Performance & drive
What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is
Engine, 0-60mph and gearbox
In cheaper RWD form, the Kia EV6 has one 226bhp motor driving the rear wheels, giving performance that’s decent rather than, er, electric. In our tests, it managed 0-60mph in 6.9 seconds – faster than the equivalent Volkswagen ID.4 but nowhere near as rapid as the Tesla Model Y Long Range. The EV6 RWD can officially do up to 328 miles on a full charge (depending on the trim level), although 260-280 miles is more realistic in the real world.
There are more comfortable electric SUVs for those with deep pockets (the Audi E-tron and Jaguar I-Pace, for example), and the cheaper Skoda Enyaq is slightly more agreeable. However, the EV6 is far comfier than the rather fractious Model Y.
Handling
The EV6 isn’t the sort of car you’ll leap out of bed on a Sunday morning to go for a drive in, but the same goes for pretty much every other electric car on the market (the notable exception being the Taycan).
That doesn’t mean the EV6 handles badly, though – far from it. It grips well through corners and leans less than the Ioniq 5 and ID.4 as it does so. In an ideal world, we’d like a better sense of connection with the front wheels from the steering, but it’s accurate enough to allow you to position the car with confidence at all speeds.
