Kia EV6 (2025-) Review

Introduction

The EV6 has been a big hit for Kia, opening up the electric executive car market to a brand that would never have dreamed of competing there 20 years ago. But like the electric vehicle market itself, Kia has grown up in recent times, and it’s now a much more compelling proposition than ever before.

To ensure the EV6 keeps pace, that too has undergone some useful updates, becoming a little more stylish and a little more useful, while still maintaining the same mixture of modernity, practicality and performance that made it so popular when it first arrived. Some light design tweaks are perhaps the most obvious upgrades, but will a slightly bigger battery and some of the latest technology ensure the five-door EV6 can continue to compete with its growing cohort of rivals?

At a Glance

Kia’s external changes to the EV6 are more about adjusting details than reinventing the wheel. So there are new lights with a jagged signature, and sporty GT-Line and GT-Line S models get fresh bumpers, but the basic shape is much the same as before. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, because it’s just as futuristic and cool as before.

Inside, meanwhile, there’s an updated interior with a new steering wheel design, while piano black surfaces have been replaced with a textured finish to reduce the number of finger marks left on the dash over time. The tech has been updated, too, leaving a crisp and modern touchscreen and digital instrument cluster combination, while GT-Line S models get phone-style fingerprint recognition.

Perhaps more importantly, the EV6 now gets a bigger battery than before, which means the 84kWh power pack that’s fitted to all models as standard can now go a little further on a single charge. Officially, the most efficient rear-wheel-drive examples will cover 361 miles on a charge, while even the least powerful model still produces an ample 228hp.

At the same time, Kia has also improved the suspension to make the car a bit more comfortable over bumps, and the upgrade has worked a treat. If we’re being hyper-critical, it has taken the edge off the handling, which is a pity, but ride comfort is more important most of the time, and the new EV6 does well in that area. It’s a particularly important upgrade given the Tesla Model 3 has made similar strides with its latest update.

All of which leaves the Kia EV6 feeling a little fresher and more impressive than before, without fundamentally changing its character. This is still a competent and dependable electric vehicle with an ample range and lots of style. It looks set to remain a popular choice with customers.

Key Features

A massive part of the new EV6’s appeal will undoubtedly be its new battery pack, which has improved range noticeably over the old model. The 84kWh power pack is around 10% bigger than that of the old car, and can be paired with either a single, rear-mounted motor or two motors, which give the car all-wheel drive. Opt for the former option and you get an official range of up to 361 miles, and though you might struggle to achieve that in the real world, particularly in winter, it does provide a very useful motorway range.

The EV6’s on-board technology is impressive, too, with the bank of screens across the dash and useful optional features such as cameras that show you what’s in the blind spot over your shoulder when you indicate. And the touchscreen is easy to use and navigate, with crisp graphics, logical menus and sharp responses to any pokes of the screen. It may not look quite as jazzy as some competitor systems, but it’s still easy to use on the road and hugely useful, which immediately puts it ahead of some rivals’ tech.

Range & Batteries

Every version of the new-look EV6 gets the same battery – an 84kWh pack that’s almost 10% larger than the battery in the old EV6. Maximum range naturally depends on which motor layout you pick, with rear-wheel-drive Air and GT-Line models managing up to 361 miles on a charge, whereas the all-wheel-drive GT-Line S version only covers 324 miles between trips to the plug. But with every variant offering an official range of more than 300 miles on a single charge, the EV6 is noticeably more efficient than before.

At least it is on paper. In the real world, during the depths of winter and on a long motorway drive, you’re probably looking at 200 miles of range from an all-wheel-drive GT-Line S, and a little more from the rear-wheel-drive Air. In the summer and on a greater mix of roads, though, you might manage the best part of 300 miles from a more efficient EV6 model.

That’s partly because all but the GT-Line S versions of the EV6 get a heat pump as standard, which scavenges waste heat from the car’s coolant system, allowing the battery to better remain in its optimal temperature range. It’s so effective that Kia says when the weather drops to -7 degrees Celsius, the EV6 can still manage 80% of the range possible at 25 degrees.

Performance & Drive

In essence, EV6 customers face a straight choice between two different motor options. You can go for the standard single-motor model, which sends 228hp to the Kia’s rear wheels, or you can choose the twin-motor, all-wheel-drive version with 324hp.

Naturally, the single-motor option is the best for efficiency, and you get a slightly longer electric range as a result, but the all-wheel-drive versions have more traction, as well as more power, and the performance is noticeably improved. Where the single-motor cars get from 0-62mph in a commendable 7.7 seconds, the twin-motor cars cut that to 5.3 seconds, which is mighty acceleration. Weirdly, the dual-motor cars have a higher top speed than their single-motor counterparts, but the 116mph top whack is only 1mph faster than that of the rear-wheel-drive cars.

And although the difference in straight-line speed is noticeable, the difference in range is, on paper at least, less pronounced, with the twin-motor cars only cutting the official range by 22 miles.

Whichever motor layout you pick, you get the same new suspension arrangement, designed to make the EV6 more comfortable without sacrificing handling prowess. The changes have worked to a point, in that the new-look EV6 is a little more comfortable than its predecessor, with a slightly less jagged edge to the ride over sharp imperfections. It still isn’t perfect at low speeds, where the weight of the car’s battery (it tips the scales at almost 500kg) seems to drag the car into potholes a bit, but it’s better than it was.

Unfortunately, that improvement has not done anything for the handling, and while the EV6 is still sportier than the Ioniq 5 with which it shares so much, the steering lacks feel and responsiveness, which leaves you feeling quite detached from the experience. Put simply, it doesn’t feel as though it wants to be thrown into corners any time soon.

Still, it’s easy enough to drive, especially with the adjustable regenerative braking that’s controlled using the paddles behind the wheel, and the body movements are reasonably well controlled, so it feels perfectly stable and secure on the road. And that’s as much as most people will ask of it.

Charging

With the new, bigger battery has come greater charging capability, and the old EV6’s maximum charge rate of 239kW has been usurped by the new model’s 258kWh maximum. It doesn’t sound like a huge increase, but it’s enough to keep the 10%-80% charging time below the 20-minute mark at maximum DC charge speeds. Over the course of 15 minutes of ultra-rapid charging, the EV6 can add up to 214 miles of official range to its battery pack. Charging from a domestic ‘wallbox’ home charging unit, however, will take quite a lot longer, although a full charge should be possible between coming home from work and leaving again the next morning.

Running Costs & Emissions

With electric being the only option for EV6 drivers, there’s no great sense in arguing about which model will cost the least to run. Arguably, the basic Air model with the single-motor, rear-wheel-drive layout makes the most sense, because it has the greatest range and will therefore need fewer charging stops, but the difference in ‘fuel’ costs is unlikely to be too noticeable. Whichever you pick, it’ll be cheaper than an equivalent petrol or diesel car.

Company car drivers will like all versions of the EV6, too, because they all qualify for the lowest company car tax bracket. However, it’s worth remembering that tax is calculated based on the P11D value of the car – essentially how much it costs new – and a more expensive car will incur very slightly more Benefit-in-Kind (BIK) tax.

Interior & Technology

Kia hasn’t made too many major changes to the EV6’s interior, so it’s still similarly futuristic, with the same floating centre console, rotary gear selector and the bank of touch-sensitive heater and ventilation controls. The touchscreen and digital instrument display have been updated slightly and now live in a slightly squarer housing, while the air vents now have stronger lines and a bit more presence in the design, but the spirit is unchanged.

Naturally, it’s the touchscreen and instrument cluster that dominate from their shared housing that covers about half the dashboard’s width. The housing is so big, in fact, that reaching the other side of the screen can be a bit of a stretch, but that’s nit-picking slightly. The Kia infotainment system is largely very good, and although switching off some of the more irritating safety tech is a bit of a chore, the EV6’s touchscreen is generally easy to navigate and quite intuitive. The instrument display is nice and sharp, too, and the blind spot cameras fitted to higher-specification examples are a useful addition to the system.

Less impressive, however, is the touch-sensitive heater controls, which, at the touch of a touch-sensitive icon, suddenly become audio controls. We can see what Kia was trying to do with the system, which is also found in other Kia products, but it’s unnecessarily confusing, and it can lead to unsuspecting occupants turning up the volume when they meant to turn up the temperature.

That said, we have to give Kia plenty of credit for the way the EV6 is built. Perhaps it can’t compete with the sturdiness of the BMW i4, but it’s a Kia, and it isn’t expected to. There are some slightly cheap-feeling materials in there, but not too many, and they’re all bolted together in a really solid way, which lends the car a semi-premium feel.

Practicality & Boot Space

The EV6’s boot space is a bit of a mixed bag, because the official capacity of 490 litres is a little underwhelming. It isn’t bad per se – it’s roughly on a par with the BMW i4 – but it’s hardly remarkable when a Tesla Model 3 offers almost 600 litres of cargo space across two cargo bays. And although the EV6 also has two ‘boots’ – the 490-litre one at the back and a 52-litre one at the front – their sizes are dependent on specification. Choose an all-wheel-drive version with the premium sound system, and those figures fall to 480 litres and 20 litres respectively.

But while cargo space is so-so, interior space is much more impressive. Front headroom is slightly limited by the fact you’re effectively perched on top of the battery, so you always feel as though you’re sitting quite high, but rear space is very generous. Legroom back there is enormous, and there’s plenty of headroom for all but the tallest passengers. Certainly, it’s much better back there than in the back of an i4.

Safety

Although Euro NCAP, the European independent safety organisation, has not yet tested the new-look EV6, its predecessor is structurally identical, and the score won’t change very much. Happily, that means the new model looks likely to inherit its predecessor’s impressive five-star rating, which included a highly commendable 90% score for adult occupant protection and 86% for child occupant protection. It’s a very strong showing for the South Korean electric vehicle.

Hopefully, customers will never have to put that crash-worthiness into practice, especially as the EV6 has so many safety gizmos to help you avoid accidents in the first place. Even the basic EV6 Air comes with forward collision avoidance technology, a reversing camera and parking sensors, as well as lane-keeping assistance and driver attention warning tech, not to mention the legally mandated speed limit warning technology. Move further up the range and useful blind-spot monitoring is included, too, as well as a head-up display and a system to warn you if you’re about to open the door when something is coming.

Options

The EV6 range essentially comprises three different models, plus the range-topping GT performance version. However, that’s a bit of a standalone product, so we’ll stick with the more mainstream models here.

Things kick off with the basic Air model, which is only available in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive form, but it comes with all the essentials. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel join two-zone climate control, a reversing camera and keyless start, as well as the digital instrument display and satellite navigation. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto tech are also thrown in, as well as automatic lights and wipers, 19-inch alloy wheels and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

Upgrading to the mid-range GT-Line version opens up the all-wheel-drive option, and adds sportier styling inside and out, artificial leather upholstery and wireless phone charging, as well as some extra safety tech and rear privacy glass. And the range-topping GT-Line S upgrades to 20-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof and a power-operated tailgate, as well as heated outer rear seats, ventilated front seats and a head-up display. It gets a Meridian sound system, too, and you can have a heat pump to help keep the battery in its optimum operating window.

Once you’ve chosen your version, options are limited, but Kia is offering a choice of different colours, albeit only a small one. Runway Red is the standard colour option – and arguably the most attractive – but customers can choose one of two grey colours (Interstellar Grey and Wolf Grey), or Midnight Black or Glacier White.

Rival Cars

The list of rivals the EV6 must face is constantly growing, with new mid-size electric saloons and hatchbacks joining the market on a seemingly daily basis. And because the EV6 blurs the lines between hatchbacks, saloons, SUVs and estates, it’s competitors are as varied as they are numerous.

At one end of the scale is the cheap-and-cheerful MG5 EV, which is a conventional estate that’s roomy and surprisingly well made, if not especially exciting, while at the other end of the scale is the BMW i4 fastback, with its premium feel, staggering handling and sporty image.

In between are cars such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which shares quite a lot of architecture with the EV6 but has a much more conventional hatchback shape. It’s bigger than it looks in pictures or from a distance, so it’s a practical thing, but it’s cool and futuristic, if a little softer on the road than the EV6.

Other notable rivals include the Tesla Model 3, which once had nothing to commend it except a stellar charging network and desirable branding. Now, though, the Tesla branding is perhaps more divisive than ever, but the car is vastly improved with the latest model offering vastly improved ride, handling and build quality. The tech is as impressive as ever, too, and save for a few quirky features, it finally feels like a proper rival to the EV6 and i4.

Verdict & Next Steps

The EV6 has always been a well-sorted and likeable five-door electric vehicle, and the updates do nothing to damage that reputation. Instead, a slightly larger battery and a moderately improved ride mean it’s a fractionally more compelling proposition than its predecessor. And as that was already one of our favourite electric cars, we remain fond of the new variant. Yes, the competition has improved dramatically since the EV6 was launched, but it’s still a great choice in this market.

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Kia EV6 SUV.

**Correct as of 03/03/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 36 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,180.15 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.