As more and more car manufacturers add electric vehicles to their line-up, Kia proves that the EV6 crossover will be charging ahead of the competition. 

Just launched in New Zealand, the EV6 is the first model to be created on the dedicated EV platform, E-GMP, by Kia.

There’s also good news for Kiwis wanting to buy electric as two of the models qualify for the Government’s Clean Car rebate.  

They are the EV6 Air Rear-Wheel-Drive Standard Range with a 58.0 kWh battery and‘EV6 Air Rear-Wheel-Drive Long Range with the larger 77.4 kWh battery, priced from $72,990 and $78,990 respective, says Kia New Zealand’s Managing Director, Todd McDonald.

The EV6 Air RWD Long Range can travel up to 528km on a single charge and is capable of charging from 10% to 80% in 18-minutes.

The other models include the Earth All-Wheel-Drive Long Range at $94,990, the GT-Line AWD Long Range ($106,990), or add $3000 for a sunroof for this vehicle.

Kia will be launching a GT version later this year.

The EV6 competes along with the likes of the Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3, and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 in New Zealand but when it comes to looks, its rival is the Polestar 2.

Just one look at the EV6 and you’ll realise why it has been crowned 2022 European Car of the Year and claimed overall victory in the prestigious 2022 Red Dot Design Awards. 

It also won the overall ‘Car of the Year’ award at the prestigious 2022 What Car? Awards, alongside being named ‘Electric SUV of the Year’.  And you can bet that there will be plenty more accolades for this electric crossover.

While the MIA classed it as a medium SUV, its design ethos is low and long. It has a low roofline of 1.9m wide, styled to hide the bulk 4.7m long, and is the lowest EV in the market.

The front of the EV6 has a European flavour to it while the rear spoiler lip is Aston Martin DBX-esque. It’s one of the best looking vehicles and has a timeless design, rather than the futuristic look of the Ioniq 5 or the quirky Honda-e.

The EV6 design is the result of a collaborative effort between all three studios in Kia’s global design network in Namyang (Korea), Frankfurt (Germany), and Irvine (California, USA).

There is also more than aesthetics to the look of the low and long EV6, instead, the low centre of gravity helps with the performance and ride of the electric crossover with the bulk of the weight in the large battery pack in the centre of the car.

“The spaciousness within the cabin environment is impressive and is similar to vehicles from larger segments,” said McDonald.

The interior has an airiness and I loved the clean design look thanks to the two dual-curved 12.3-inch screens, combined giving 24.6-inches of the high definition LCD display. 

But the EV6 is more than just good looks, it’s a great performer on the road.

“The ride, thanks in part to a locally tuned handling package for Australasia, is best described as accomplished and polished. It’s as close to perfect as can be for everyone in the vehicle,” said McDonald.

Kia NZ’s ​​sales and marketing general manager, Greg MacDonald, said there were ​​three pillars to the EV6; design, experience, and leading EV technology.

And that EV technology is cutting edge including Remote Smart Parking Assist where the driver is able to operate parking commands for the vehicle whilst standing outside and alongside it.  

This is particularly useful for getting into and out of tight parking spaces such as garages, as well as retrieving your vehicle from a shopping mall car park when someone has inadvertently parked too close to your driver's side door, says Kia NZ.

My favourite technology was the ‘Vehicle to Load’ (V2L) and ‘Vehicle to Vehicle’ (V2V) plug, which makes the EV6 a power source on wheels capable of supporting electrical appliances, and power tools to camping equipment – enough to power 70 40-inch TV screens.

The EV6 towing capacity is 750kg braked on standard and 1600kg on long-range models.

AutoMuse drove the GT-Line AWD at the launch of the EV6 and can testify that the handling is superb, especially in some gnarly road conditions and tight corners.

Leaving Clevedon, I headed inland from Kawakawa Bay along the winding roads with switchbacks and tight cornering to the scenic coastal road of the Firth of Thames to Kaiaua then went inland again, with the only issue was the double yellow lines along most of the route, so I wasn’t able to overtake the slow traffic and I knew the EV6 had the capability to make the manoeuvre with ease. 

Wanting to test the EV6 at speed, I rerouted to join the motorway rather than a direct route to Clevedon. The crossover overtook with ease, and I trailed the advanced cruise control until the turnoff at Papakura to head back to the launch venue.

It’s a pleasure to be the car, and as Kia NZ said at the launch, “you can feel the R&D money that goes into it when you sit in it. It’s styled to be impressive looking”.

AutoMuse has a week-long trial soon and it will be great to spend more time in the vehicle, it may even knock the Model 3 off the top of my list of an EV I’d buy.