Kia’s new dedicated electric car will be called the EV6, the brand has confirmed. The Kia EV6 will be the first new car from Kia to show off the Korean company’s new logo, while it will also be the brand’s first vehicle based on its E-GMP platform for electric cars.
It’s the first in a line of new electric-only Kias as part of the brand’s Plan S business plan, which will see it launch seven new EVs by 2027, all of which will use the EV prefix.
We’ve previously spied Kia’s mid-size coupe-SUV electric model. Along with the new naming strategy it highlights that the brand is leaving plenty of room in its line-up both below and above the EV6 when it comes to size and positioning.
Called Electric-Global Modular Platform, Kia’s new BEV architecture is the same as the underpinnings used by sister brand Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, so we’d expect the EV6 to have access to the same range of battery and electric motor options as the Hyundai.
This would mean the choice between a 58kWh and a 72.6kWh battery pack. An entry-level rear-drive single motor set-up could offer 125kW and 350Nm in the EV6, while rear-wheel-drive single motor models featuring the big battery will likely offer 160kW, albeit the same torque.
Four-wheel drive as part of a dual-motor arrangement should also be offered; if it mimics the Ioniq 5 a version powered by the 58kWh battery will offer a 120kW rear motor and 53kW at the front – plus a combined 650Nm – while the larger battery option should offer the same total torque output, with 155kW at the rear and 70kW at the front.
The longest range EV6 should deliver a maximum of around 500 kilometres cruising between charges.
This is where the E-GMP platform unlocks big benefits too, because with 800-volt electronic architecture the EV6 will accept up to 200kW charging. This means a 10 to 80 per cent recharge in just 18 minutes, or around 100 kilometres of range added in as little as five minutes.
Previously given the internal codename CV, the teaser reveals a few key elements of the new car’s design, including a relative short nose, what looks like a slightly raised ride height and a more flowing, coupe-like roofline with a heavily raked rear screen.
The tail is short and features some new LED rear light treatment for Kia. This includes scrolling indicators and animated tail-lights spanning the car’s full width. The front end features slim LED light units too, with a sculpted bonnet and a shallow air inlet.
We know that the EV6 will showcase a new design philosophy for the Korean brand – linked with its new, more aspirational logo – that focuses on Kia’s shifting focus towards electrification:
“EV6 is the embodiment of our new design philosophy. It has been designed to inspire every journey by offering an instinctive and natural experience that improves the daily lives of our customers, and provide user ownership that is simple, intuitive and integrated.” said Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Centre.
“Our aim is to design the physical experience of our brand and to create bold, original and inventive electric vehicles.”
Sean Carson