refresh rate, like an iPad if it was curved. This curvature helps you to navigate it with your arm stretched and also removes glare. 

On this screen, you also (finally) get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto which means the second you unlock the car, your phone is connected and ready to go. And when it runs low, you can place it on the wireless charger and leave it for the remainder of your journey.  

Or if you fancy plugging it in with a wire the old-school way, there are three USB-C ports in the front and one 12V socket. 

Directly in front of the driver is a second 12.3-inch screen which shows your speed, range, tyre pressures, efficiency etc. It also changes depending on which driver modes you’re in, which we’ll get into later.  

There’s also a head-up display which shows your speed and the speed limit of the road you’re on – very handy indeed. 

Our top-spec EV6 GT-Line S test car came fully loaded so you get add-ons such as front heated and ventilated seats, rear heated seats, heated and electrically adjustable steering wheel, alloy pedals and the upgraded Meridian sound system.

Electric motors and power 

Another perk of the range-topping GT-Line S model is when it comes to driving. It gets the grippiest all-wheel drive (AWD) system (over the standard rear-wheel drive one) which means there’s one electric motor on each axle to produce a total of 320hp. 

This is a lot by any car standards, but when you’re in an electric car it feels truly rapid. Need proof? Well, it can get from 0-62mph in a staggering 5.3 seconds so you don’t need much more poke, though if Kia decides to launch a full-on GT model, then you could have north of 600hp to play with. 

However, if you do opt for the RWD one, not only do you get a bit more range because it’s lighter, but you do still get plenty of performance; 225hp and a swift 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. 

There are five different drive modes to choose from: Eco, Normal, Sport, My Drive and Snow. We found Normal mode to be the best for daily driving, Eco mode only added around five miles of range and Sport mode, well, gives you a stomach ache if you’re not careful on the ol’ throttle pedal. 

Handling and ride comfort 

Take the EV6 onto a twisty B-road and it’s just as fun as in a straight line. Despite weighing more than 2.1 tonnes, Kia’s been clever with the chassis to make it feel lighter around tighter corners. 

There’s no denying it’s a big car and you do still notice its width and weight when you’re pushing on, but it’s much more composed than a car of its size should ever be. 

Our test car was sporting a set of rather dashing 20-inch alloy wheels which we think compromised the ride quality ever so slightly, and despite being on Pirelli silent tyres, there was still a fair bit of road noise at speed. 

Kia also offer a set of smaller 19-inch wheels which we think could make the ride a little softer when paired with more cushiony tyres – not to mention it means you get even more range, adding roughly 15 miles. Something to consider. 

Boot space 

Kia knows its audience and that’s why it’s got a well-respected 490-litre boot when the rear seats are in their upright position. This shrinks to 480 litres if you have the optional underfloor speaker, mind. 

Regardless, it’s a wide and deep space which allows for plenty of boot floor adjustment if you want to prop things up. 

If you fold down the rear seats entirely, this space grows to a massive 1,270 litres. But if you have longer items but still need to carry passengers, the rear seats fold in a 60:40 split and there’s a central ski hatch too. 

Being electric, you don’t just get a boot, but you also benefit from a front boot (or 'froot’).  

This is 52 litres in the RWD models and 20 litres in the AWD models. Either way, it’s still just about enough space for your charging cables. 

Rear seats 

Usually, rear-seat space is compromised in electric cars because the floors are higher due to the battery tech, but Kia’s been smart and given you plenty of space back there, and enough room to get your feet under the seat in front – unless the person in front of you is tall and has the seat tilted back. 

If you own the old EV6 and are debating going for the new one, you’ll be pleased to know that the dimensions are exactly the same, so rear-seat space remains the same. 

The seats themselves are really comfortable, offering plenty of support and a nifty reclining feature on all three seats. 

Passengers also benefit from a USB-C charger in each of the front seatbacks as well as a three-pin plug by your feet for laptops etc. 

The air vents are placed high up too instead of down by your feet, so no need to worry about your ankles getting cold (or hot). 

Being a coupé style does mean the rear of the car starts to taper down as it gets to the rear seats, so if you are on the taller side, you may want to shotgun the front seat on longer drives. 

Storage solutions 

One area the EV6 really excels in (among many) is its number of nifty storage solutions in and around the cabin. 

For starters, the front door bins and pretty large and enough for a standard-sized water bottle. Then, there’s a very deep storage area under the central armrest, though it’s not cooled like in some cars. 

Along from that are two reasonably sized cupholders and a little area to store coins or the car key.  

Underneath this is an added stowage area for bags, shoes, scarves, jumpers etc and two little hooks to hang a handbag on. 

The glove box is large and has a couple different areas to separate whatever you’re storing in there. 

Rear storage is decent too with smaller door bins and a fold-down armrest with two cupholders which slide away to reveal a small area for snacks or a phone. 

Safety 

When the Kia EV6 was last independently tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, it scored a full five stars, and even with the stricter testing rules, we don’t see why the new one would perform any worse. 

Onboard safety features include Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA), a blind spot warning system, parking sensors, a 360-degree camera (available on GT-Line S models), lane keep assist, lane follow assist and much more. 

And you know those annoying bing and bong noises modern cars have to come with these days? Well, they're usually a faff to turn off but Kia's been clever and has designed a nifty trick to do it in the quickest, safest and easiest way possible while driving

Range and charging times 

Despite the UK’s almost always miserable weather, we usually brave it and head out into the great outdoors to test the latest and greatest cars. It's a hard life, we know. 

But on the rare occasion when it’s actually snowing, it makes things much more interesting, especially when we have an EV on test. 

This is because, like with your mobile phone, the colder temperatures are really harsh on the battery and can make it run out much faster than normal, and in our case, it did just that. 

The AWD EV6 has a claimed WLTP range of 324 miles which is up from 300 miles in the pre-facelift. Unfortunately, we booked in the car when it was below freezing so we only saw a maximum range of 247 miles at 100% battery on the car’s read-out. 

Then, despite preheating the battery, driving sensibly (even at 50mph on the motorway...) and using Eco mode, we still only achieved an average efficiency of 2.6mi/kWh – far below the car’s claimed 3.9-4.3mi/kWh figures. 

This is quite disappointing for a car that would usually be one of the most efficient in its class, so needing to charge as much as we did, even at ultra-rapid Gridserve speeds, was a shame. 

The EV6 also doesn’t come with a heat pump as standard which seems wild to us. Thankfully our test car had one fitted as an option, but we do think if you’re buying a car close to £60k, you should get one thrown in. 

However, it’s worth mentioning that not everyone will be driving an EV6 in the cold all the time, and range does increase if you opt for the RWD model with 361 miles over the previous car’s 328-mile range. 

A big feature rolled out on the facelifted AWD EV6 is the arrival of a larger 84kWh battery (up from 77.4kWh) which allows for faster charging speeds up to 258kW, giving you a 10-80% charge in just 18 minutes at a compatible charging station. 

Reliability 

Kia’s known for its reliability and it’s one of the main reasons it’s become a beloved brand in this country. 

In fact, Kia backs itself so much that it sells every new car with a massive seven-year/100,000-mile warranty plus an eight-year/100,000-mile battery/electric motor warranty on its electric cars. 

This means even if you’re buying a used Kia, you can benefit from the remainder of this factory warranty.