Kia EV6 review: revamped family-friendly EV still one of my favourites

It’s been a couple of years since I reviewed the first incarnation of the Kia EV6. I loved that EV a lot, giving it a five-star rating, no less. Kia has followed up with more goodies, like the big but brilliant Kia EV9, and has more electric models on the way in the shape of the Kia EV3 and Kia EV4. The Korean carmaker is definitely on a roll, both with its design themes and its excellent engineering – Gone are the days when people would snigger if you told them you’d been driving a Kia.

That brings us to why the revamped Kia EV6 in the GT-Line S model guise seen here is even better than the earlier car. There’s a bigger battery, which means more range. The styling has been tweaked too, with some subtle, but effective changes inside and out that help make the EV6 more appealing than ever. Still just as good though is how great this electric car is to live with. It’s got oodles of space, which means it’s quite big, but it’s also wonderfully easy to drive.

The styling

Delicious design lines are one of the first things that attracted me to the original Kia EV6 and, thanks to some subtle reworking of the panels, the revised edition looks even more engaging. My car was the top end EV6 GT-Line S AWD edition, which really does look dazzling. The front end has been more cleverly sculpted than before, with some excellent attention to detail around the LED headlights. They’re excellent for after-dark driving, incidentally.

The four corners are adorned with some glorious 20in alloys too. Around at the back, the rear taillights look just as elegant as they always did. Add it all together and get one in the right colour, like Runway Red for example, and the Kia EV6 in its refreshed guise is a proper head-turner. I think Kia has got a great balance between the paintwork and the black trim and roof detailing, which gives the car a powerful but well-poised stance.

There’s a smart power tailgate, offering access to the sizeable boot area and charging cables should you need them. The doors still feature recessed handles that pop out for entry, there are folding electric door mirrors and up top there’s a sunroof with tilting and sliding functionality. It’s handy, especially in the back with the lower roofline making things feel less roomy than in the front, especially if you’re rather tall.

Moving to the inside and the refreshed cockpit is just as tempting too. My example benefitted from some really cool two-colour trim detailing, while the comfort levels were very high indeed. Plus, there is oodles of space, in both the front and the rear. Get the boot open and you’re treated to a sizeable 480 litres with the seats up, while a bonus 20 litres is available under the bonnet.

The drive

I’ve always thought the Kia EV6 was a super easy EV to live with, but it’s even better now that there’s more range and faster charging. My example was ready to go with over 300 miles range on tap thanks to the bigger 84kWh battery (up from 77.4kWh on the pre-facelift version).

During my time with the car, I squeezed in a couple of 200-mile plus runs to and from the airport and did each one without needing to charge. I have the benefit of a home charger, but the Kia EV6 can use commercial outlets at speeds up to 258kWh thanks to an 800V electrical architecture. This means 10 to 80 percent can be achieved in under twenty minutes, which I think is spot-on for a service station pitstop.

The driver displays are also excellent at showing how you’re doing in terms of conserving energy. I’m always keen to see how much I can eke out of a battery electric car and I generally opted for the iPedal setting here. It allows for brilliant one-foot driving and also gives something back to the battery when it can.

You can select one of three drive modes using the tab at the base of the steering wheel. Eco is fine for when your battery level is getting too low for comfort while, at the other end of the performance spectrum, Sport gives the EV6 a beefier edge. Select it and your driver display turns red, suggesting thrills will follow. The car is definitely sprightlier in this mode, though battery usage is, unsurprisingly, more rapid. For everyday driving, the Comfort mode works a treat.

It might be deceptively large, even if the exterior shape somehow manages to play this down, but the Kia EV6 is incredibly easy and enjoyable to drive. It’s quick when it needs to be, moving off rapidly from the lights and roundabouts with a 0-62mph time of just 5.3 seconds. With both axles driven, power gets down without the car ever feeling skittish. It’s good fun through the corners too without being too unruly, though the light steering can catch you unawares if you’re not fully used to its nuances.

Above all, this car is so comfortable that it’s best experienced if you just sit back, settle in and enjoy the effortless ride. The cockpit is nicely thought out, with the start and automatic transmission controls all sitting easily to hand on top of the central console.

Multiple driver aids can smooth your journey too, with all manner of options available. Some are really useful, but you may find others tend to detract a little from pushing the car more than the system might think is wise. Blind-spot collision avoidance assist and rear-cross traffic assist are two that we think work particularly well with the design of the EV6. Overall though, this is an easy car to drive, with only reversing into tight parking spaces proving occasionally tricky.

The technology

Kia excels when it comes to the technology in its cars and, predictably, the EV6 is as impressive as ever. The dashboard is a feast for anyone who loves to pick through the many and varied controls, with twin 12.3in displays offering a commanding range of options for the numerous menu settings. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto options are on offer if preferred, while I found the wireless charging pad on the central console really handy. There are USB-C ports underneath, and there are some in the back too, so nobody is left out when it comes to keeping their phone alive.

I thought the in-car satellite navigation was intuitive and very effective too, with the voice control proving particularly good at handling last minute requests for route updates when approaching unpredictable airport car park routes. I also found the rear-view camera and parking assist mode really useful. If you’ve studied the manual carefully enough you may feel confident to try the Remote Smart Park Assist (RSPA) parking: you get out of the car and use the keyfob and its buttons to move the car in and out of tight spaces – with nobody behind the wheel. This is a brilliant party trick, as is the automated parallel parking and suchlike.

Special mention should also go to the augmented reality head-up display. This is a great example of tech being used to really help enhance the driving experience. If you’re slightly stressed out on roads that you don’t know, the dynamically changing graphics projected on your windscreen can be a real boon. This is especially so on dark and rather precarious country roads, when the pulsing direction arrows get you around bends that turn out to be sharper than expected. Paranoia about being accidentally caught out by speed cameras can also be quelled by pulling in the services of the smart cruise control with its brilliant simplicity, via a one-touch button on the steering wheel.

Kia EV6 verdict

You know you’ve enjoyed a car when you really don’t want to hand it back. I can safely say that the refreshed Kia EV6 is even better than the original, which was already fast enough, super comfy and with tons of tech features. Those styling tweaks are just enough to make the car look fresher, while the interior continues to work on all levels.

There’s comfort, space and enough practical tech to make it appealing to a wide variety of car buyers, even in light of newer arrivals from other brands. Add in the extra range and effortless high-speed charging and the Kia EV6 is a very appealing proposition.

Kia EV6 GT-Line S AWD technical specifications