We spent a day in California wine country behind the wheel of the all-new 2022 Kia EV6, the first vehicle on the company’s all-new global battery-electric platform.
We could be reaching the tipping point for battery-electric vehicles. Demand doubled in 2021 and is expected to grow even more rapidly as the number of long-range models coming to U.S. showrooms more than triples.
Kia’s new EV6 is definitely one to keep your eye on. It boasts great looks, impressive performance, and solid range. But it also adds a “vehicle-to-load” function that allows motorists to draw power from its battery pack, whether at work or a campsite — or simply to keep appliances powered up during a blackout.
The Kia EV6 made a splashy debut last May in New York’s Times Square, though we had to wait a while before the Korean carmaker finally had a production-ready model for us to test. To get a feel for what the electric SUV has to offer, we headed out for a long day’s drive through Napa and Sonoma wine country, north of San Francisco.
Kia isn’t a newbie to the market for battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), having launched a BEV version of the quirky Soul back in 2014. But the EV6 is its first offering based on the e-GMP “architecture,” a dedicated, skateboard-like platform shared with its Korean siblings Hyundai and Genesis.
Eventually, it will underpin an array of new, all-electric models. And if the 2022 EV6 is any indication of what’s to follow, Kia is on track to give BEV market leader Tesla a serious run for the money.
Kia: A Brand in Transition
Kia is a brand in transition. Once known for building basic econoboxes, it is quickly shifting its image with more sporty and stylish models like the Stinger coupe and Telluride SUV — the latter model named North American Utility Vehicle of the Year for 2020.
The EV6 takes things to a new level, especially when it comes to styling. Trying to define the new model isn’t easy. Ask the folks at Kia and they’ll describe it as a blend of SUV, sports coupe, and even a station wagon.
It sits low and wide, with a sleek shape heavily influenced by the wind tunnel. Up front, cat’s eye LED lighting frames a new take on the now-familiar Kia “tiger nose” grille.
EV6: Room for Your Gear and Your Friends
A Wealth of Technologies
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Kia EV6 Range
Kia EV6 Review
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