The Kia EV6 GT has a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery with a 160-kilowatt front motor and a 270-kilowatt rear motor.Mark Hacking/The Globe and Mail
In 2017, Kia released the Stinger GT, the aptly named high-performance liftback that, at the time, was the most powerful vehicle ever from the car maker. The Stinger GT is an exceedingly capable car with a twin-turbocharged V6 engine, 373 horsepower, acceleration to 100 kilometres an hour in 4.9 seconds and top speed of 270 kilometres an hour. In other words, serious business for a brand previously known mainly for its economy cars and crossovers.
A little more than five years later and we have a brand new performance car from the South Korean outfit – one so fast, it makes the Stinger GT feel nailed to the ground. It’s the all-electric 2023 Kia EV6 GT. (But you can just call it “the Shocker” for short.)
The EV6 GT is the highest-performing variant in the EV6 line, which was launched earlier this year. Back then, there were three different EV6 models: the rear-wheel-drive Standard Range (125-kilowatt rear motor, 58-kilowatt-hour battery and up to 373 kilometres of range), the rear-wheel-drive Long Range (168-kilowatt rear motor, 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery and up to 499 kilometres of range) and all-wheel-drive Long Range (74-kilowatt front motor, 165-kilowatt rear motor, 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery and up to 441 kilometres of range).
The GT stands at the top of the model line in terms of power and performance, but does so at the expense of driving range. It features the 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery, but goes it alone with a 160-kilowatt front motor and a 270-kilowatt rear motor. The output of the all-electric powertrain is equivalent to 576 horsepower and 545 lb-ft of torque. So: plenty! However, range for the EV6 GT is expected to be around 330 kilometres.
This point creates a real conundrum for EV6 shoppers. The rear-wheel-drive Long Range version, for example, delivers around 160 kilometres more range and costs $20,000 less than the GT.
Here’s the thing, though: The EV6 GT is the only one of the bunch with a drift mode. Although this feature is relatively common in gas-guzzling high-performance vehicles, it’s rare in EVs. (The Kia’s corporate cousin, the Genesis GV60, also has a drift mode.)
The drive experience takes us around the outskirts of Las Vegas to Lake Mead and through the Valley of Fire. The speed limits on the route are conservative at best, so there’s no opportunity to properly assess the car’s capabilities. The EV6 GT is comfortable and quiet, though, and its road manners are exceptional. Things get more interesting when we arrive at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and eagerly line up for hot laps of the road course and timed runs down the drag strip.
The Kia EV6 GT has a claimed range of around around 330 kilometres, about 170 kilometres less than the longest-range EV6 in the lineup.Mark Hacking/The Globe and Mail
In the latter exercise, no one is measuring acceleration times, unfortunately. But we do receive expert guidance on how to read the Christmas tree lights to get a fast start and a timer does record speeds and quarter-mile times. (My best reaction time is 0.427 seconds, while my best quarter-mile elapsed time is 11.482 seconds at 118.26 miles per hour.)
The Kia representatives are so confident in the repeatability of this performance, they let a bunch of us do more than the required two runs. Each of my runs ends up being within two miles per hour of the best run. This same confidence in their product carries over to the road course.
Although the EV6 GT is not a race car, it is a fast car. The steering is well-weighted, especially for an EV. The large ventilated disc brakes with mono block calipers are powerful. And the suspension system is adept at keeping things under control, even when rocketing the car across rumble strips and over the slight undulations in the track.
The Kia is heavy, though, and this weight reveals itself on the parts of the track where quick right-left transitions are required – it’s not a question of body roll so much as it is one of momentum. This same quality also makes the drift exercise tricky. In drift mode, most of the power is diverted to the rear wheels, so it’s simple to initiate a drift with a stab of the throttle. Catching the drift requires more practice.
Now, back to non-drifting facts.
The Kia EV6 GT has features not available on other versions, but it also has drawbacks. There’s a special GT Drive Mode selector, coloured neon green like the brake calipers, and a striped motif on the dashboard and centre armrest. The Active Sound Design system, common to all versions of the EV6, has two additional settings, including one that mimics a V8-style rumble. (Not a big fan.)
The GT also features a sport suspension system with electronically controlled dampers, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, neon green paint for the brake calipers, and Z-rated Goodyear Eagle F1 tires riding on 21-inch alloy wheels.
On the other side of the ledger, there are the sport seats. The GT has manually operated seats with height, seat back and fore-aft adjustments. The seats are heated and they’re supportive, but other versions have power operation, ventilation and a memory function.
This is a key distinction that again raises the question: Which version of the EV6 offers the most bang for the buck?
If want to compare apple to apples, Kia suggests we look outside their model line to an unexpected competitor. In the presentation, they remind us of the performance numbers for the EV6 GT and the base price of $74,495. But the Porsche Taycan GTS, a mildly slower all-electric performance car, costs twice as much.
So … all hail the Shocker.
The Kia EV6 GT has 576 horsepower and 545 lb-ft of torque.Mark Hacking/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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