LIKES
- Efficiency and range
- Wagon-like style
- GT performance
- Relative value
- Good features
DISLIKES
- GT’s hidden drift mode
- Lacks wireless smartphone compatibility
- Front seats could be comfier
BUYING TIP
- The 2023 Kia EV6 GT undercuts performance electrics from Ford and Tesla, but the Wind remains the best value.
The 2023 Kia EV6 balances performance and efficiency, as well as value and features better than most electric crossovers.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Kia EV6? What does it compare to?
The 2023 Kia EV6 electric crossover shares a powertrain and chassis with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but rides lower and edges into sportier territory than rivals ranging from the Tesla Model Y to the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Is the 2023 Kia EV6 a good car?
It is one of our higher rated electric crossovers priced for the mass market because it doesn’t compromise performance for efficiency or value for loaded features. It earns a TCC Rating of 8.2 out of 10.
What's new for the 2023 Kia EV6?
Kia works at both poles for 2023 by introducing a high-performance GT model and discontinuing the base Light trim level with the smaller 58-kwh battery pack. All 2023 versions use the 77.4-kwh pack.
The single-motor rear-wheel-drive Wind and GT-Line make 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. Range peaks at 310 miles and it can DC fast-charge to 80% in just 18 minutes. Strap on a second motor up front for all-wheel drive and the EV6 slings to 60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. Range suffers, natch. The low height, aerodynamic design, and independent suspension conspire for a spirited ride with good handling for a hefty vehicle, but the light steering undermines it a bit. The GT model takes the EV6 to another level, with two larger motors making 576 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque, and a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds. In a Kia. With a drift mode.
Once inside the EV6 passengers are treated to a roomy interior with plenty of space for four adults and their gear.
Kia loads the EV6 with advanced driver-assist features that helped earn it a Top Safety Pick+ award, as well as premium convenience features and an industry-leading 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty. Standard features include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, heated and cooled front seats, a Meridian sound system, a sharp 12.3-inch instrument cluster alongside a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment, and a wireless smartphone charger. But it still requires a cord for smartphone compatibility.
How much does the 2023 Kia EV6 cost?
The single-motor rear-wheel-drive Wind starts at $49,795 with a $1,295 destination charge. Dual-motor all-wheel drive bumps the price to $53,695. Pending legislation, the 2023 Kia EV6 doesn’t qualify for the federal EV tax credit.
The GT-Line costs $53,995 for the single motor and $58,695 for dual motors. The dual-motor EV6 GT costs $62,695, which is about $7,000 less than rivals.
Where is the 2023 Kia EV6 made?
In South Korea.
Styling
Part sport wagon, part dream machine, the EV6 reshapes the crossover mold.
Is the Kia EV6 a good-looking car?
Yes. It has the rounded, aerodynamic elements of other electric crossovers but stretched over a sportier body with a low roof like a European touring wagon. It’s muscular without being beefy and wheel sizes ranging from 19-21 inches fill wheel wells that are pushed to the corners. Up front the snub nose dives, and along the side a rocker garnish rises up through the rear wheel to a light bar that hugs the tailgate. An integrated rear roof spoiler and raked rear windshield cut into the tail, and from the rear, it appears as if the greenhouse rides on the broad shoulders of the body. It’s attractive but not overdone, and earns two points on our scale. The tamer interior earns another point to an 8.
The open floor plan lacks a glass roof as in other electric crossovers, but Kia innovates with a console that juts out like a diving platform in the space between the dash and seats. The long, low dash stretches horizontally, with a band of vents separating a dynamic climate control panel that doubles as an infotainment menu; press a button and the temperature dials become volume and tuning knobs. Neat. The GT performance model trims the steering wheel, upholstery, and dash with lime green cross-stitching and related accents.
Performance
The 2023 Kia EV6 looks and acts the part of an electric sport crossover.
With only the large 77.4-kwh battery pack offered for 2023, and a new GT performance variant, the Kia EV6 offers quick to blistering acceleration, balanced handling for its size, and comfortable cruising. It’s a 7. The EV6 GT would be an 8 if rated alone.
Is the Kia EV6 4WD?
The base Wind and GT-Line models come with a single motor rated at 168 kw and rear-wheel drive. The permanent magnet motor makes 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. A second permanent magnet motor comes on most EV6 models, and is standard on GT-Line and GT models. That smaller front motor is rated at 74 kw, and together the output increases to 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque.
How fast is the Kia EV6?
The rear-wheel-drive Wind holds up the pack with a 0-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds. Then things speed up. The dual-motor Wind and GT-Line models reach 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, according to Kia, and a top speed of 117 mph. The low profile and relatively low ground clearance of 6.1 inches bolster Kia’s sport mission and dissuade any off-road considerations.
The light and dull steering feel strays from the sports car mission, and even though the EV6 can cut through corners with more agility than other electric crossovers, there’s a distance between the road and the ride, like it’s trying to satisfy two missions.
EV6 GT performance
The larger motors in the EV6 result in a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 161 mph. It’s quicker than a Mustang Mach-E GT or Tesla Model Y Performance, and creeps into the rarefied space or the Porsche Taycan. Unlike the Porsche, it doesn’t pin in your seat and threaten your lunch at launch, but from 20-50 mph, whoomp, there it is, in a way the Kia Stinger GT couldn’t approximate. Three additional modes, including a GT mode access by a lime-green steering wheel button, ramp up the excitement, but Kia hides the most exciting Drift mode deep in a series of awkward dance steps.
Kia equips the GT with a sport-tuned suspension with adjustable dampers, but it never fully takes the squish out of corners. The monoblock calipers grab larger 15.0-inch rotors up front but they could use even more bite. That’s understandable for a car weighing 4,795 pounds. Once in the corner, the EV6 GT shines, with an electronic limited-slip differential that helps maintain grip (and speeds) on the 21-inch Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires, then a rear-drive bias that whips the tail. It self-corrects without ever damping the fun.
Comfort & Quality
The 2023 Kia EV6 optimizes interior space in spite of its long, low profile.
The Kia EV6 might look more like a sport wagon than a crossover, but the interior opens up to a roomy cabin with plenty of passenger and cargo space. That’s worth two points, and the calm and quiet cabin adds another. It’s an 8.
At up to 184.8 inches long and 74.4 inches wide (GT-Line and GT models), the Kia EV6 measures up to the Volkswagen ID.4 and Tesla Model Y. But at 60.8 inches tall, it’s at least three inches shorter than rivals. Yet the only compromise comes from getting in and out. Otherwise, once seated in the well-bolstered, 8-way power front seats, the EV6 stretches out like a crossover. The first Kia with sport bucket seats, the GT’s manually adjustable seats bear-hugs riders. The sunroof in GT-Line and GT models trims front headroom, but not enough to crimp taller riders.
With the cowl starting above the front wheels and the windshield raked back, the seating position feels a little different from traditional crossovers at first. Kia covers the seats in synthetic leather that feels soft enough, and standard heated and cooled front seats offset all the plastic trim pieces to make it feel premium even if it doesn’t look it.
Safety
The 2023 Kia EV6 earned a Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS.
How safe is the Kia EV6?
Two years in, the NHTSA still hasn’t tested the Kia EV6, but the other factors add up to a high safety rating of 8 for the electric crossover. Once the NHTSA gets up to speed, the EV6 should get a five-star rating for a 9 here.
The IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick+ for withstanding crash tests as well as avoiding collisions with other vehicles and pedestrians at speeds of up to 25 mph.
Options such as navigation-based adaptive cruise control that enables minutes of hands-free driving, remote automatic parking, a surround-view camera system, and rear automatic braking also earn a point.
The only safety point missed here is for outward vision. The low roofline of the EV6 and the pinched rear end limit rear and side vision.
Features
Well-equipped at just under $50,000, and with a great warranty, the 2023 Kia EV6 comes loaded.
Every EV6 comes with a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, with a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain and battery warranty. That good start only gets better. The base Wind model with rear-wheel drive has 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, power-folding side mirrors, heated and cooled front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, a hands-free tailgate, a Meridian sound system, the twin 12.3-inch screens, a wifi hotspot, and a wireless smartphone charger. The warranty, base content, intuitive but layered infotainment system, and overall value earn it a point each to a 9. It misses a point only for a lack of luxurious options, though the Vehicle to Load (V2L) connector option provides 1,900 watts to power gear and appliances.
Which Kia EV6 should I buy?
As with other electric vehicles, the price differences of the EV6 depend on the powertrain. The $49,795 Wind catches the best value and the best range, though we’d add the second motor for more power, more AWD grip, and a heat pump for $53,695.
The heart-pounding GT tops the EV6 charts at $62,695, and that modest price increase includes major performance upgrades such as a larger motors, standard AWD, three more drive modes, adjustable dampers, a rear limited-slip differential, 21-inch alloy wheels and performance tires.
Fuel Economy
In all but the GT model, the Kia EV6 uses electrons efficiently.
Is the Kia EV6 good on energy?
The Kia EV6 averages nearly 3.6 miles per kwh (117 MPGe) and the single-motor RWD models have a range of up to 310 miles. That’s a perfect 10.
Built on an 800-volt architecture and with a sole 77.4-kwh battery pack for 2023, the Kia EV6 extracts more miles out of each kilowatt-hour compared to other electric crossovers except for the Model Y.
On its 21-inch wheels with summer tires, the GT model prioritizes performance over efficiency with 206 miles of range and an efficiency rating of 2.4 miles per kwh (79 MPGe).
All-wheel-drive models include a heat pump and up to four regen brake settings that ship energy back to the pack. Eco mode disconnects the front motor in most scenarios, so it’s possible to drive further and with greater efficiency than the EPA ratings.
Charging
The 800-volt architecture enables the quickest DC fast-charging of any mainstream electric, alongside the related Hyundai Ioniq 5. At a 350-kw CCS-format connector, the EV6 charges from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. In our testing, it peaks at about 240 kw in mild temperatures. On Level 2 (240V) home charging, the 2023 EV6 charges from 10% to full in about seven hours thanks to an onboard converter that can accept 10.9 kw.
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