Even though this might be the first vehicle developed on Kia’s new E-GMP platform, the company has a solid reputation among those who have already switched to electric vehicles. Kia e-Niro and Kia Soul EV models have shown to be dependable and have outstanding driving ranges that don’t seem to deteriorate much over time.
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Kia EV6 reliability
Both Kia and Hyundai have established strong reputations as some of the top advocates of EV technology, and their models have seen significant global sales. Hopefully, this information has influenced many choices that will improve Kia’s first entirely electric vehicle.
Only trailing Porsche in our 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, Kia is undoubtedly doing well. It received excellent ratings for build quality, dependability, and infotainment use, placing it close to the top in every area. Additionally, owners told us that their Kias were elegant and entertaining to drive.
What is the Kia EV6’s range?
Two of the most sought-after EVs this year are the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6. And given that the Ioniq 5 is essentially unavailable in some areas of the nation this year, it would seem to some people who are obsessed on the Hyundai that they will have to make do with less.
After spending some time with both of these devices recently, I can say that while I favor the EV6, the Ioniq 5 has a slightly better design and more basic interface options.
Why? In almost every way, the Kia side of this powerful pair of EV cousins is better tuned. And that makes the entire automobile seem nicer and more appealing to me.
To that end, below are some detailed observations on each vehicle’s range, charging, and livability along with explanations on why I believe the EV6 to be the superior choice of the two at the moment and one of the best electric cars now on the market at a (relatively) reasonable price.
I have faith that no matter the circumstances, the 77.4-kwh battery pack will yield more than 200 miles of range in these Hyundai and Kia EVs, which have basically comparable engine systems. However, the 310-mile EPA range figure for our test car won’t be reached under less than ideal circumstances or in the majority of real-world driving.
I almost reached the 3.4 miles per kwh I saw in the fair weather on a very energetic maiden drive earlier this year while driving a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive EV6 for a week in the typical difficult Pacific Northwest spring weather, cool with regular showers.
I drove the EV6 149 miles from Portland to Shelton, Washington, averaging 3.1 miles per kilowatt hour while maintaining a quick speed that occasionally exceeded 70 mph and averaged almost 65 mph, to get a sense of its less-than-ideal highway range. The whole time, there were intermittent showers and a chilly 50 degrees. I then averaged 3.4 mi/kwh on an additional 74 miles of easy 4055 mph two-laneers while running errands and traveling back and forth to an event. Finally, utilizing the adaptive cruise control, I maintained a speed of under 70 mph for the most of the 123-mile Interstate trip back to Portland. Surprisingly, I averaged the same 3.1 mi/kwh across a distance of 123 miles as my much faster outward trip.
The distinction? It poured during the return drive, so I spent a significant portion of the time using the defog setting on the temperature control.
In contrast, my coworker Brian Wong in Los Angeles averaged 4.3 mi/kwh over 174.3 miles of mixed driving, losing an average of 5.2 mi/kwh over 54.7 miles of LA streets and gaining an average of 3.7 mi/kwh over 54.6 miles of freeway.
It emphasizes that rain and somewhat cooler temperatures may have a big influence.
Ironically, the rear-wheel-drive model I was driving did not have an energy-saving heat pump, despite the fact that my wet highway driving profile and these temperatures would have been ideal for it.
There’s no need to look for 350-kw DC fast-charging, as I recently stressed in a review update of the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5, because the actual time it takes to restore the majority of a charge will be remarkably close in real-world settings. When attaining their max charge rate of 235 kw or slightly more, the Ioniq 5 and EV6 are picky, and if you see that or even more than 200 kwit, it’s probably going to be extremely fleeting.
In this humid, cool weather (49 degrees), when I connected 350 kw hardware to the EV6, it took 31 minutes to get me from 7 percent to 80 percent, including sub-100 kw rates at first. Then, there was a burst to 202 kw, briefly at 35 percent, and power settled to just above 150 kw for the remainder of the charge. The Ioniq 5 charged more quickly recently using 150-kw equipment and warmer temperatures.
My advise will change once Kia and Hyundai make battery preconditioning for fast-charging available as a button, a component of route planning, or, hopefully, both. However, it is not worthwhile to look for the 350s right now.
I was able to put the EV6 through its paces in a manner I hadn’t been able to with the Ioniq 5 when I initially got to drive it back in January. In contrast to Hyundai’s Ioniq 5’s sinuous, smooth, and well-banked Southern California route, Kia had us driving on difficult Northern California roads with unusual banking and poor surfaces. I began to doubt whether what I saw to be an overall firmer tune for the EV6 would be comfortable enough for daily drive.
After this additional trip, I’m confident that the EV6 is tuned significantly better than the Ioniq 5 for the majority of American road types. When pushed forcefully, it is firmer and considerably more predictable than the Hyundai or Kia Niro EV, which both exhibit greater tilting and wallowing. Surprisingly, the EV6 is more forgiving when you come across the worst sections of bad road; the reason for this is because there are fewer secondary motions. It’s simple to picture how this tune would sound when reeled in a little bit further in the upcoming 576-hp GT variant.
One important decision made with the EV6 still surprises me in its absence: Despite how completely numb the belt-driven electric power steering feels, I didn’t find that it bothered me while I was driving around town and on the interstate.
On the other hand, I left with an even greater understanding of how well this car brakes, accelerates, and offers a variety of regen options. Then, among the modes, Sport somewhat sharpens the responsiveness of the accelerator, but I liked the more linear feeling you get in Normal. The EV6 is a very relaxed car to drive in both Eco and Normal settings.
The EV6 looks genuinely edgy from the supercar snout to the sinuous Euro-hatch rear design. However, inside, the automobile is far more practical than those adventurous first impressions would have you believe.
While the Ioniq 5 and really most EVs in this class may have less noticeable road noise, I’m really impressed by the EV6’s silence at speeds of 70 mph and higher. If the smoother, more wraparound rear proves beneficial in the wind tunnel, I wouldn’t be shocked.
My happiness over the EV6 is subject to one exception. Tall? Avoid purchasing the top-tier EV6 GT-Line.
The more time I spend in these two electric hatchbacks, the more confused I become about how to operate the steering wheel. The general idea is that taller driverslike myself, at a long-legged 6-foot-6would feel far too close to the sunroof surround with the seat lowered as low as it will go. However, real H-point figures don’t imply anything in relation to the roofline. The solution? Skip the sunroof and choose the mid-level Wind instead. If you are taller, it will be worthwhile because you will feel more at home in the car. The advise given here would be different if the seats were lowered by another inch or two.
My test vehicle, a GT-Line with a single motor and rear-wheel drive (225 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque), cost $52,710 when it was delivered. With the GT-Line, you get upgraded trim, alloy pedals, ambient lighting, a great augmented reality head-up display system, remote parking, adaptive cruise control with active lane control, and several other active safety features like a blind-spot camera and an advanced fusion-sensor “plus version of forward collision-avoidance assistance. The automobile also included a $295 option for suede seats.
Dual 12.3-inch screens with gauges in the one immediately in front of the driver and a touchscreen to the right are standard on all EV6 variants. The touchscreen is swift and responsive, and its menu system is generally understandable. It also has a clever row of buttons that can be switched between hot buttons for the navigation system and the climate. The design is less attractive and well-coordinated than that of the Ioniq 5, but I was more comfortable with it because of the tall center console.
And after driving an EV6 for a week, I can honestly say that’s what makes it so great. Although it can initially appear to be something raunchy and picky, that is not the case. If you are eligible for the federal EV tax credit, it’s a simple car to drive, live with, and interact with that also happens to be incredibly efficient, looks fantastic, and adds up to a very great deal.
My choice is not definitive by any means. The Ioniq 5 will continue to woo consumers with its seductive blend of retro 1980s styling and what in my opinion is one of the most coherent design statements of the century. Both of these vehicles will probably handle significantly differently in their rear-wheel, base-battery configurations, where I anticipate dissecting some of the aspects of the Ioniq 5 that I find least appealing.
How long is the Kia EV6’s lifespan?
For many years, Kia has been making dependable hybrids and electric vehicles. This makes us think that, with very little care, the new EV6 may easily travel 300,000,400,000 kilometers. Before battery deterioration reduces its range and general effectiveness, it should have an average lifespan of roughly 1015 years.
The Kia EV6 is fairly silent.
Although my experience driving the Kia EV6 a few months ago was amazingly positive overall, the car did occasionally cease heating the cabin (this has supposedly been remedied) and once it made a very unusual high frequency sound that I could hear when conducting a low speed parking maneuver. The only other time I heard the noise, I assumed it was just one of the car’s systems operating, but it turns out the noise shouldn’t be made by the automobile, and many owners find it annoying.
This is a common issue, and Kia is currently looking into it, claims the Korean Car Blog, which references a local Korean news story from the KBS TV news channel. According to the source report, the noise is audible when the car has been driven at roughly 30 km/h (18 mph), then slows down.
Although if it’s the same sound I heard, you might not be able to hear it if you have music playing in the car. The sound is characterized as a loud beep. Sometimes it disappears, but some drivers said they have to turn up the music to block out the noise.
A sound at about 6,000 hertz, far within the range of human hearing, was detected by an expert with a sound detector that KBS brought in. The EV6 is reportedly very quiet and well sound-insulated due to its electric motor, so even while the noise is not very loud, it can still be annoying.
According to one of the EV6 owners KBS spoke with, he can now hear the sound even when he is not in the car. He claims that it has become engrained in his head and that as a result, he now experiences tinnitus. Kia has not yet acknowledged the issue publicly in any way.
Kia EV6 an SUV?
- It has 310 miles of range, eye-catching appearance, and many basic technological features.
- Starting at roughly $41,000 is the Kia EV6. The model Kia loaned us cost $53,405 in total.
There are now a few options available if a Tesla isn’t quite your style and you’re looking for an electric vehicle.
Ford devotees may purchase a Mustang Mach-E, while Volkswagen enthusiasts may purchase an ID.4. And new models are appearing on the market at a consistent rate. Subaru, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan will all soon introduce brand-new electric SUVs.
The 2022 Kia EV6 is one of the most intriguing and promising of this new crop of zero-emission vehiclesone that is currently available for purchase.
The sporty SUV offers a driving range of more than 300 miles and is loaded with cutting-edge technology. All of that is presented in a distinctive, eye-catching package that draws attention.
The EV6 has a few little issues here and there, but its main drawback, especially if you’re pressed for time, is that people won’t stop enquiring about it.
kW DC Charger
On a different day, but at the same Electrify America station, we conducted our EV6 test. Possibly by chance, the temperature was below freezing this time29 degreesas opposed to 53 degrees for the Ioniq 5. Due to the fact that we are not regular thieves, we used the “available 350-kW charger. The 30-minute session increased the anticipated range from 58 to 221 miles, increased the state of charge from 23 to 84 percent, and added 52.5 kWh for a total cost of $22.36.
As with the Ioniq 5, the charging rate increased to 130 kW after the battery’s level of charge reached 47 percent after starting out in the 70-kW range. Is there a magic number of 47 percent? Sadly, it never reached the same peak power as the Ioniq 5, even for a brief moment; perhaps this was because of the cooler weather. Its maximum power was 134.1 kW. The EV6 had been driven extensively before charging for more than an hour, just like the Ioniq 5.