Electrifying: Kia EV6 is near-perfect blend of function and design
Why the new Kia EV6 goes straight to the top of our list as one of the easiest electric cars to live with
![Kia EV6](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/L7TCWjHApkb5ijKr8Wyu9V-415-80.jpg)
The Kia EV6 arrives festooned with glory, held up as one of the very best EVs on the market. Just like its sister car, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, with which it shares its platform, it represents that relatively rare thing: a mainstream manufacturer stepping right out of its aesthetic comfort zone to make the most of new technology.
We’ve heralded the Hyundai/Kia design renaissance many times, but the EV6 is a chance to experience it in the flesh. The EV6 has been born free of the expectations that come with following established niches like sedans, wagons, hatchbacks, and SUVs. Instead, it comes as a ‘crossover’, a sort of middle ground between all car body types that allows for the best of all worlds without committing to one particular form.
At around 4.7m long, it’s not the largest vehicle on the road, but it fills its entire footprint and therefore feels a bit larger than it actually is.
Crossovers work especially well for EVs thanks to the lack of packaging restrictions; the ‘skateboard’-style battery and motor pack is effectively a blank slate upon which any body style can be added.
The long wheelbase and flat floor contribute to the car’s spacious, airy interior, yet Kia’s design team have managed to treat the exterior with a rarely found panache. In stark contrast to the sharp edges and creases of the Ioniq 5, the EV6 is a much more fluid design.
The front end is particularly accomplished, making the transition to a grille-free face that doesn’t look like a blanked-off version of a regular car, with a short, curvaceous bonnet leading to the passenger compartment. At the rear, the bodywork rises up to create a pinch point at the C-pillar, with the chrome detail at sill level swooping up before it hits the rear wheel and seamlessly integrated with the full-width rear light band. This in turn forms the ridge of the integral rear spoiler.
The overall effect is neat and considered, making the entire car a coherent, uncompromised design.
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
The EV6’s dashboard successfully combines avant-garde forms and straightforward functionalism. Mixing touchscreens with analogue controls is a now-familiar approach for many manufacturers, with steering wheel buttons doing much of the work without the driver’s having to lean over to reach the screen. A head-up display with augmented reality navigation arrows completes the package, giving the EV6 the same basic capabilities as the Mercedes EQS, a car that is firmly placed in the luxury segment.
The EV6 is futuristic, but not far-fetched. A big rotary controller selects the gear, just like in many conventional automatics, and beyond the hushed rush of the electric powertrain, there’s nothing here to frighten off the dwindling number of electrophobes.
Kia’s EV6 is a very complete package, but it’s the small details that make the biggest difference. One of these is the very accurate range display. Plenty of EVs don’t help their cause by offering over-optimistic predictions of how far you can travel on a single charge. Kia claims the most efficient EV6 model will do around 328 miles, and it’s fully compatible with the fastest charging systems. Anxiety still precludes us from pushing this to the limit, but it was gratifying to see the car be innately pessimistic, with miles stubbornly refusing to tick away.
As with all electric vehicles, less is more, so switching off things like cabin heating and cooling can make a big difference. The EV6 lets you kill the heat with a single button, instantly offering a jump in available range. It also has adaptable levels of regenerative braking, allowing for easy one-pedal driving and the never-ending satisfaction of seeing your kinetic energy converted back into range. The EV6 is one of the most cohesive cars on the market, inside and out.
Recently awarded the European Car of the Year award, as well as the ‘Best of the Best’ prize in the 2022 Red Dot Design Awards, the Kia EV6 goes straight to the top of our list as one of the easiest electric cars to live with. If you still feel that EV ownership needs to come with a massive performance bonus, then a high-performance 585bhp GT variant is in the works.
INFORMATION
Kia EV6, from £40,945, EV6 77.4kWh ‘GT-Line S’ AWD, from £52,845
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Cadillac SOLLEI Concept journeys on to the higher reaches of the auto market
Cadillac describes its all-electric four-seater convertible concept as an ‘ode to the sun’ as it moves even further upmarket
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Hongqi’s Giles Taylor on the Chinese car maker's imminent arrival in the UK
Hongqi makes China's state limousines. By 2026, it'll have a pair of premium EVs on UK roads. Giles Taylor, its VP of design, tells us about its design approach, and ambition in Europe
By Aysar Ghassan Published
-
We sample the world’s first all-electric DeLorean, a stainless steel marvel for the modern age
Electrogenic brings its brilliance with batteries and motors to bear on the iconic DeLorean DMC-12, giving this classic design the futuristic feel it deserves
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The pure electric Lotus Emeya GT looks and drives like a modern Lotus should
Lotus finds its groove with the elegant Emeya, a true 21st-century grand tourer
By Guy Bird Published
-
Paolo Dellachà, CEO of Automobili Pininfarina, takes us through the hypercar company’s plans
Automobili Pininfarina produces a select portfolio of one-of-a-kind hypercars. Next up, a ‘Luxury Utility Vehicle’. CEO Paolo Dellachà takes us into the future
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The Hispano Suiza Carmen Sagrera is an esoteric Spanish hypercar
The reborn Spanish car brand continues to forge a unique path with the striking all-electric Carmen Sagrera, a celebration of 120 years of the Hispano Suiza name
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A unique electric Maserati marks a long-standing partnership with a legendary winery
The Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Tignanello Edition is a one-off celebration of Maserati’s bespoke division and the half century of Tignanello
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Croatian start-up Verne wants its svelte robo-cabs to reshape urban travel
Can the creators of Rimac’s electric hypercar transform urban mobility with Verne, their new autonomous start-up?
By Jonathan Bell Published