Just a month after the Kia EV6 broke cover, the automaker has announced that the fully electric crossover will go on sale in the UK soon, with first deliveries taking place in October 2021. Three variants will be available from launch – EV6, EV6 GT-Line, and EV6 GT-Line S. The range-topping EV6 GT, on the other hand, is set to be launched there in the second half of 2022.
Regardless of which model customers choose, every EV6 variant destined for the UK gets the larger 77.4 kWh battery pack. Also standard across the board is the curved panoramic display with twin 12.3-inch touchscreens, complete with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, as well as Kia’s ‘connected car’ UVO Connect system.
The entry level EV6 variant is priced from £40,895 (RM232k), and comes standard with LED headlights, dark grey 19-inch alloy wheels, vegan leather upholstery, interior ambient lighting, dual-zone automatic climate control system, drive mode select, highway driving assist, as well as GPS-based smart cruise control with stop and go function, plus AEB with pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning functionality.
Because the base EV6 arrives in long-range form, it gets the more powerful 168 kW (228 PS, 350 Nm) electric motor that drives the rear axle. A full charge provides up to 510 km of range (WLTP cycle), and the 800-volt electrical architecture enables ultra fast-charging. Kia says the EV6 can be recharged from 10% to 80% state-of-charge in just 18 minutes, or an added 100 km of battery range in less than four and a half minutes.
The mid-spec GT-Line can be had in either RWD or AWD forms, with the latter producing a combined total of 239 kW (325 PS and 605 Nm). This allows the electric crossover to sprint from standstill to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, and it gets dressed with sportier GT-Line kit, replete with black 19-inch wheels and black suede and light grey vegan leather upholstery.
Also on are privacy glass, dual LED headlights with adaptive driving beam, premium relaxation seats, wireless smartphone charger, and a three-pin vehicle-to-load that supplies up to 3.6 kW of power. That’s equivalent to operating a 55-inch television and an air-conditioner for more than 24 hours, and it can even be used to charge other electric vehicles if required.
The GT-Line S, priced from £48,395 (RM275k; RWD) to £51,895 (RM295k; AWD), gets upgraded with 20-inch wheels, heated and ventilated from seats, powered tailgate, powered panoramic roof, 14-speaker Meridian audio system, remote smart park assist, parking collision-avoidance assist, highway driving assist 2, and augmented reality head-up display.
Both the GT-Line and GT-Line S can be equipped with the optional battery heat pump, which maximises driving range during frigid winter conditions. This heat pump is standard for the range-topping EV6 GT, which is undergoing the final phase of its developmental process as we speak.
To date, over 1,250 customers in the UK have placed their bookings for Kia’s latest fully electric crossover. The order books have effectively closed, and those who managed to secure a booking will benefit from a tailored charging service, featuring one year’s free subscription to KiaCharge Plus. It will also provide access to IONITY’s pan-European ultra-rapid EV charging network.
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A kimchi ah beng car for the same price could get you a Merc or Beemer with more class.
The design is nice but the price is less attractive since it almost double the price of normal gasoline vehicle. Malaysia is pretty hard to introduce EV at this moment, not because of infra (setting up charging station is way easier than petrol station) but because of the EV car price and battery replacement are high and Malaysia fuel price is cheap. 1 litre petrol in UK is equivalent to RM7.00, the citizen has reason to use EV due to high cost of fuel. But Malaysia fuel price is only RM 2.08, electric bill for EV car do not save a lot compare to gasoline vehicle while EV got a huge depreciation due to battery aging. Hopefully the EV car price can be lower than RM 100k and provide at least 400km range in next 5 years.