Kia EV6 GT to benefit from additional supply of electric crossover
The potent Kia EV6 GT already has people queuing to own it.
But there’s good news on the electric SUV that has had people fighting over getting hold of some of the limited numbers trickling into the country: Kia is about to get a whole lot more.
“We’re looking at about 2500 [EV6s] next year,” says Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith, while warning that early interest means anyone wanting to shell out on the performance hero of the EV6 lineup will still likely have to join a queue.
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“I think the demand [for the GT] will be probably 50 percent higher than what supply can be,” says Meredith.
“There will be more orders written than the amount of cars that come into the country.”
The EV6 GT is the pinnacle of the Kia electric car range.
At $99,590 before on-road costs it’s also the most expensive car to ever wear a Kia badge.
But there’s substance within.
The front electric motor makes 160kW and is shared with the GT-Line AWD, but the rear motor has larger windings and combines with the one up front to produce 430kW and 740Nm. There’s an emphasis on the rear wheels, with the back motor providing 270kW.
They’re serious numbers and provide the sort of thrust that promises to launch the EV6 GT to 100km/h in as little as 3.5 seconds.
It also has an electronically controlled drift mode that can apportion more drive to the rear wheels, in turn allowing the back end to slide, albeit with the stability control applying limits.
The rear differential also has an electronically controlled limited slip function, helping maximise traction when powering out of corners.
There’s also adjustable dampers that can be toggled between Comfort, Normal and GT modes, each getting stiffer for better body control.
The steering ratio is also sharper, requiring only 2.3 turns lock to lock (other EV6s take 2.67).
Local suspension tuning was designed to optimise the dynamic package to Australian conditions.
Dynamics engineer Graeme Gambold says that while the GT can hold its own on the race track it’s not heavily compromised with stiff suspension as a result.
“I like to say we’ve made a rally car out of it not a race car,” he says.
There’s also some styling hints of what lurks beneath. Neon green highlights are used on everything from the GT button on the steering wheel to the brake calipers.
The also gets a unique grille and sizeable 21-inch alloy wheels, as well as nicely cossetting bucket seats up front.
Additional equipment includes matrix LED lights, fake leather trim and heated back seats.
However the front seats have lost their ventilation function. And those up front will also be adjusting the seats manually.
As with other EV6s, the GT utilises an 800V electrical architecture. The 77.4kWh battery can accept an 11kW AC charge and about 230kW of DC charging, the latter able to provide almost 300km of range in about 18 minutes.
