I ordered a new Kia EV6 GT in May 2022 and have been waiting patiently for it to arrive. Thanks to Kia Australia, I’ve had the opportunity to test drive the twin to my car for the last week, even down to colour.
So my impressions of the KIA EV6 GT is more important than any other car I’ve tested recently. Will I still be happy to own one?
What Kia Has to Say
In pursuit of excellence.
Introducing the Kia EV6, the culmination of Kia’s most advanced automotive expertise realised into a single, modern electric crossover SUV.
From its bold distinctive exterior, innovative interior design and its cutting-edge technologies, let yourself be inspired by every journey.
The ultimate performance EV
The pinnacle of Kia’s engineering expertise. Accelerating 0-100km/h in 3.5 seconds. 430kW of power coursing through its dual electric motors.
Meet the Kia EV6 GT. The most powerful Kia ever crafted.
KIA EV6 Pricing
Kia EV6 starts out with the AIR model at $76,768 drive away (in Qld) and tops out at $111,501 for the GT. Runway Red is the no cost colour but metallic paint is $531 extra. In the GT model, Matte paint (Moonscape) is an extra $3295, taking the Kia EV6 GT to $114,967 drive away
Kia EV6 on the Road
What a magnificent car. Power, a pleasure to drive, but only 1 aspect that I don’t really like. And that’s the ‘sporty’ ride suspension wise. Other ‘sports cars’ allow you to soften the suspension sufficiently for round town use. Perhaps the ‘Australianization’ of the suspension has caused this – but it’s only a small think in an overall great car
The front seats are brilliant – hugging the driver and front passenger when you’re throwing it around. The infotainment system is top shelf and the sound system is more than adequate for my ears.
Engine/Transmission
With two Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors motors in this AWD, maximum power output is 430kW, maximum Torque is 740Nm and it has top speed of 260 kph. It’s the type of propulsion system that throws you back in the seat and will probably make your face look wrinkly at top speed. 0-100kph is said to take only 3.5 seconds, but I don’t really think that I’ll see that type of time personally.
There’s oodles of room in the back seat and sufficient space in the boot once you remove the tyre kit and other Kia bags
And yes believe it or not, you can tow with the Kia EV6. Without electric brakes, the EV6 manages 750kg and with achieves a quite reasonable 1800kg. Only downside is a tow ball download weigh of only 100kg
Kia Safety
Apart from a couple of items that I think should be standard in any car costing over $100,000, arguably the Kia EV6 range has plenty of safety tech, both active and passive. If you’d like to check out the specificaitons, here’s the link to the EV6 on the Kia Website. If you don’t, then I’ve included this extensive list.
Active Safety
- ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System) with EBD7 & BA8
- ESC (Electronic Stability Control) with TCS9
- HAC (Hill-Start Assist Control)
- MCB (Multi-Collision Braking)
- AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) –
- Car, Pedestrian, Cyclist & Junction Turning
- LKA (Lane Keeping Assist)
- LFA (Lane Following Assist)
- BCW (Blind Spot Collision Warning) with RCCW
- (Rear Cross Traffic Collision Warning)
- BCA (Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist) with RCCA
- (Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance)
- SEW (Safe Exit Warning)
- SEA (Safe Exit Assist)
- PCA (Parking Collision Avoidance Assist – Reverse)
- DAA+ (Driver Attention Alert) with Lead Vehicle Departure Alert
- ISLA (Intelligent Speed Limit Assist)
- Haptic Steering Wheel Feedback
- Parking Sensors with Dash Display (Front + Rear)
- Rear View Camera with Dynamic Parking Guidelines
- SVM (Surround View Monitor) with 3D Mode
- BVM (Blind Spot View Monitor)
- Electrochromic Rear View Mirror (Auto Dimming)
- ROA (Rear Occupant Alert) – Door History Type
- HBA (High Beam Assist)
- Dusk-Sensing Automatic Head Lights
- Front Wiper & Washer (Low/High and 5-Speed Intermittent)
- Rain Sensing Wipers
- Door Open Warning on Driver Display
- Seatbelt Warning Chime & Indicator Light (All Positions)
- Speed Sensing Auto Door Locks
- Remote Window Control (Front)
- Child Restraint Anchorage Points
- (3 x Top Tether Anchors + 2 x ISOFIX Positions)
- Powered Child-Proof Rear Door Locks
- Passive Safety
- Driver & Front Passenger SRS Airbags
- Front Side SRS Airbags
- Curtain SRS Airbags
- 3-Point ELR Seatbelts (All Positions)
- Front Seatbelt Pre-Tensioners with Load Limiters
- Security Air GT-Line GT
- Burglar Alarm
- Anti-Theft Immobiliser
- Remote Central Locking with Boot Release
Kia Factory Warranty and Service Plans
When you purchase your Kia EV, you have the opportunity to purchase the scheduled services in advance through the Kia Service Plan program. You can purchase 3 years, 5 Years or 7 Years of servicing at the time of the vehicle purchase & control your future spending by paying for all your services in advance. 3 Year – $733, 5 Year – $1,371, 7 Year – $2,013
Kia was once of the first car companies to offer a 7 year unlimited kilometre warranty on their new cars and the EV6 gets that. The Kia EV6 gets a replacement battery warranty of 7 years or 150,000 klm’s.
Comprehensive Car Insurance – Comparisons
The first company I go to for a quote is typically RACQ, but I also use Allianz for a comparison, just to be sure. For my EV6 GT, I asked my Elders agent for a quote and suprisingly, they came in with the best offer. Suncorp was the most expensive by far
The strongest advice I can give you is to never buy or renew with your historical company without price checking. You should get at least 2 quotes to ensure that you’ve got the best deal from a reputable company
| Elders | RACQ | Suncorp | Allianz | |
| Kia EV6 GT | $793.62 | $1023 | $1465 | $826.48 |
Summary
When I was in primary school, teachers issued reports to show my parents and me what I’d achieved during the school year. I really liked the simplicty of the system, so thought I’d share my thoughts on the good and not so good of the test vehicle
| Well Done | Could Have Done Better |
| Unbelievable power and torque- 435kw / 740Nm | No Wireless Apple Car Play/Android Auto – Poor Form Kia |
| Sports seats are great – comfortable and hugging | Has seat warmers, but no cooling. |
| And what a good look! | No electric Seats. Really? |
So, my overall opinion? Did the car match the hype when I ordered it? Given that I could have cancelled the order with the dealer, I didn’t. I’m very happy witth what the Kia EV6 GT has to offer annd I’ll publish an update in 4-6 months time.
NOTE – One of the better and arguably unbiased reviews you’ll see is from Paul Maric of carexpert.com.au. I like to use his reviews to allow you to see how a car performs rather than just still pictures. So thanks to Paul for his review of the Kia EV6 GT
-Advertisement-
Hello. I’m Bob Aldons, the owner and editor of The Car Guy. The Car Guy is an independently owned car review website. I’m currently
reviewing cars for Mazda, Nissan, Kia, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Haval, MG, Hyundai, Genesis, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Polestar and GWM.
I’m not paid by any car company for my opinion and my companies don’t receive advertising revenue to say nice things about them. I call it as I see
it. However, I also own a new car broker company – Car Business. Being able to review new cars gives me an opportunity to provide accurate information on these brands. If you’re in the market for Any New Car Cheaper, contact me at Car Business and see how I go about saving you some serious money.
Perhaps you think that you can do the job of buying a new car yourself? If you’re after any advice at all, give me a call and ask me any question that you need to be answered. Best to get me on 0418 748 498 or email to [email protected]
If you’re an Aussie Veteran or serving in the military, I take particular pride in taking care of you. For every car that I source and deliver, I donate
part of my fee to Mates4Mates.
Recently Reviewed – Top 10 Car Resources in Australia
The Car Guy Images
My favourite location for my pictures is at Brighton Park near to the bridges that cross from Brisbane (Brighton) to Redcliffe (Clontarf).
The Houghton Highway, Ted Smout Bridge and what’s left of the Hornibrook Highway are generally included. For the information of those not well versed about Redcliffe, the Hornibrook Highway was constructed from 1932 and opened in 1935. All that remains are the entrance and exit of the bridge – the tollhouses. At the time of completion the Hornibrook Viaduct (as it was called then) was the longest road viaduct, built over water in the Southern Hemisphere. The deck was constructed of ironbark timber sourced from the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
2.5 Million Superfeet of wood were transported down the North Pine and Pine Rivers during contruction.
I’m pleased to say that I was able to salvage some bridge timber from the Hornibrook Highway when it was demolished. I had built the desk and coffee table that I use today. A great memory of a heritage listed infrastructure project thats nearly 100 years old
