5 Things We Love About KIA’s Weaponised EV6 GT

John McMahon
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John McMahon

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Kia’s EV6 GT has enjoyed a superhero landing. The silent star of this year’s Australian Open was proceeded by the regular EV6 in 2022 and doubles down on the all-electric model line’s rapt reception with a naughtier, sexier, and more powerful GT variant.

Kia’s radically different design trajectory, foray into higher price points, and shift to electrification have all come down to this EV6 GT. It’s a brand renaissance unseen in the automotive industry in recent years.

After a brief stint at the racetrack earlier this year and a week in the Boss Hunting garage, we’ve concluded there are five exceptional standouts of the EV6 GT that deserve your attention. And remember, we’re talking about a Kia here.

A radical design

Kia has dramatically reshaped its silhouette in recent years. Incredibly, from the Sorrento to the Seltos, and now this EV6, the brand’s making cars that are surprisingly seductive to look at. But in my opinion, the design of the EV6 GT is particularly appealing – and that’s because it’s not quite an SUV, but not exactly a four-door sedan either.

A striking space grey paint helps too, to borrow an adjective from Apple. It’s less of a traditional matte finish (which can sometimes be executed quite poorly), but rather a subtly muted sheen. Regardless, it has to be one of the most impressive I’ve seen on a car in recent years.

The GT’s more chiselled nose, laser-sharp headlights and discreet blacked-out air intakes lend the EV6 a more poised, panther-like aesthetic up the front. This entire forward package is finished with the new KIA logo cleanly stamped in the centre of the bonnet, made from a single piece of forged aluminium. I personally find these minimal but profound touch points are where the EV6 begins to noticeably punch above its weight. Finishing at the back end, the GT’s rear taillight, while beautifully designed in itself, accentuates a more voluptuous rear end than I personally would have liked.

That being said, its road presence is unrivalled in the EV space. You can’t help but think the EV6 GT should still be a prototype in the back corner of Tony Stark’s workshop, a lean, mean, futuristic machine that’s at least five years off 2023.

Inside the cabin, everything about the GT feels fast. In every sense of the word. The tactility is premium – with the right balance of displays and buttons – the steering is tight enough to feel in control at speed without trying too hard (or catch less seasoned drivers off-guard), and the sporty bucket seats are firm but not overly so, perhaps hesitant to dissuade newcomers to the usual back-breaking ergonomics of performance driving.

GT Mode

This is what we’re all here for. The EV6’s GT mode is triggered by a Fast & Furious ‘nos-style’ button that your childhood self could only dream of. When the little neon green trigger on the steering wheel is called upon, a total of 430kW of power (160kW at the front and 270kW at the rear) is unleashed at its full potential, all at once.

Simultaneously, an instant 740Nm of torque throws your head back into the seat and the GT launches forward with a ferocity that is no less impressive in silence. It’ll get you out of whatever sticky situation you might find yourself in and is particularly handy if you need to execute a rapid overtake. It’s so lightning-fast that your brain won’t even realise what’s happening.

The age-old question here rears its head once more. Do you need a 3.5-second zero to one hundred time underfoot? Especially in a Kia?

Definitely not. Nor do you need ‘drift mode’, which the EV6 GT also has in its repertoire. But I’ve quickly realised during my time with the EV6 and its suped-up sibling that it’s less about why, and more about why not.

It doesn’t drive like an electric car

Despite all the talk about GT mode, the EV6 GT configured in a standard cruising setup is probably the most natural driving experience I’ve had yet in an electric car. 

And what do I mean by natural? First and foremost, you forget you’re in an electric car fairly soon after commencing your inaugural drive. Silence aside, the torque curve is linear, much like a regular internal combustion car, rather than neck-snappingly tedious. I’ve driven plenty of electric cars that struggle to achieve a nice balance between the excitement of new power underfoot, and forcing their customers to schedule chiropractor appointments weekly.

Surprisingly, the GT feels just like a regular EV6 with a cheeky, blisteringly fast card up its sleeve. At no point does it feel like the GT’s next-level capabilities overpower the daily drive.

The natural creep forward when lifting off the accelerator also allows for a smooth transition from stationary to moving, without inducing a jolting throttle input. The response of the accelerator obviously increases as you cycle through the modes, but even in its most docile setting it still delivers a complete and enjoyable driving experience. 

Generous cabin space

As with most all-wheel-drive electric vehicles, the lack of a driveshaft and the unique position of the motors directly over the front and rear axles mean that despite the EV6 GT’s modest size (4.7-metres in length and with a 2.9-metre wheelbase), you’re never short on room. 

This argument applies in both a comfort and practical sense.  Under the centre console there’s enough space for a large handbag or two, and despite a 6 foot 5 guy like myself in the driver’s seat, the back row has above-average leg space to go around. Far more than a regular internal combustion engine car of a similar size.

Price-to-performance ratio

If Kia’s new brand philosophy is to compete in the big leagues when it comes to performance, then it absolutely must carve its own sweet spot in regard to pricing. This comes to my final talking point – that its $99,590 price tag is not only justified, but it’s wildly compelling.

Take the electric Porsche Taycan 4S, for example. It doesn’t even come close to the GT’s 3.5-second dash to 100 km/h, and it really doesn’t offer much extra in the realms of tech, luxury and utility. I’ve spent plenty of time in both cars over the past year.

You could even take the argument further with the Taycan Turbo. The niceties aren’t too different to the 4S, and yet on a performance scale it only just pips the Kia by a mere 0.3 seconds. Yet the latter Porsche’s MSRP is nearly three-fold of that of the EV6 GT.

And before purists rally behind the legacy of not just Porsche, but all of the dominant European automakers, I say, if for nothing but pricepoint alone, the EV6 GT deserves a spot at the same table. It’s only when you see the car in the metal, you consider the electric vehicle landscape we have today, and you think towards the future, does a $100,000 all-electric performance Kia start to make perfect sense.

This article is sponsored by KIA. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Boss Hunting.

John McMahon
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John McMahon is a founding member of the Boss Hunting team who honed his craft by managing content across website and social. Now, he's the publication's General Manager and specialises in bringing brands to life on the platform.

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