2022 Kia EV6 Official Thread

It's an inch longer (all in overhang, because it has a shorter wheelbase), but 2 inches shorter in height, and the same width.

I think it's the driver position that makes it feel *wider*. It's the sightlines that feel different.

 

Is there any info on how AWDe works on EV6 and Ioniq5? I just checked the ground clearance of EV6 and Ioniq5. It is only 6.1 inches. Better than PP, but hardly a regular SUV-level ground clearance.

 

It's not an SUV.

Yes, I know what they call it.

I owned a Ford Explorer and a Nissan Pathfinder. They were a lot taller and a lot higher off the ground. I'd call these two large hatchbacks myself. Kind of like a WRX just expanded a bit in every direction, but not an SUV.

Which is a good thing.

 

Besides there being a motor for each axle?
For the BEVs I have heard details on AWD operation, I wouldn't call them symmetrical systems. They don't have a set front or rear bias. Instead, the system uses the motor with best efficiency for the given speed.

They are all tall wagons. Even the real SUVs.

 

Yeah, maybe a Crossover is the correct term for EV6, Ioniq5, and Mach-E. All of which I am currently considering, but the more I look at the specs, less I am liking them. I would like large cargo space, AWD, and good ground clearance. Definitely, an SUV is what I want. Solterra and bZ4X have 8.3-inch ground clearance. Rav4Prime with 8.4-inch. Not sure how the AWD is implemented in Solterra and bZ4X, but I have a feeling it is better than the ones in EV6, Ioniq5, and Mach-E or even in the Rav4Prime.

I am just wondering how capable those AWDe are in real-life situations like starting on a slippery snow-covered hill. Rav4 AWDe used both in the Hybrid and Prime seems to work very well. 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime’s Mysterious All-Wheel Drive System Explained | Torque News
Do the rest work as well as Rav4Prime (Hybrid)? Also, is AWD in Solterra and bZ4X any different from Rav4?

 

Well, I have a feeling the Mach-E will be the best as Ford has a lot of experience making 4WD and AWD systems for more than improved traction of pavement. Yeah, the experience is on mechanical systems, but getting the system work well on differing terrain and weather conditions comes down to software. Subaru also has a lot of experience thare, but with symmetrical systems. To date, BEVs use asymmetrical ones for efficiency. iF really leaving the pavement in a Rav4, the Adventure and TRD trims have the best AWD

I think you are going to need to find reviews specifically looking at the AWD system, and how it behaves outside of regular day to day driving. The Mach-E is the only one that has been out long enough for such reviews to be more likely. Maybe check out reviews on their other models AWD/4WD systems. EV drive trains are different, but the physics dictating which wheel to get power for the situation is the same. As for your slippery slope, traction and stability controls are going to be more important than the AWD itself. The advances there is why the IDs and other BEV models have gone back to RWD.

Aside: Why are car manufacturer websites making it difficult to find specifications on them, and then be light of the technical details? I know the EV has an electric motor. What type is it; AC, DC, induction? I had to check a half dozen sites before one mentions the Mach-E AWD uses two motors.

I'm assuming the Kia and Subaru siblings use the exact same drive train. They all use permanent magnet AC motors at both axles, which explains the low efficiency ratings. While powered up, they are more efficient than an induction motor, but if not disconnected from the axle(the rear motor of the Taycan can do this), the magnets will apply a braking force.

Ford and Hyundai are on RWD platforms. Except for the Mach-E GT, a smaller motor is added to the front. So the AWD models see a power boost. In general, RWD is best for getting things moving. Accelerate, and the car's center of gravity shifts to the rear, increasing traction there, and reducing it at the front. Same when going up hill. With a basic hitch, a trailer adds weight to the rear axle. These systems could turn the rear motor off, and just use the front for efficiency.

The Toyota is a FWD platform, so a smaller motor is put on the rear, but the front motor is also downsized with an identical unit. Overall power is about the same as the FWD. The same front and rear motors, with Subaru's input, has me thinking the system might behave the most like a symmetrical one.

But that comes to the question why the want for AWD. There were a series of dirt roads, with sizeable puddles, kids would take their 4x4's through in high school. One day I saw some kids take a typical FWD sedan onto them, and then see them come out with a mud covered car. The only time I was seriously worried of getting stranded in a snow storm with FWD, was on all seasons that should have been replaced before winter. If driving on some type of "road", ground clearance might be more important than drive type.

 

Yeah, I probably don't need AWD for my commuting and most of the driving conditions I encounter. Winter tires are far more important than AWD, but there are times that I would like to have AWD such as driving up the icy steep hill. If I am replacing our PathHy AWD, then I would like to keep one of our cars with AWD. We always had one AWD car for those occasional icy road conditions.

 

Wow, I did not know that. That certainly is a deal-breaker for me. In the video, he is showing that the "big box" that would not fit in the EV6 easily fit in the Ioniq 5. So, what makes the difference? I thought those two cars are very similar in most aspects.

 

And none of these SUVs/CUVs will allow you to take 4 cart bags and 4 people to the local course. Where an old Impala sedan would. So we will take the old gas guzzler instead of the hybrid or EV.

 

How do you know that?

I was just in the cargo areas of both the Ioniq 5 and the EV6. The Ioniq 5 is bigger since it's possible to slide the rear seats forward, and it's a little taller. Both are pretty big and could easily have bags stacked on top of each other. I'd be surprised if golf bags wouldn't fit two deep and two tall. And, yes, I play golf and own a full-sized bag which I have on a cart.

The last time I owned a gas guzzler was 1996 (Ford Explorer). Since then, it's 35mpg, 52mpg, and 56mpg/173mpge. It's time to terminate our use of fossil fuels, as quickly as possible. Actually, it's already too late - we've both depleted our resources and poisoned our planet, both of which mean we've stolen from and harmed our own children.

 

Well given that my Rav4 hybrid will only take 3 people and bags ... it is the width that gets them so I have to put one of the rear seats down and the three bags are stacked on top of each other going through that gap.

 

Well, they are in a smaller segment than even the most recent Impala. While being taller helps, it doesn't completely make up for not being as long or wide. The Camry is nearly a foot longer than a Rav4. The Impala was a true full size car, with 18.8 cu.ft. trunk.

The SAE standard for measuring trunk space is similar to the VDA method; they both fill the space up with boxes of standard sizes. So that 16.9 cu. ft. VDA for the EV6 cargo space is going to be closely comparable to the Impala's trunk space. Maybe even better than comparing the SUV cargo of different brands in the US, as there is over a half dozen SAE standards the manufacturers can pick from for the marketing numbers

 

From an Edmonds review

Behind the rear seats, the Ioniq 5 can accommodate up to 27.2 cubic feet of cargo, which is less than the Tesla Model Y or Ford Mustang Mach-E. The EV6's cargo capacity is even smaller at 24.4 cubic feet, making it one of the smallest in the class. Unlike the Ford or Tesla, neither the Hyundai nor Kia features a usable front trunk, or frunk. You could coil up a charge cable in the shallow tray up there, but not much else.