All-new dedicated electric SUV priced from under $70,000, but stock will be limited
The all-new Kia EV6 electric crossover will be priced from $67,990 plus on-road costs when it launches in Australia in February, undercutting its award-winning cousin, the Hyundai IONIQ 5, by almost $4000.
The sleek and silent battery-powered large SUV, as it will be officially classified by VFACTS, also gets a locally-tuned suspension package that was calibrated for Aussie conditions – something the Hyundai missed out on.
But like its Korean cousin, which sold out within two hours of its online release, stocks of the Kia EV6 will almost certainly be spoken for by the time the first vehicles touch down on Aussie terra firma.
Kia Australia has received 25,000 expressions of interest for its first dedicated EV and its dealers have already taken 1800 orders, but only 500 vehicles have been allocated for Australia initially due to global demand, the global semi-conductor shortage and the lack of emissions regulations and EV incentives locally.
Kia says it hopes to gain access to another 100 vehicles soon.
Despite the high demand, Kia has chosen not to go down the online or lottery sales path with its high-tech electric flag-bearer, and instead says every Kia dealer in Australia will be allocated at least one vehicle.
Leveraging much of the tech and engineering seen on the Hyundai IONIQ 5, the 2021 carsales Car of the Year, the Kia EV6 will be offered in two trim levels.
The entry-level Air ($67,990) and top-spec GT Line ($74,990) are both offered in single-motor (168kW/350Nm) rear-wheel drive format, with claimed 0-100km/h acceleration in 7.3 seconds.
The Air is the endurance hero, with a 528km range, while the GT Line is claimed to travel 504km between recharges – due in part to its larger 20-inch wheels/tyres instead of the Air’s 19-inch package.
There is also a more potent twin-motor (239kW/605Nm) option available for the GT Line, which accelerates to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds. But the scorching Kia EV6 GT (430kW/740Nm), which blows them all away with a 0-100km/h claim of just 3.5 seconds, isn’t yet available to Australians.
Kia previously stated the EV6 GT will arrive locally from 2023 and could be priced above $100,000. Nevertheless, customers are already placing deposits for the tyre-shredding Kia in an attempt to be first in line.
Taking advantage of a future-proofed 400V/800V fast-charging electrical system, Kia claims it takes just 18 minutes to charge the EV6 from 10 to 80 per cent with a 350kW fast-charger.
All models are fitted with a 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which is slightly denser than the 72.6kWh battery in the IONIQ 5, although a 58kWh battery has been homologated for Australia but is “not offered at this time”, according to Kia Australia product planning boss Roland Rivero.
Australian-delivered Kia EV6 Air vehicles are fitted as standard with LED lights front and rear and welcome lights on approach, plus 19-inch alloy wheels, solar glass, a smart key with push-button start, wireless phone charging, five USB ports, twin 12.3-inch screens up front, satellite navigation and capacitive-touch infotainment and dual-zone climate controls.
The Kia EV6 Air also features plenty of recycled materials, including the cloth and leather-like seat upholstery, plus a high level of advanced safety features.
Kia expects the EV6 to attract a maximum five-star rating from independent safety authority ANCAP by mid-year.
Standard safety equipment across the range will include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with Junction Turning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, lane keep assist with lane following assist, front/rear parking sensors and safe exit assist.
Kia EV6 GT Line models get more standard equipment including bigger 20-inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, 64-colour interior mood lighting, augmented reality head-up display, remote parking assistant (except in WA), 3D surround view monitor, blind spot monitor and a fancy 14-speaker Meridian sound system – a first for Kia.
The GT Line also adds premium relaxation seats with heating and cooling functions, plus a smart tailgate.
Seven exterior paint colours will be available but the only standard solid hue is Runway Red, with mica metallic, pearl metallic and matte (Moonscape grey) all costing extra.
Service intervals and pricing are still being nailed down, but the EV6 will be covered by Kia’s standard seven-year/unlimited-km factory warranty, although its seven-year (150,000km) battery warranty is a year shorter than most of its EV competitors.
Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith said demand for the EV6 was intense, adding that around 80 per cent of customers will choose the more expensive GT Line spec initially and the all-new EV will be the first Kia for around half of all buyers.
“We could sell 3000 [EV6s] per year if supply wasn’t an issue,” said Meredith, who went on to lament the lack of a national EV strategy in Australia.
The Kia EV6 is the Korean brand’s second EV after the slightly more affordable Kia Niro EV ($62,590) launched in late 2021, but it is Kia’s first purpose-built electric vehicle.
And it won’t be the last, with several new Kia electric cars coming to Australia including the EV6’s larger SUV sibling, the Kia EV9, which is bigger than the Toyota LandCruiser.
“We live in very, very interesting times. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when EVs will dominate the [new vehicle] landscape. I think the next five years is going to be incredibly exciting,” said the Kia Australia COO.
Check out our previous coverage of the EV6 including a local walkaround video and our first review from Europe, and stay tuned for our first Australian drive in February.
Keyword: Kia EV6 pricing and specs confirmed