More power than most will ever need

Driving an electric car, especially in the UK, requires a different mindset compared to pootling around in an ICE model. It also calls for a reasonable degree of forward thinking, with charging being foremost at your list of priorities for getting from A to B. So, what to do if you’ve got a high performance EV at your disposal, like this, then? It’s a beefed up version of the original and rather brilliant standard-issue EV6, with no less than 577bhp on tap when, and if you need it.

That’s a lot of power to have on hand and something that makes the Kia EV6 GT even more entertaining than the just-as-good standard version. Added to all that power, there are some trim tweaks that signify you’re driving a pepped up car, complete with zesty lime green brake calipers on the outside and body-hugging bucket seats on the inside. There’s even a bright green ‘GT’ button to push when you require an additional zap from the 77.4kWh battery.

So, do you need a car like the Kia EV6 GT and, more importantly, will frequent pushes of the aforementioned GT button inspire even more range anxiety to set in, compared to driving a more subdued version of the same brilliant car? Here’s my full review.

Deliciously sporty

Kia’s EV6 is considered by many, including me, to be one of the best EVs money can buy. The Kia EV6 GT continues that theme with the same body, but with the added bonus of some neat exterior touches that make it very distinctive.

Our test car looked great in black with snazzier bumpers, sizeable 21-inch alloy wheels and a spoiler at the rear end helping to lift things over the original incarnation. Add on the green brake calipers and it’ll be easy to spot a Kia EV6 GT in the wild if you’re ever lucky enough to see one.

Clever interior styling

If you like the look of the exterior mods to the Kia EV6 GT then the interior provides the icing on the cake. Most noticeable upgrade in the cockpit is the sculpted bucket seats that give the front portion of the interior an altogether more racy vibe than the standard car. These are finished in a quality-in-feel, suede-like covering that, combined with the deep style of the seat design, delivers a real body-hugging experience.

Meanwhile, the rear seats offer up the same generous amount of roominess as that found on the regular EV6, with a sizeable middle armrest if you’re only carrying four in the car. Back at the front, there are some tweaks to the look of the dashboard and, naturally, it’s also quite hard to avoid the lure of the neon ‘GT’ button that sits on the bottom side of the steering wheel, which also boasts contrasting green stitching. It’s all pretty tasty.

Stupendous performance

While the Kia EV6 GT really does look the part, it backs this up with oodles of performance once you head off down the road. Even when you’re mooching around taking it easy there’s a feel of performance in the air, with the taut suspension providing a fairly firm ride when faced with the worst the UKs roads has to throw at it.

There are Eco, Normal and Sport drive settings to choose from during daily use and, to be honest, Normal makes a sensible and practical choice for daily duties.

Once you up the mode to Sport though, the enthusiasm from the powertrain gathers momentum. However, subsequently stab the GT button with a determined digit and the Kia EV6 GT turns into a bit of a monster. Even the most casual of EVs generally perk up when you select their sportier drive mode options, but the EV6 GT is something else again. The torque is instantaneous and really quite brutal – so much so that – much like the Genesis GV60 and its ‘Boost’ button, you have to be prepared to handle the extra power and drive accordingly.

There’s no doubt that the performance from this car is stunning and there’s an electronic limited slip differential to help you exploit all that power too. Chunky 21-inch alloys shod with Michelin performance rubber help get the power to the tarmac, so everything is in place to help you enjoy all the fun that’s on tap. The downside is that battery power takes a hit as a result, which does tend to make you end up limiting its use if you’re on a run. However, if you’ve dedicated a chunk to time to an afternoon of trying out the curves in countryside close to home (or, rather, close to a charger), the fun factor seems virtually unlimited.

Fast and easy charging

The appeal of having all that extra power at your disposal is tempered by the fact that range will suffer as a result. Press the GT button and you’ll instantly see the range figure on the digital dash fall away and continued use of it will put an even bigger dent in the overall reach of the Kia EV6 GT. However, it seems unlikely that anyone would want to overuse this feature as it has limited real world practicality and is mainly handy for moments when you want to show off or for getting out of tricky situations – or perhaps both things at the same time.

There’s an upside though, because the Kia EV6 GT supports 350kW fast charging. While it is currently hard to find chargers like this, even a 150kW charger will get you boosted back to good health pretty quickly. The platform for the EV6 also has the clever charging tech that seems to make replenishing batteries much more efficient than other comparable models. Overall, the charging experience with a Kia EV6 has to be one of the best and least stressful there is.

Verdict

The Kia EV6 delivers lots of giggles if you’re keen to get more fun from your EV, but this comes with the compromise of less range. This is a high performance car and it’s set up to deliver the thrills too, which also means that the ride is quite harsh, especially if you’re sat in those deep bucket seats for any length of time. Curiously, the ride also inspired a bit of car sickness in one of our passengers, which didn’t seem to be attributable to the GT button either.

Maybe it’s the fairly rigid suspension setup that works in tandem with the silent power delivery that can make your passengers feel a little queasy. If not, a few presses of the GT button will certainly perk them up while potentially adding to the problem. Never mind.

The appeal of the Kia EV6 GT might seem a bit limited then, but there’s no doubting its potential and, for anyone who wants to turn a few heads, this could be the all-electric option they’re looking for. It might lack the snob appeal of something like a Porsche Taycan, but the cheaper price tag more than makes up for that.