Exterior of Tesla’s enviable Supercharger community, the general public charging infrastructure for EVs in lots of locations is grim. Oh, positive, it is promised to get higher, however how a lot does that assist whenever you’re standing exterior a damaged charger or ready for somebody to go away a spot so you’ll be able to juice up? Consumers who prioritize vary when selecting an EV decrease their interplay with the general public charging community, and for these Kia’s spectacular EV6, meaning going with the single-motor configuration. That is the variant we have examined right here, within the GT-Line trim degree.

For 2023, the EV6 is obtainable with three powertrains, as the bottom Mild mannequin with a 58.0-kWh battery pack and a 167-hp motor has been dropped. The only-motor model now comes normal with a 77.4-kWh battery and makes 225 horsepower within the Wind and GT-Line trim ranges. Those self same two trims are additionally provided with all-wheel drive and twin motors making a complete of 320 horsepower, once more utilizing the 77.4-kWh battery. And, lastly, there’s the new-for-2023 high-performance dual-motor GT with a mixed 576 horsepower.

Vary Numbers

The only-motor drivetrain yields the most effective EPA-estimated vary: 310 miles. That betters the the dual-motor Wind mannequin’s 282 miles, the dual-motor GT-Line’s 252 miles, and the EV6 GT’s dramatically decrease EPA vary estimate of 206 miles.

Not solely does the single-motor EV6 have the most effective EPA vary of its siblings, it additionally exceeds most of its rivals. The Toyota bZ4X maxes out at 252 miles, the Audi This fall e-tron at 265 miles, and the Volkswagen ID.4 at 275 miles. The Kia falls simply in need of the longest-range variations of the Ford Mustang Mach-E (312 miles) and the Tesla Mannequin Y (330 miles), however as we have identified in a current SAE paper, these on-paper benefits could not equate to a real-world vary benefit at freeway speeds.

Driving the EV6

The draw back is that the single-motor EV6 would not have the sports-car quickness of the dual-motor model. In our testing, the dual-motor all-wheel-drive GT-Line zipped to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, whereas the single-motor GT-Line took a extra languid 6.7 seconds. It was an analogous story quarter-mile instances, with the dual-motor automobile’s 13.3 seconds at 102 mph properly forward of its single-motor sibling’s 15.2 at 93 mph. In fact, pulling away from a cease is not at all times a time trial—or so we’re informed—and the single-motor EV6 strikes by means of site visitors eagerly sufficient, notably at metropolis and suburban speeds.

The rear-wheel-drive GT-Line got here to a halt from 70 mph in 168 toes, though for mild stops, some drivers won’t have to make use of the brakes in any respect. Within the highest (i-Pedal) setting, brake regeneration permits for one-pedal driving, however drivers who don’t desire that a lot regen can select 4 different ranges, together with none—all chosen through the steering-wheel paddles. The EV6’s cornering is succesful if not keen, largely as a result of quite lifeless steering, and on the skidpad, the automobile demonstrated 0.87 g of grip. Far more noteworthy is the journey high quality, because the EV6 reveals spectacular composure over bumps, with zero harshness making its option to the cabin.

EV6 Inside

That cabin includes a mod-style design with a striped sample on the sprint that repeats on the middle armrest, and illuminated blue stripes seem underneath the vents. The suede seat upholstery with synthetic-leather trim is $295 additional (and unavailable on the Wind mannequin), and its white accents brighten the in any other case black cabin. The rear seat cushion is low—vital, maybe, to create satisfactory headroom for six-footers underneath the squashed roofline (this is the place the mechanically comparable however boxier Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a bonus). The seat is loads extensive for 3, although, and the ground is flat.

Up entrance, twin screens dominate the sprint. The central show is impressively broad, though, on the house display, that house is basically wasted, because the default show is only a clock. Beneath it, the touch-sensitive local weather controls oddly additionally do double obligation working the audio system, which means it’s a must to toggle forwards and backwards between the 2 units of features. The digital instrument cluster is barely configurable, with the middle part capable of present driver-assist data, a visit pc, turn-by-turn instructions, or tire stress. The middle console tasks out over a big, open storage bin, and on high, there are cupholders, lined storage, and a spot to cost your telephone wirelessly. Shifting is through dial, and there are additionally buttons for seat heating and cooling, the parking digicam, and the parking sensors.

The 2023 EV6 GT-Line in single-motor kind at the moment begins at $54,225—there’s additionally the EV6 Wind, which may be had in the identical configuration for $50,025. For the GT-Line, the single-motor powertrain saves $4700 over the dual-motor model; within the Wind trim degree, the distinction is $3900. So, we see that those that have mastered the artwork of persistence are rewarded with a fatter pockets in addition to the power to journey higher distances earlier than plugging in.

Deputy Editor, Critiques and Options

Joe Lorio has been obsessive about automobiles since his Matchbox days, and he received his first subscription to Automotive and Driver at age 11. Joe began his profession at Car Journal underneath David E. Davis Jr., and his work has additionally appeared on web sites together with Amazon Autos, Autoblog, AutoTrader, Hagerty, Hemmings, KBB, and TrueCar.