Kia EV6 CV RWD (2022-2026)

Kia EV6 Air – Had my Kia EV6 Air for 2 yrs now done 35000 kms Great car to drive perfect for Australian roads Value for money just isn’t there with the Chinese cars coming with heaps of standard features for a much lower price. Features are very limited even in high end models. Range is okay if you’re doing around town driving but I do a lot of trips to Perth… Read more

up and back trip in one day. Range is about 420-450kms so up and back to Perth is manageable from Bunbury. Charging half way at BP is good now.

Has excellent 1 pedal braking with adjustable button on steering wheel which is great for regenerative braking. Love this so much

Lane assist is too bad but I turn it off as soon as I start the car button on steering wheel makes this easy.

Charging facilities in WA are getting better but Kia has a great charging system 800v so it’s nice and quick.

Personally I would buy another Kia beautiful car just price and features need to be better. The other EV models are really nice from Kia EV6 got left behind a bit.

Kia servicing is good with knowledge improving Bunbury Kia is really good great service and friendly staff all round fantastic place to deal with.

A great EV without fancy creature comfort features – It’s the car everyone who’s buying an EV6 will look at and wonder, “Should I just get the cheapest EV6?”. The sole reason I wanted to review this model was to see if it was worth spending less on an already expensive EV, or spend a little more to get a few crucial features. The EV6 is a well built car throughout, although some might think this… Read more

EV6 is just a little sparse.

That’s because it’s using cheaper materials throughout the cabin to cut costs.

I wasn’t overly impressed with these cheaper materials being used at such a high price point, especially after recent price increases.

The base Kia EV6 is priced from $72,590 before on-road costs and incentives.

There are plenty of great features included for that price, like the 528km WLTP electric range.

However, the lack of simple features like an automatic boot, some safety features and manual door handles without keyless entry and exit were some very annoying omissions for the price.

The EV6 is covered by Kia’s familiar and impressive 7 year/unlimited kilometre warranty. Plus, it covers parts like the battery pack and motors for 7 years/150,000km.

In addition, you can prepay your services for either 3 years, 5 years or 7 years, at $594, $1089 or $1584 respectively.

The EV6 is a wonderfully quiet EV. There are minimal intrusions from road noise entering the cabin.

There were some squeaks and rattles on our test car, but they weren’t excessively distracting.

I will say there was a noticeable difference between the GT-Line’s audio system and this car's system. I noticed audio not sounding as crisp, deep or clear, but for the most part, it performed as expected.

Regenerative brakes are the name of the game with the EV6. You have 4 regenerative braking modes which are controlled via the paddles on the steering wheel.

I usually used the i-Pedal mode, allowing me to rarely engage the physical brakes and simply rely on the motors to slow me down.

For a heavy and relatively large car, you can stop a lot quicker than you might think.

This is the rear-wheel drive (RWD) version of the EV6, so it’s going to be a little slower than the all-wheel drive alternatives in the range.

A single electric motor sits on the rear axle producing 168kW (228hp) and 350Nm of power, resulting in a 0-100km/h time of around 7.3 seconds.

That’s not a whole lot of power on paper, but that instant torque makes the EV6 feel like a rapid car when taking off from a set of traffic lights.

There aren't any gears to shift through here, since the EV6 uses a single-gear gearbox. However, changing between park, reverse, neutral and drive was a pleasant experience using the rotary shift dial.

With smaller wheels and tyres, the base EV6 feels a little lofty through corners and a little less dynamic than its exterior suggests.

That low centre of gravity surely does help with gluing the EV6 to the ground, however it can’t escape a little bit of lean and waft when cornering hard.

Around town, this is a fantastically comfortable car. Kia have dialled in that locally tuned suspension to offer a refined ride over a variety of surfaces.

Thanks to packing a large 77.4kWh and only sending power to the rear wheels, this base EV6 claims a range of 504km (WLTP).

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to push that range to the limit. Instead I saw consumption figures hovering around the 18-20kWh/100km range - a little above Kia’s claimed 17.2kWh/100km.

Expect that figure to cross into the 20kWh range if you’re consistently traveling at speeds above 100km/h.

But you’ll be well within that claimed range if you’re usually traveling at speeds below that.

The base EV6 still has a gorgeous interior design. It’s a great place to be, just with a few less creature comfort features.

Cloth seats and hard plastics are the theme here, but at least you still get two large 12.3 inch displays and a digital display for your climate and media controls.

That floating centre console is a great piece of design, and it’s really easy to get comfortable in here.

Although, I found the round steering wheel design and materials again distracted me from what was otherwise a forward-looking bit of interior design.

With 490L of boot space, the EV6 is on par with small wagons and SUVs when it comes to practicality. You can fold the seats in a 60/40 split to achieve 1270L of space if you need it.

Adults will find all seats comfortable, especially in the back, especially since the entire rear floor is flat due to the absence of a transmission and exhaust tunnel.

It’s hard to argue that the EV6 is a bad EV option. There’s plenty of range, excellent battery tech and enough features to keep most buyers happy.

Although, when compared to slightly cheaper alternatives like a Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2, it’s a little frustrating that the base EV6 feels a little too basic for the price.

If you want the most range for the least amount of cash, it’s hard to look past the EV6 Air. But, if you’re looking for the best overall electric car, unfortunately the lack of features at this price point would push me to suggest a slightly more affordable option. It’s either that, or spend more and get the GT-Line trim of the RWD platform.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.