Kia EV6 First Drive Review: The Rise Of The New Age Electric Car In India

In India, there's been a boom in the electric vehicle segment and we have a number of them to choose from. But with sales growing, new segments will be created and for now, we have electric cars that are on the affordable side of the scale, and then there are the luxury EVs, which carry a price tag of more than Rs. 1 crore. Kia India, decided to find a middle ground with the EV6 in India and with prices expected to be between Rs. 55-60 lakh (ex-showroom India), the company's flagship electric car, brings a lot more than just affordability to the table.

We already brought you the exclusive review of the EV6 and you've all lapped it up but even though the car comes to India as a completely built unit, there are some very India specific changes made to it. So does that have any impact on the way it drives? Well, let's get on with it then

Also Read: Kia EV6 Pre-Bookings To Begin From May 26

The Kia EV6 will be the company's flagship product in India and also the first electric vehicle from the company.

Kia EV6: Powertrain

It drives like expected. It's eager and agile. The EV6 that we got our hands on was an all-wheel drive (AWD) version and it pushes out a combined power output of 320 bhp. There's one motor on the front axle and the other on the rear. The front makes 222 bhp and the rear is capable of pushing out 99 bhp. Now there's enough and more torque on offer 605 Nm and that's available from the word go like all electric cars. 0-100 kmph is done in 5.2 seconds and that's immense fun, but it's not a race car, it's a car built for comfort and that has a bit of a play on the handling aspect. Those tyres too are 19 inchers, but you're just left wanting for more. But you see there are paddle shifters here and those are not to shift gears, they're here for a different functionality.

The Kia EV6 we drove was an all-wheel drive (AWD) version that pushes out a combined output of 320 bhp, and does a 0-100 kmph is done in 5.2 seconds.

Kia EV6: Ride And Handling

Kia India has said that there are India specific changes made to EV6 and the ground clearance too has been set at 178 mm. The car available in the European market has 160mm and that means there's an improvement of 18 mm to ensure it is better equipped to handle Indian roads. Those tyres too are 19 inchers, and though they fill the wheel wells pretty nicely, when it comes to driving dynamics, you wished they had more width. There's a hint of understeer on the car, but there's no doubting that it keeps its composure under heavy braking or even when thrown into a corner. I wouldn't describe it as sporty though, it's all tuned for comfort and with the torque available from the word go, it absolutely nails the part where there's power needed at will. Then there are paddle shifters that you get in the EV6 and those are not to shift gears, they're here for a different functionality.

Also Read: Volvo XC40 Recharge Review

Despite having a set of 19-inch wheels, there's a hint of understeer on the Kia EV6, as it's tuned for comfort rather than sportiness.

Also Read: Kia EV6 India Launch Date Announced

Kia EV6: Battery Regeneration

The paddle shifters help regenerate energy into the battery, so you get more range. You can toggle between 4 levels of regeneration and the Max level, switches on the i-Pedal or single pedal mode, where you can accelerate and decelerate and even come to a complete halt using just the accelerator, now call it paradoxical but it's very innovative and comes in very handy in traffic conditions.

The Kia EV6 offers 4 levels of regeneration, and at Max level, which is single pedal mode, comes in very handy in traffic conditions.

Kia EV6: Battery And Range

Now, though the EV6 is available internationally with two different battery packs, India gets the one with the 77.4 kWh battery and that therefore translates to more power and longer range. Kia is also offering the RWD version of the EV6 in India and so, there will be two versions to pick from. The RWD version too is good on power as it makes 226 bhp and a healthy 350 Nm of torque. While the RWD version gets a range of 528 km on a single charge, the AWD is good enough for 425 km. Of course the real world range will differ, given the driving style and conditions on road, but an all-electric range that is north of 400 km helps deplete the range anxiety.

While the RWD version of the Kia EV6 offers a range of 528 km on a single charge, the AWD is good enough for 425 km.

Kia EV6: Charging Times

Kia India says that a 50 kW DC fast charger will take 1 hour and 13 minutes to bump up from 10 to 80 percent, while a 350 kW charger will do the same in just 18 minutes. These are not bad at all and given that the charging infrastructure is increasing its footfall in the country, having charging times at the lower end of the spectrum, certainly helps.

The Kia EV6's battery  can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 1 hour and 13 minutes using a a 50 kW DC fast charger, while a 350 kW charger will do the same in just 18 minutes.

Kia EV6: Design

Siddharth already had a lot to say about the design of the EV6 in his exclusive review and there's no change in that department. It looks absolutely stunning! The 'opposites-united' design language shine out throughout the car, right from the haunches up front to the creases on the bonnet and the side, it all makes the EV6 pop and sparkle! But the design elements are all about making the EV6 more aerodynamic. Even the rear-view mirror is tapered at one end and that too is to make way for unobstructed airflow. No wonder then that the EV6 has a drag co-efficient of 0.28. The rear spoiler too has two inlets which again lower the drag, but the standout features at the rear are the taillamp and the turn indicator. The tail lamp runs across the tail gate and it looks like a beautiful thread. Even the turn indicator is well hidden but when it illuminates, boy! Does it look sexy! To sum it up, you'll fall in love with it, every time you step out to get into the car and that's saying a lot.

Kia EV6 Dimensions

The 'opposites-united' design language shine out throughout the car, right from the haunches up front to the creases on the bonnet and the side.

Kia EV6: Interior Space And Features

And there's more to talk about the cabin. It will be available only with the black interiors and everything that you see inside, is made from sustainable materials. Up front you get two 12.3 inch screens, one is the digital instrument cluster while the other is the infotainment system and there's a lot of information on it. You can of course, tweak and customise the playouts on both screens but the fact remains that less buttons and more touch, is the future and that's exactly what the Kia EV6 brings to the table. We of course, have the tech review which deep dives into all the features of the car, so head there to know more about the features.

Also Read: Kia EV6 Tech Review

Up front, the EV6 gets two 12.3 inch screens, one is the digital instrument cluster while the other is the infotainment system. You can of course, tweak and customise the playouts on both screens.

The front seats are snug and very comfortable. There's good under thigh support as also lumbar support and then there is the feature that makes us smile from ear-to-ear, yes ventilated seats! Oh! it so excites us! And the EV6 gets it for the front row. There's also a sunroof on offer, and the quality of material used in the cabin is top notch, so there are no complaints there. There's a lot of stowage space as well, right from cupholders, to space to keep a bag.

The Kia EV6's seats offer good under thigh support, lumbar support and they are ventilated. Even the quality of material used in the cabin is top notch.

The rear seats were a bit of a disappointment though because they lack under thigh support and for a 6-footer like me, I wish there was more on offer. But there are no complaints on the space on offer. The 2900mm of wheelbase provides good knee room, shoulder room. There's good headroom too and the clever features it has to offer really capture your attention. The USB ports for charging are tucked nicely into the rear section of the front seats and it makes us wonder, why no one else, ever thought of it!

The rear seats disappoint because they lack under thigh support and a fairly tall person will not be very comfortable.

The rear seats too come with a 60:40 split and that translates into clever use of space especially, if you have more bags to transport.

Kia EV6: Boot Space

There's good enough bootspace and the EV6 offers 520 litres of it. With the 2nd row down, there's 1300 litres on offer. And then there's the 'Frunk' which has 20 litres of space in the AWD version and 52 litres on the RWD.

Kia EV6 offers 520 litres of boot space, which can be extended to 1300 litres with the 2nd row down.

Kia EV6: Safety Features

On the safety front 8 airbags are standard and the EV6 also comes with Advanced Driver Assistance System or ADAS. You'll get forward collision avoidance assist, surround view monitor, Lane following assist, Lane keeping assist , blind spot monitoring system and more, all of which can be activated with the touch of a button.

Given what the EV6 has to offer, we believe Kia will sell the first batch of these cars with ease.

Kia EV6: Verdict

Now, only 100 units of the EV6 are coming to India so, the big play then is exclusivity! And it's selective dealerships where it will be available. We expect prices to be around the 55 to 60 lakh rupees quadrant and that means it will go up against the likes of the Volvo XC40 recharge which will be sort of a direct rival. We'll know the price when the company launches the car on June 2.

But with what the EV6 has to offer, I am very sure, Kia will sell the first batch of these cars with ease. There will be takers and those who want a comfortable, futuristic and absolutely sexy EV in their garage.