Kia unveiled the muscle version of its already powerful EV6 electric car on Friday during Monterey Car Week, the largest auto show in the United States.
The EV6 was already available with 320 horsepower in the GT-Line AWD, but the new GT offers much more: 577 horsepower, with a zero-to-60 time of 3.4 seconds (compared to 4.5 in the current EV6 plus rapid).
The price will be announced later, but the GT-Line AWD 2022 is $ 56,400. The GT is expected to be available in showrooms during the fourth quarter of 2022. “The EV6 is an important car for Kia and from a design standpoint it has opened up some possibilities,” says Karim Habib, Kia Senior Vice President and Director of the Korea-based Kia Design Center. “With the GT we are improving and modifying the base model.
There’s some history with that approach to Kia, including the Stinger GT, which also has GT-Line options, as well as 368-horsepower twin-turbo GT versions. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 share a basic architecture, but they are quite different in style. “For Kia, we really try to maintain a consistent brand experience as we grow and evolve,” says Habib. “And electric vehicles are now at the heart of what we do.”
Dimensionally and visually, the GT is similar to upmarket GT-Line models. The GT has larger 21-inch alloy wheels with neon yellow brake calipers, a special steering wheel with a button to select the new GT Drive Mode, and suede-faced racing-type seats. The bumpers sport minor changes, and a rear aero spoiler has been added. “The changes are very subtle,” Habib says.
“For a brand like ours, we wanted to do performance that isn’t overly aggressive, but is about the elevated driving experience. The car doesn’t have to scream, we just want to convey a sense of fun. ”The GT badge on the rear is also inconspicuous. The EV6 can reach 161mph and includes a feature that car lovers love: drift mode. There’s more power than the base 2022 Corvette (which has 460), though the Vette reaches 60 mph four-tenths of a second faster.
However, the EV6 GT will launch a 2022 Maserati Ghibli; it takes four seconds to reach 60. And an outside tester found that the EV6 GT accelerates a Ferrari Roma and a Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder RWD.
This is a great example of why automakers around the world are switching to electric vehicles for their iconic “beefy” cars. The EV6 GT has a 214 horsepower front engine and a 362 horsepower rear unit. Pressing the GT Drive button sends more power to the rear wheels and engages drift mode, allowing the driver to perform controlled drift through oversteer and boost the tires. Adaptive suspension and stiffer springs are standard.
The car can be fast-charged at up to 240 kilowatts. Add a DC fast charger, the EV6 GT (with a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery) can go from 10% to 80% full in less than 18 minutes.
Other EV6 models have up to 310-mile range. Why would Kia unveil a new model in Monterey, during a week of classic car events? “It makes sense because it’s an event that brings together car enthusiasts—supercar guys, muscle car guys, race car guys, all celebrating the fun and joy of driving,” Habib says. “We didn’t have a big ticket to that world, but now we have it with the EV6 GT.”
A really cool feature of the GT is the integrated charge control unit, which allows for the transfer of power from the vehicle to the load. It can provide 3.6 kilowatts of power, enough to run a 55-inch TV and air conditioner together for up to 24 hours. And it can also be used to charge another electric vehicle, for example the car next to you in the garage.
Buyers also receive 1,000 kilowatt hours of free recharge at Electrify America stations. The sister brand Hyundai will not be excluded from the high performance draw and will soon launch the mighty Ioniq 5N. The one, with performance likely similar to the Kia GT, will hit dealerships later this year or early 2023.
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