From the moment Kia’s full-electric EV6 was announced to the world back in 2021 the SUV has captured attention right across the globe – and the moment the sporty looking SUV arrived at Mount Gambier’s OGR Kia dealership after being launched in Australia in early 2023 there is no denying the vehicle piqued an interest.
Driving by OG Roberts’ Jubilee Highway showroom one evening and spotting the EV6 parked up shining in the showroom’s spotlight, I knew one day I had to hop behind the wheel of the electric beast and see what all the hype was about.
After around 12 months of waiting, the phonecall from the OGR Kia dealership arrived notifying that it was time to take the wheel of the top of the range EV6 GT, which sports twin motors and an all wheel drive system to tally a combined 430kW of power and 740Nm of torque… definitely enough oomph to ‘pull the skin off a custard’ as the old-timers would say.
With a number of more ‘comfort-focussed’ models in the EV6 range, the GT variant has been steered towards those looking for a thrill with every drive.
Power seats have been swapped out for manual adjustment bucket seats to help improve performance and are wrapped in artificial leather and suede trim with neon green stitching and piping – which is a fantastic colour combination I might add.
The seats have just the right amount of firmness, blending speed and style to ensure that driver and passengers remain comfortable when commuting to and from work and performing regular duties, but when the time comes to unleash the beast and get a touch of ‘electric feel’ on the circuit you have the assurance of being strapped in securely and set to launch.
Venturing out of the dealership to getting familiar with all the bells and whistles and dial in the preferred regenerative braking mode provided the perfect opportunity to experience the Kia EV6 in a ‘real world’ environment.
While the stiffer, track-inspired suspension and steering tuning was a touch more noticeable than that of regular vehicles built to glide across every surface in ultimate comfort, the EV6 was still a top-quality on-road drive with the added benefit of being direct in it’s steering and handling, which is exactly what the GT version is built to do.
On the inside there has been a great deal of effort put into ensuring occupants are kept safe and comfortable from the host of airbags, braking and stability aids and systems, lane keeping and lane following assistance, parking sensors, blind spot monitors and auto sensing headlights and wipers as well as having the added benefit of a fully flat floor for rear passengers to have complete leg room thanks to not requiring a transmission tunnel to drive power to the rear wheels.
There is also a curved display of two 12.3-inch screens for digital driver information and a touch-screen infotainment system with satellite navigation, a 14-speaker Miridian Premium sound system and a host of USB charging ports which pair nicely with a wireless smartphone charger.
All of these features and functions are just a dip in the water of the full spec-sheet Kia has packed into the EV6, but where the vehicle truly shines is its performance.
Pulling some facts and figures out of the KIA brochure puts the EV6 top speed at 260kph while boasting a 0-100 acceleration time of a mere 3.5 seconds – and after being thrown back in the seat and feeling the full force of the EV’s motoring power… I believe them!
I have had the luxury of experiencing a fairly decent number of well-powered vehicles over the years but they have all been petrol powered, so when you stomp on the loud pedal you can hear the power winding up under the bonnet of the vehicle, where as the EV6 is a completely different beast.
It gives you the impression of being a casual drive, going about getting you from A to B in style, so feeling the power kick in and clocking highway speeds before you can even blink an eye is absolutely staggering – and for my poor colleague who popped along for the ride – somewhat frightening.
When it comes down to the nitty-gritty of it all, the Kia EV6 is the ultimate EV.
Style and comfort are in abundance with plenty of power to boot – the perfect cruiser for the car lover looking for a nice, practical daily driver with the assurance you can put the GT through its paces with a weekend Shell V-Power Bend Motorsport Park getaway.
Defining the way the vehicle drives is easy by using the words of Grease character Danny Zuko – It’s electrifying!
So you better shape up! And pop on down to OGR Kia at 132-138 Jubilee Highway West or contact the dealership on 8724 1111 to find out how you can make this Kia EV6 your own and experience the drive for yourself.
