The electric vehicle market is seeing a boom with several new cars entering the market. German carmaker BMW recently launched the i4, priced at Rs 69.90 lakh, ex-showroom which has a range of 590 km. The two Korean carmakers, Kia and Hyundai are also planning new EV launches with Kia bringing the EV6 to India on June 2nd, while Hyundai will bring the Ioniq 5 later on.
The Kia EV6, although based on the same platform as the Ioniq 5, features a more sporty stance, following Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy. The EV6 will be brought to India as a CBU, as this is the quickest way to bring the vehicle here. However there is a catch — taxes and duties could hike the price, putting it dangerously close to the BMW i4.
Only 100 units are allocated to India due to the ongoing chip crisis, as Kia is looking to maximise its profits by allocating the vehicle to mature markets globally. The EV6 is sold in three trims in the US – Light, Wind, and GT-Line – while the UK gets Air and GT-Line trims, which are further divided into RWD and AWD variants. It also gets two battery options: a 58 kWh unit and a larger 77.4 kWh, and Kia is bringing the latter to India.
Let’s take a more detailed look at what the EV6 has to offer in terms of features and technology when launched in India.
Also Read: Kia EV6 First Drive Review
12.3-inch curved displays
The infotainment system and instrument cluster take centre stage, as both are 12.3-inch curved displays. The instrument cluster shows all the vitals such as speed, battery charge, range, etc, while the intuitive infotainment system offers smartphone connectivity, navigation, and a host of other functions.
The HVAC controls also double up as volume controls. Speaking about volume, the EV6 gets a 14-speaker Meridian system that connects to your smartphone via a cable.
Augmented Head-Up Display
The augmented Head-Up Display (HUD) can be slightly customised and offers the driver all the crucial information needed, such as speed, navigation, lane-related information, front vehicle indicator, and vehicle departure alert. This also doubles up as a safety feature because it keeps the driver’s eyes on the road to get the necessary information.
Active safety systems
On the safety front, the EV6 gets 8 airbags, including two between the seats, ABS, EBD, traction control, and forward-collision control that uses radar to detect pedestrians and cyclists and apply brakes automatically, along with ISOFIX seat anchors, blind-spot warning, and 360-degree cameras.
Braking modes
Braking can be done in two ways, using the brakes, or by opting for the one-pedal driving mode, which slows down the car when you release the accelerator pedal. The EV6 can also use motor braking along with regular braking to bring the car to a halt efficiently, while the driver can choose between various regeneration modes.
The Kia gets an automatic mode as well, which varies the regen process depending on the driving style. To top it off, Kia offers two braking modes with the EV6 as well: Normal and Sport, the latter offering more bite.
Also Read: BMW i4 Features, Specifications, and Range
Battery and motor
As mentioned earlier, the Kia EV6 is offered with two battery options and India gets the 77.4 kWh variant. The rear-wheel-drive variant makes 229 hp and 350 Nm of peak torque with a single motor, while the all-wheel-drive version makes 325 hp and 605 Nm of torque with two motors. Kia claims a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 5.2 seconds and a range of 510 km.
With the EV6, there is also an option to power external devices such as camping equipment and charge smaller EVs. Kia says that the EV6 can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes with a 350 kW DC fast charger, and when using a 50 kW charger, it takes 73 minutes. In the meanwhile, one can use the Relaxation Seat function to lay the seats flat and take a quick nap.
The five features highlighted above are fascinating, given the important role technology is playing in modern cars. This begs the question — how much does the Kia EV6 cost. Prices will be unveiled soon, but we can expect it to be around the Rs 60 lakh mark.
Since only 100 units are allocated for India, it can be a testing stage for Kia to understand the premium EV market in India, and if needed, bring the lower-spec RWD trims once the chip shortage and logistics crisis wear down.