Even though the Kia EV6 made its global debut two months ago now, Kia kept its U.S. debut separate. That changed Tuesday night, with a live presentation in Times Square to debut Kia’s new EV to U.S. buyers.
There are no real changes to the EV6 from the global version. The EV6 will be the first of 11 EV models that Kia plans to have on roads by 2026. It rides on the same Electric-Global Modular Platform that’s shared with the Hyundai Ionic 5.
Two battery sizes and four different horsepower ratings are spread across the EV6 lineup. From Kia:
- RWD: 58.0 kWh battery with a 160kW rear motor yields 167 horsepower
- RWD: 77.4 kWh battery with a 160kW rear motor yields 218 horsepower
- AWD: 77.4 kWh battery with a 70kW front motor and a 160kW rear motor yields 313 horsepower
- Estimated zero-to-60 performance in 5.1 seconds
- AWD: 77.4 kWh battery with a 160kW front motor and a 270kW rear motor yields 576 horsepower (GT)
Kia says the 77.4 kWh battery allows the EV6 to go up to 300 miles, but hasn’t talked about anything else regarding the vehicle’s range. Kia is also touting its V2L or vehicle-to-load function that allows the EV6 to act as a generator and power other devices. In its presentation, Kia showed the EV6 powering a movie projector and a popcorn maker at a campsite.
No word on pricing, but Kia is following in the annoying footsteps of other automakers who want to capitalize on those buyers that just have to have the first of something. For those people, Kia will be opening up EV6 ordering on June 3 for the EV6 First Edition. Only 1,500 units of this so called “special edition” will be made. What makes it so special? It gets things like special paint colors, unique 20-inch wheels, an augmented reality HUD, and pano roof. These models will also come with the dual-motor AWD setup and 77.4 kWh battery. EV6 goes on sale early next year with the 576 hp GT model coming late in 2022.
