At the beginning of this year, an expert jury selected the winner of the European Car of the Year (COTY) 2022 survey. It was almost certain that the first place would be occupied by an electric car, after all, six of the seven finalists had an electric drive in their guts. At least the Peugeot 308 represented a glimmer of hope for combustion units, even though it is also offered in battery “form”. However, he was quickly blown away by the final scoring, in which in the end, the Kia EV6 triumphed. It also left behind the electric Renault Mégane and Hyundai Ioniq 5, i.e. two extremely successful electric cars.
At the same time, the Korean brand kept the imaginary ace up its sleeve until these days. Until now, it has released the sharpest version of the GT, which has performance and acceleration at the supersport level. However, we know that parameters in a straight line are not everything, so we set out to test the novelty on a makeshift racing circuit. We got hitched and one thing is clear. Even the premium competition should beware!
In a decent jacket
As impressive as the EV6 GT’s parameters are, the car does not reveal them from the outside. From a distance, it actually looks like the other “sixes”, only upon closer examination do we notice minor differences. It is worth noting the revised bumper with holes for air passage, the modified “tiger” mask and the rear bumper with a diffuser. We already know the other design details well. Specifically, a sloping roof line accompanied by an aerodynamic spoiler or recessed door handles. The GT version wears exclusively 21-inch wheels, behind which are hidden calipers in a lime shade.
The same striking color also accentuates the details in the cabin. Notice, for example, the stitching on the seats, the steering wheel and the GT button on the steering wheel, which we’ll get to later. The sports seats are upholstered in suede and have pronounced lateral guidance, especially on the backrests. They hold the body very nicely in corners, but at the same time they are not uncomfortable even on long journeys. In addition, the absence of a central tunnel means that taller people can easily get behind the wheel.
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Otherwise, it is the cabin that we already know well from the standard version of the electric car. Spacious, full of quality materials and with a modern multimedia system. The environment consists of two 12.3″ screens located next to each other in a single unit (as Mercedes has, for example). One represents classic alarm clocks, the other the multimedia display in the middle. The system is fast and offers countless information. Including those directly related to sports driving.
The sharpest EV6 GT does not lack in terms of practicality either. The luggage compartment holds 480 liters (40 liters less than the rear wheel), but you can increase it to 1260 liters by folding down the rear bench. And if you’re looking for a place for charging cables or small items, you can also find a 20 liter box under the front hood. It used to be one of the often mentioned advantages of electric cars, but it is not used by so many manufacturers.
Kia of many
The drive consists of two permanent magnet synchronous electric motors (one on each of the axles) making up the all-wheel drive. We already know the front one from more civilian versions, its maximum power is 160 kW. However, the rear electric motor is completely new and can “do” up to 270 kW. The system power of the machine is 430 kW and the torque reaches 740 newton meters. Despite the car’s curb weight of 2,125 kg, this is enough to accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and a maximum speed of 260 km/h. No wonder it is the most powerful and agile kiu in history.
Let’s go back to the rear electric motor. It uses, for example, a new “hairpin” winding of the stator coils, which reduces losses and shortens the response at high speeds. Also worth mentioning is the unconventional solution with a two-stage inverter for the rear electric motor. The control of the electric motor is ensured by the power module of the inverter with semiconductors made of silicon carbide (SiC), which in itself increases the efficiency of the entire system by two to three percent. The standard EV6 uses external liquid cooling, the “goth” increases efficiency by cooling the coils with an oil stream, where a stable temperature is maintained even under extreme conditions.
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However, the innovation of the new product does not end with electric motors, for example, work was also done on the chassis. At the back, we find a five-link axle from a civilian car, but at the front, the geometry and kinematics have changed. The stabilizer lower arm of the McPherson type suspension has been replaced with a new arrangement with a pair of arms for better regulation of vertical movements. Because a car of this type is expected to be more agile, completely new springs are used – nine percent softer at the front, eleven percent stiffer at the rear. Thanks to this, the ground clearance dropped by five millimeters.
The EV6 GT has its own steering system with a variable gear ratio and a progressively increasing effect according to speed. There are only 2.3 revolutions between the extreme positions of the steering wheel (standard 2.67). In sharp GT mode, the steering is specially calibrated for maximum dynamic driving. It promises more sensitive reactions and immediate response. Last but not least, the electronic differential e-LSD helps the car’s dynamic capabilities.
The brakes were not forgotten either. Larger ventilated front (380mm) and rear (360mm) discs work with new efficient four-piston calipers on the front axle. It was precisely because of the installation of larger brakes that the creators decided to install twenty-one-inch wheels. By the way, the car can recover up to 150 kW on its own. However, when the brake pedal is applied, the regenerative power can be doubled!
Don’t be so modest
I hope I haven’t bored you with the technical details yet, but don’t worry, the fun part is coming. Kia prepared a small improvised circuit for us. It is not a pure racing track, the asphalt here is narrower, quite winding and some blind corners are downright heartbreaking. Today we will not go wild on our own, all rides are accompanied by an instructor in the first car.
Three core disciplines are prepared – driving on a track, a test of drifting mode on sprinkled asphalt and finally a taste of absolute dynamics in a straight line. Before we have time to look around, we are already on the first “slow” lap, during which we get to know the circuit. The second is already going at a faster pace. From the first moments, I was surprised by how easy it is to work with a considerable weight. Even though the car weighs over 2.1 tons, it responds immediately to steering wheel commands, turns willingly, and sudden changes of direction are not a problem either. Sure, you know there’s a fair amount of mass working underneath you, but with the help of the brake and throttle, you can direct it exactly where you need it. In addition, the steering itself deserves praise – precise and with a short gear, so it fits the overall character of the car excellently. And we are still “only” in sports mode, saving the sharpest GT for further attempts.
In it, the functioning of the stabilization system is limited and driving is even more fun. When exiting corners, you feel the preference of the rear wheels, so you can quite easily help with direction correction without any delay. Just don’t overdo it with the pedaling. It is enough to be a little more insensitive and the almost 600-horsepower crossover suddenly ends in hours. Fortunately, this is not the case for me.
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The dynamics in a straight line will also excite you. The car drives like crazy without exaggeration. I wondered when was the last time acceleration from a standstill or low speed could smell my organs like this. And I probably only remembered the experience with the Audi RS e-tron GT and the Porsche Taycan. However, the Kia EV6 GT also ranks among the cream of the crop in terms of driving performance, although the crossover is a little less suitable for athletic disciplines.
Before one knows it, the circuit rides are slowly coming to an end. Although it is a crossover, it does not lean significantly in corners and does exactly what the driver encourages it to do with the movements of the steering wheel. We were reminded several times before the drive that the Kia EV6 GT is not a car built for racetracks. And I would tell the creators not to be unnecessarily modest. Sporting an electric crossover may sound strange, but when you have such a complete package at your disposal, it can also be a lot of fun. Engineers are mainly concerned about the brakes. However, several sharp wheels and pressing the brake pedal to the floor have no effect on the performance of the system. The brakes don’t fail and I dare say it wouldn’t be a problem even after a few more laps.
Sideways!
The circuit insert is followed by wet asphalt and a temporary turn made of cones. It is here that we can try the drift mode, another specialty of sharp kia. We have a total of three attempts… and the instructions from the instructors are clear. If you have at least some drifting experience, forget about it. Driving sideways with an electric car is a completely different song. And the first rides of foreign colleagues show that there will be some truth to it. This is when the “six” ends up overturned five times out of six attempts.
This is also why I get into the car with enough respect. First of all, I want to touch the car as much as possible and, above all, not finish the spectacular drive in hours. And it works! The car immediately reacts to a sudden step on the accelerator by tearing off the rear part, at that moment one must not panic, but nimble handwork and, above all, correcting the gas is necessary. Try after try it gets better and better, it’s a shame I only have three at my disposal. When I start to be more rude behind the wheel, unfortunately I’m exhausted and give the place to another person.
It doesn’t matter, we still have a “drag race” left, i.e. acceleration from a standstill. As I said before, the “six” knows this discipline extremely impressively and damn quickly it will start blurring all your surroundings. I’m honestly glad that the dynamic insert with the news came before lunch. I finish several accelerations from 0-150 km/h with an average consumption of 48 kWh/100 km, with a bit of rolling the energy disappears from the accumulator really quickly.
Conclusion
Fortunately, this does not apply to a relaxed district ride. In Swedish conditions (roughly 20 degrees, flat districts and driving through the city), our consumption even settled below the table limit, namely at some 18.5 kWh/100 km. But we really just cruised through the countryside and kept to strict speed limits. On “normal” roads, I was also pleased with the chassis, which, despite wearing twenty-one tires, successfully dampens most bumps and potholes, although in the Stockholm area you could probably count them on the fingers of one hand.
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The Kia EV6 GT is a versatile and extremely interesting piece of automobile. We know that electric motors can extract the parameters of super sports, but so far we have been used to such numbers from premium manufacturers. The “six” is no stranger to the racing track or sideways driving, but when all sporting ambitions are dampened, it becomes a comfortable family crossover. The last unknown of a successful electric car remains the price. We have to wait a little longer for this…
You know that…
…the battery has a capacity of 77.4 kWh and can be charged from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes.
…the GT version also has a Vehicle-To-Device system. You can thus power household appliances, such as a television or an air conditioning unit, from the car’s traction battery. In extreme cases, another electric car.
… although the development of the car was focused on use in normal traffic, the final tuning took place, for example, on the Nürburgring.
| Kia EV6 GT: Technical data | |
| GT 4×4 | |
| Max. front electric motor power [kW/min] | 160/4400-9000 |
| Max. power of the rear electric motor [kW/min] | 270/6800-9400 |
| Max. system performance [kW] | 430 |
| Torque [Nm] | 740 |
| Battery capacity [kWh] | 77,4 |
| Combined consumption [kWh/100 km] | 20,6 |
| Arrival [km] | 424 |
| Acceleration 0-100 km/h [s] | 3,5 |
| Maximal speed [km/h] | 260 |
| Standard tires | 225/40 R21 |
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