KiaEV6 GT

　　

2023 Kia EV6 GT Review

byMark TakahashiCorrespondent

　　Mark Takahashi has worked in the automotive industry since 2001. He has written thousands of car-related articles and tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Mark has also contributed to Motor Trend, Auto Aficionado, Chevy High Performance and several motorcycle magazines in various roles. Mark is also a juror on the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards and can be seen regularly on the zzdcar YouTube channel and sometimes representing the company in media interviews.

　　, rating written byMark TakahashiNews Editor

　　Nick Yekikian has worked in the automotive industry since 2019. He has written close to a thousand car-related articles and tested and reviewed more than 200 vehicles over the course of his career. Nick is the News Editor at zzdcar and has also contributed to MotorTrend, Automobile Magazine and Super Street. When Nick isn't zipping around town in his latest used-car find, he's probably making digital art in Photoshop or playing disc golf with friends.

　　The electric vehicle revolution is well underway and there are plenty of great choices out there. Among all-wheel-drive-capable electric SUVs, the 2023 Kia EV6 has you covered if you're looking for style and performance. It benefits from a sleek exterior and sharp handling and delivers as much as 310 miles on a single charge, according to EPA estimates.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below

　　

Kia EV6 Insights

Trim:EV6 GT

　　GT 4dr SUV AWD (electric DD) (Most Popular) - $61,600 MSRP

　　

Range

 zzdcar TESTED

　　238 miles

　　zzdcar Tested Rangezzdcar begins with a full battery charge and drives the vehicle on a mix of city and highway roads (approximately 60% city, 40% highway) until the battery is almost entirely empty. (We target 10 miles of remaining range for safety.) The miles traveled and the indicated remaining range are added together for the zzdcar Tested Range figure.

　　EV batteries lose 1-2% of range per year. Est. range for this car is 202 miles after 8 years.Electric cars typically experience 1-2% of range loss per year with slightly faster degradation over the first 50,000 miles as the car settles into its long term state, according to Recurrent's study of 15,000 EVs.

　　Estimated range mapThis map is a visual representation of the possible one-way and round-trips by this vehicle (on a full charge) from the geometric center of Rutland, North Dakota. The depicted ranges are based on the estimated new vehicle range value provided by the EPA, rounded down to miles for one-way and miles for round-trip. Actual range will vary depending on the condition of this vehicle’s battery pack, how you drive, driving conditions and other factors.Map display generated using: © openrouteservice.org by HeiGIT | Map data © Recurrent contributors | Recurrent

　　from 58067

　　

EV Battery Warranty

　　10 yrs or 100,000 milesThe federal government requires that EV batteries be warrantied for a minimum of eight years or 100,000 miles. The EV battery warranty includes replacement if your battery capacity drops below a certain percentage of the original capacity.

　　

Charging at Home

　　8.9 hours

　　Total Charging Time (240V outlet)

　　SAE ComboStandard port for most electric models. Supports Level 1, Level 2, and DC Fast charging.

　　Plug Type

　　

EV Tax Credits & Rebates

　　$400

　　Available Rebates. Restrictions apply.

　　Utility EV Charger Offer

　　$400

　　Restrictions: Otter Tail Power offers EV owners a rebate of up to $400 towards the installation of a Level 2 charging station. To qualify for this rebate, the customer and/or charging station must meet the following requirements: Receive electricity from Otter Tail Power.

　　To learn more, visit Recurrent

　　Complimentary Charging Offer

　　Restrictions: The Electrify America Kia Charge Pass is a charging agreement between Kia America and Electrify America. Customers who purchase a new EV6 will receive 1000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of complimentary charging on the Electrify America network. Credits must be used within 3 years of vehicle purchase date. Offer is non-transferable. See your participating dealer for details.

　　

Cost to Drive

　　$90/mo

　　EV6

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　SUV Avg.

　　Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　

Am I Ready for an EV?

　　EV ownership works best if you can charge (240V) at home or at work This typically means a 240V home installation, but you could also have a similar setup at your office or other places your car is already parked for several hours each day. Don't expect a regular household outlet (120V) to suffice unless you've got a plug-in hybrid, in which case overnight charging at home is feasible.

　　If you can’t charge at home, charging at a charging station could take at least 10x longer than at a gas station With public charging infrastructure still in its infancy, the user experience can be maddeningly inconsistent. Tesla owners tend to rave about the reliability and speed of the company's proprietary Supercharger stations, but rival DC fast options have thus far been plagued by technical issues and overcrowding. It's an evolving landscape and our best advice is to do your research on the available options for the EV you want to buy.

　　Adding a 240V home charging system could cost up to $1,600 or more If your existing electrical service can handle the additional demands of EV charging, you may be able to add Level 2 charging at home for less than a grand, including installation. But your costs will multiply if you need to upgrade your electrical panel or add a dedicated circuit.

　　For 2023, the much-anticipated high-performance GT model debuts at the top of the EV6 lineup. With 576 horsepower, it's the most powerful production vehicle Kia has ever made, and it should accelerate to 60 mph in a mere 3.4 seconds. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the lineup, last year's base Light trim has been discontinued. That's fine by us since the previous midrange Wind trim is our pick for most people.

　　Among all-electric SUVs in the class, the 2023 Kia EV6 remains one of our favorites. Notably, it's related to the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Both models share much of the same EV hardware, so your choice will probably come down to your styling preference. The Audi Q4 e-tron, Chevrolet Bolt EUV, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y are also worth checking out. The EV6 has its own set of advantages and drawbacks compared to these alternatives, as highlighted in our Expert Rating below. It's one of the sportier choices of the bunch and is an excellent pick if your tastes trend toward excitement.

　　zzdcar Expert Rating

　　Our VerdictThe zzdcar Vehicle Testing Team evaluates a fresh batch of vehicles every week, pairing objective assessments at our test track with real-world driving on city streets, freeways and winding roads. The data we gather results in our Expert Ratings. They’re based on 30-plus scores that cover every aspect of the automotive experience.

　　Great

　　8.3

　　out of 10

　　zzdcar TESTED

　　Rated for you by America's best test team.

　　

Performance

9.0/10

　　How does the EV6 GT drive? The core of the EV6 GT's appeal is its muscular performance. It delivers a burst of acceleration that remains breathtaking run after run after run. In our testing, the EV6 GT had some trouble putting down its power but still ripped from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. That pips both the Tesla Model Y Performance and the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, which both posted 3.7-second times at the zzdcar test track.

　　When the road gets curvy, the GT is less capable. For starters, the GT's all-season tires don't offer much grip. It's also not a well-balanced car. Dive into a corner and the EV6 GT will feel nose-heavy. But dig into the accelerator pedal and things swing the other way as the rear end will kick out and oversteer. Fun? Maybe. But driving quickly definitely requires dexterity from both hands and feet. One thing that could definitely use an upgrade is the brakes. They get overwhelmed quickly during enthusiastic driving and need more initial bite to get the GT under control with greater confidence.

　　

Comfort

8.5/10

　　How comfortable is the EV6 GT? The GT comes with an electronically controlled suspension that is stiffened over the setup found in the other EV6 models. Even so, we found the ride quality to be pretty smooth when not in Sport mode. It's a comfortable cruiser that smooths out road imperfections nicely. The downside to this comfort is that when driving aggressively, there's a bit too much side-to-side body roll in corners. But for daily driving, the GT's suspension is well calibrated.

　　Another GT-specific feature is the front bucket seats, which only come with manual adjustments compared to the power adjustments found in other EV6 trims. You also lose seat ventilation, though front and rear outboard seat heaters are standard. Some people might find the aggressive seat bolstering to be a bit too tight, but if you fit, you should find them supportive and good at keeping your body from sliding during quick cornering.

　　Continue reading zzdcar Expert Rating below