We recently tested the 640 horse, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and marveled at its jaw-dropping performance. But there’s another super-hot EV in the Kia/Hyundai family, and it’s the Kia EV6 GT. It’s a little more Grand Touring than out -and-out sports car, but with 576 horsepower, it’s got plenty of thrills to serve up. So, what’s Kia’s performance flagship like? Let’s check it out!
Sleek Style
Any trim of the EV6 is a handsome vehicle, and it’s interesting that for its performance flagship, Kia has kept things subtle – You’d be hard pressed to know this is the GT versus one of the lower trims. We’ll take that as win – with its incredible performance, it might be nice to fly under the radar, so to speak!
Compared to the Ioniq 5 N we tested, the EV6 appears much larger, and it is – sharing the 114.2 wheelbase as the Telluride SUV – although the Telly appears larger than either of them.
The front is familiar, with Kia’s Digital Tiger Nose grille design, aggressive frowny LED headlights, and cool segmented LED daytime running lights. A unique lower fascia with a mesh grille helps it stand apart from other EV6 models.
The profile shows that SUV’s can be sporty too, with a high shoulder line, sharp cut-ins along the doors, and a kicked-up C-pillar that meets the swept-back roofline. Tucked under the muscular fenders are another GT exclusive, massive 21-inch, 5-spoke alloy wheels, with bright neon green brake calipers poking out between the spokes.
We love the rear view as well, with an integrated whale tail design that features LED taillights that cover the width of the rear, and give a cool signature look especially at night. Above the rear window is a tough-looking aero spoiler, while a GT-unique lower fascia is blacked-out for a rugged vibe.
Finishing off our tester’s bold look was the extra-cost Steel Matte Gray paint, with a cool flat finish that looks very modern. We do love the look, but you should know that special care is required for the matte paint – including no using an automatic car wash. We’d probably opt for a more traditional paint – the good news is there are eight other exterior colors to choose from.
Big, On Sport
Inside, the EV6 GT makes a powerful first impression with GT-unique front sport seats. Like the Ioniq 5 N, these also remind us of the BMW M4, but because of the higher seating position, they’re actually easier to get in than the Hyundai, and much easier than the BMW. Adding some visual spice, the seats also feature a neon green piping around the upper and lower bolsters.
We also think the EV6 steering wheel is one of the most handsome anywhere, with a wide-horizontal line, and a flat-bottom for extra sportiness. You’ll find a similar wheel (no flat bottom) on the Kia Niro, and it looks elegant there as well.
There’s loads of tech on display, literally, with dual, seamless 12.3-inch screens that span across the dash and look as elegant as anything you’d find on an Audi. Along with the looks come plenty of features including Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a 14-speaker Meridian Premium Audio system. We still love the slightly goofy ambient sound display – Lively Forest is our favorite!
Other coolness comes from the Surround View Monitor and Augmented-Reality Head Up display that gives a wide aspect 3d effect. It can even be set up to automatically adjust with the driver’s seat memory.
Below the info-tainment display is an easy-to-use audio and climate control system. Tap on it and all the audio controls show up, another tap pulls up the climate controls – a nice high-tech way to keep switchgear to a minimum.
One thing we really appreciated on the Kia over the Ioniq – the buttons for the heated seats and steering wheel are separate, and just above the stop/start button. On the Ioniq, you had to dig into a set of screens to reach those, and it was annoying.
Also less annoying, the EV6 features a large circular knob for gear engagement over the Ioniq’s somewhat unintuitive gear stalk. Honestly, we’d rather have a shift lever than either. The EV6 also features a useful dual-level center console with pad for wireless charging and cupholders on top, and lower level with charge ports and plenty of space to stow additional stuff.
Those in back will enjoy plenty of legroom, thanks to that long wheelbase, and even with the coupe-like lines, rear seat headroom is adult-friendly. Despite the obvious concessions you have to make with battery space in an EV, we found the cargo area very accommodating, and the rear seats easily fold over to create a flat loading floor. The power rear tailgate features a wide opening, so loading in gear, bikes or that giant flat screen are all easy.
Putting the Grand in Grand Touring
It’s the drive that really sets the GT apart from other EV6’s – and most other cars to be honest!
The numbers are gargantuan – press the neon green GT button on the wheel, and it calls up 576 horsepower and 545 lb.-ft of torque. OK, the Ioniq 5 N was 640 hp, but still, 576 is impressive.
And even though the EV6 is a good-sized vehicle, with this much power it flies. 0-60 comes up in a scant 3.4 seconds – and since it’s done in silence, it’s even more breathtaking. Passing slower vehicles is simple, punch the accelerator, and you feel it push you back in the seat and that speedometer just hurls towards big numbers with insouciant ease. That’s rarified air for performance, and you can shut down all sorts of exotic machinery with ease.
The dual-motor all-wheel drive also means that power gets laid down efficiently and quickly. You rocket away from stoplights, while barely making a sound. Stealthy fast! And since it looks much like a garden-variety EV6, it’s even more of a shocker to drivers in heavily tuned vehicles or high-priced European fare.
While some high-po EV’s lose a lot of range, for 2024, the EV6 GT actually gets a bump, and is now rated at an EPA-estimated 218 miles of all-electric range an improvement of 12 miles over the 2023 EV6 GT. Not the furthest, but certainly livable.
Charging is almost as fast as that 0-60. With a 350 kW DC fast charger, you go from 10-80% battery charge in just 18 minutes. A traditional 50 kW DC fast charger will do the same in about 73 minutes. The few times we charged our tester we were delighted how quickly it was able to charge.
With this much power and the heavy weight of all those batteries, stopping power is impressive, thanks to high performance brakes with quad piston front calipers. Yes, those neon green calipers are there for more than show!
The GT is equally fun in the corners with an electronically controlled, sport-tuned suspension, and electronic rear limited-slip differential. We loved going into turns, punching the throttle and feeling the GT hunker down and rocket away!
The ride is slanted toward GT smoothness, but the variable gear ratio steering is quick and responsive, and those big 21-inch, high performance tires serve up loads of grip. This is an easy vehicle to drive very quickly.
It’s an interesting comparison to the Ioniq 5 N, which really is in sports car territory with track capabilities included. The EV6 is a little calmer, a little more poised, perfect for the daily commute or long trip. The gentleman’s (or gentlewoman’s) express.
How Much for the Thrill Ride?
We think the EV6 serves up an attractive price as well. The lineup starts with the EV6 Light RWD at $42,600, with loads of room and advanced tech, it’s a stylish way to get into an EV. The EV6 GT like our tester is the performance flagship and lives on the other end of the spectrum, starting at $61,600. With the sole option of Steel Matte Gray paint at $695, and destination charge of $1,375, we rang the bell at $63, 670.
The nearest competitor would be the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N that we recently tested, it’s a bit sharper, more of a track-oriented hi-po machine, and a bit more dear at $67,495. Honestly, both the Kia and Hyundai are incredible performance values.
Getting near the performance and utility combo in any other EV is tough – the BMW iX xDrive 50 comes close with 516 hp, 303 miles of range, and is a bit slower at 0-60 in 4.4 sec. The tough part – comparably-equipped to our GT, the BMW is $93,125! Gulp…
Stylish, incredibly quick, luxurious and handsome the 2024 Kia EV6 GT is a fantastic EV for any enthusiast!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.