Kia has debuted its up to date EV6 with a number of updates together with a much bigger battery, a NACS charging port, and a faux gear shifter for the GT mannequin. Higher but, the mannequin will now be produced in Kia’s plant in Georgia, providing simpler entry to US tax credit.
This morning on the LA Auto Present, Kia is introducing some huge updates to its widespread EV6 mannequin.
The EV6 was the primary of Kia’s automobiles launched on the E-GMP platform, which it shares with Hyundai. E-GMP automobiles have been fairly widespread, with each Kia’s EV6 and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 promoting very properly within the US.
Specifically, Kia’s EV6 has distinctive quick charging velocity, enabling the automobile to cost from 10-80% of cost in simply 18 minutes.
However regardless of it already being one of many higher EVs on the market during the last 3 years of its gross sales within the US, Kia improved it this morning with some mid-cycle updates.
The up to date mannequin has some entrance and rear design adjustments (making the automobile 0.6 inches longer), new wheel designs and “enhanced premium inside touches” – like extra sound dampening materials – to go together with new options throughout all trim ranges.
Maybe the most important headline characteristic is a bigger battery, with 63kWh on the bottom mannequin and 84kWh on the bigger battery – each round 7kWh greater than the 2024 mannequin. The 84kWh battery now has an improved 2,700lb towing capability.
Trim ranges have been break up into the bottom 63kWh Gentle RWD mannequin, three separate 84kWh trim ranges every with a selection of RWD or AWD (Gentle LR, Wind, and GT-Line), and an AWD-only GT trim.
The GT trim will get a 25hp bump to 601hp, although different fashions keep the identical with 167hp for the single-motor smaller-battery fashions, 225hp for RWD large-battery fashions, and 320hp for AWD large-battery fashions.
The EV6 GT mannequin may also get one of many headline options we’ve seen within the widespread Ioniq 5 N – a brand new “Digital Gear Shift” characteristic which “enhances driving immersion by simulating gear shifts with visuals, engine sound results, and a tactile sensation by way of motor torque adjustment.”
This principally simulates the sensation of driving a handbook fuel automobile, relatively than an EV – so in alternate for making your automobile objectively slower, you will get some foolish noises and have a extra sophisticated driving expertise.
I anticipated to hate it, and whereas I nonetheless do assume it’s foolish and pointless and most of the people will go away it off more often than not, I used to be impressed by how far Hyundai took it (to the purpose the place you possibly can’t even go previous 20mph in “first gear” – the automobile will simply whine at you and make you upshift first). We haven’t gotten to strive it out within the EV6 but, however I’m anticipating will probably be an identical expertise. If nothing else, it’s a enjoyable occasion trick.
Going again to the charging level, charging will now be even simpler because the 2025 Kia EV6 may have a local NACS port. This is likely one of the first non-Tesla autos to have a local NACS port, alongside Hyundai’s choices. Most different autos plug in by way of adapters thus far, although within the subsequent yr or two we count on to see extra native ports present up.
A NACS port means the EV6 may have entry to Tesla Superchargers with out an adapter (although now you’ll want a CCS adapter to make use of CCS stations… however these are available). The cost port has additionally been relocated to the left rear (on non-GT fashions), the identical place it seems on Tesla autos, which ought to make it simpler to suit into Supercharger stalls, particularly non-V4 stalls with brief cables.
Lastly, the EV6 is embracing North America in one other manner, by shifting manufacturing of the car to Georgia (besides the GT trim degree). It is a results of President Biden’s Inflation Discount Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation, which incentivized corporations to maneuver EV manufacturing to the US.
These legal guidelines have led to $210 billion in funding and 240,000 EV manufacturing jobs (and counting) within the US. And producing the EV6 within the US means Individuals may have a neater time gaining access to the US EV tax credit score, saving themselves cash on among the best EVs on the market (that stated, you can nonetheless entry it by way of leasing, however now patrons may have extra choices).
However there’s a little bit of a damper on this transfer, as simply final week, Dumb & Dumber (nevermind, they’re each Dumber) introduced that they’re going to attempt to kill the EV tax credit score, making automobiles dearer for Individuals and disincentivizing these optimistic strikes for US manufacturing. So these jobs constructing a number of the hottest automobiles on the street at present could be again in jeopardy due to an ignorant actuality TV host’s inescapable compulsion to trigger inflation and kill jobs for Individuals. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.
To get extra specifics on the EV6 and see what’s modified, Electrek will likely be roaming across the LA Auto Present at present, testing the latest of what Kia has to supply, and we’ll replace you if we discover out something new.
If you happen to’d like, you possibly can use our affiliate hyperlink to get in contact together with your native sellers concerning the Kia EV6, and attempt to be one of many first in line to get the latest iteration of one of many higher EVs on the street.
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