A Prius Expert's Review of the Kia EV6

Sorry for the delay as it's taken much longer than I thought to write this. I suppose I don't have the flow of words that I used to have (Not sure why. I'm not THAT old ha!). On the plus side, that means I have more ownership experience to put into the review. I hope you enjoy the read and learn something from it.



After nearly two decades of Prius ownership, it’s time to move to full electric. The spaceship I have chosen for this journey is the award-winning Kia EV6, a vehicle that has garnered worldwide attention from the public and media alike for its design and specifications. My vehicle is the top trim GT-Line Package 2. In the US and Australia, that would be the equivalent to the GT-Line AWD and in the UK, GT-Line S. If you’re reading this after 2022, the GT with 575hp is the top trim.

I chose this vehicle because it ticked several boxes that I was looking for in an electric vehicle: long range, fast charging and future-forward features. It certainly helps that it is stylish; I’ve gotten more inquiries with this car than with any of the Prius I’ve owned. It is certainly without its foibles which I will highlight here as you, the reader, expect me to be more critical. I will also be more detailed hopefully cover some things in this review that are overlooked or simply not typically mentioned in a one-day media test drive event.

I'll have a summary at the bottom if you prefer a TL;DR version. If you want to read the long version, maybe grab a cup of your favourite hot beverage before continuing.


Exterior:

The design language of the EV6 is “Opposites United” where they attempt to combine opposing design features such as sharp creases and soft curves into a unified look. The front contrasts the typical sharp creases on the hood that we’ve come to expect on modern cars with soft, bulbous fenders that are more reminiscent of sports cars from the 50s and 60s. The “Digital Tiger Face” is a modern rendition of Kia’s Tiger Nose grille that don the front of their recent vehicle designs. The blocks imprinted into the black grille trim remind me of the bricks in Super Mario World. That brick design continues to the lower air dam where active grille shutters are present. Unlike the Prius Prime, these do remain closed even when parked.

Around the rear, the mesh of sharp creases and soft curves continue. The striking light bar that stretches from one rear wheel arch to the other is inspired by the rear spoiler on the Lancia Stratos and I can see the resemblance there. The taillight bar also doubles as a rear lip spoiler. This is contrasted with the soft curves on the tailgate and broad shoulders akin to a Porsche Cayenne – You can see the shoulders in your rearview mirror. A wing-type roof spoiler allows air to flow over and under the spoiler, and when combined with the rear lip spoiler, creates an air pocket over the rear window. Unlike the Ioniq5 sibling where reviewers and owners have noted that the rear window gets dirty (similar to the vertical lower rear windows on our Prii), the EV6 doesn’t appear to suffer the same fate which I’m happy to announce. The EV6 and Ioniq5 do not have rear wipers but Kia did a better job with the aerodynamics.


(Kia America)

The headlights are LED multi-reflector types and I’d rate them as average. Anyone coming from a car that doesn’t have LEDs will be satisfied with their performance. For me, the Prius Prime offers much better low and high beam headlights from their projector design. The EV6’s light pattern is more diffused and, from the factory, aimed a touch too low for my liking (i.e. not enough throw down the road in low beam) and while high beam does make up for it, once again, it is more diffuse than the focused high beams of the Prius Prime. There are projector LEDs available in the world market with adaptive high beam and given that NHTSA is pushing forward with adaptive high beams for the U.S. market, hopefully those projector beams make their way over here some time during this generation.

Specifically for Canadian owners, I’m happy Kia went with the “headlights on even when headlight stalk is in OFF position” method for our new DRL regulations. This keeps the DRL as the two segmented horizontal lights above and below the headlights during the day. Toyota Canada tends to take the easy route and use the low beams as DRLs and that’s why we have plenty of Corollas, Prius c, and Gen 4 Prii running around with no headlights/taillights on prior to this new regulation. So far, based on the 2022 Prius I’ve seen, Toyota Canada’s solution to the new regulation seems to be to run the taillights as well as low beam DRLs during the day. Sure, whatever works.



In the EV6, all interior and exterior lights are of the LED variety and that includes the reverse light and vanity mirrors and glovebox. No cheaping out on lights as on the Prius Prime. Lastly, there is a “body silhouette light” mounted beneath the rear wing spoiler winglets that protrude out to the sides. This light illuminates the shoulder of the car as well as the ground around the rear doors. Unfortunately, there are no front door courtesy lights or mirror-mounted puddle lamps for the front doors – an area that I’ve noticed more mainstream manufacturers are cutting back on.

The front door glass is double glazed like the Prius Prime but does not have the water-repellent coating. The doors do close with a nice solid thunk, closer to a “premium” vehicle rather than a mainstream vehicle.


Interior:

The interior is a nice place to be with a futuristic but not outlandish layout. If you’re looking for a more simplistic design, a Polestar 2 or Model 3/Y will cater to your preferences better. This reminds me a bit of the Gen 3 Prius and Gen 4 Prius. The floating centre console is akin to the “Flying Buttress” of the Gen 3 but with a much larger bin below the console (with a rubberized insert). The design is catered to a more driver-focused design with the curved 12.3” panoramic multi-function display (Ioniq5’s twin 12.3” displays are arranged in a straight line, making the far corner a bit of a reach), a dash that slightly tilts the climate/media touchbar towards the driver, as well as the obvious “EV” start/stop button that is aggressively angled towards the driver. The interior on the GT-Line trim is also dark, with a generally black interior with a black headliner, only broken up by rather large white mid-door panels and white trimming around the front and rear seats. The non GT-Line trims will have a light-coloured headliner for a more airy feel. Keep in mind that the sporty look of the EV6 will result in a lower ceiling so taller drivers should try one out before purchasing. The moonroof will take up about 2” of front headroom. I’d say someone up to six feet, 2 inches (short torso, long legs) should fit with the moonroof and those taller may want to consider opting for a model without a moonroof. If you prefer a more lounge-like design like the Gen 2 Prius, the Ioniq5 stablemate will be a better fit. Its roof is slightly over 2” taller than the EV6 and will provide greater headroom. The lighter colour scheme of the Ioniq5’s ceiling and the taller greenhouse may also suit some tastes better. A sliding console on the top trim Ioniq5 also mimics the Gen 2’s centre console design but with the ability to slide the console rearward for much easier access between the front seats.


(Kia America)

I’m really excited about the suede-like material for the seats. It feels nice to the touch and the front seats are firm and supportive. I like that manufacturers are now offering other seat materials than synthetic leather. If we’re not offered the real thing, I would prefer a premium cloth or this synthetic suede material. (Some EVs are even offering wool or wool blend on their upper trim levels). The EV6 does offer three types of interior seat material – black cloth/artificial leather on the SR RWD, LR RWD and LR AWD models ( or on the “Light” trim level in the US), black synthetic leather/white synthetic leather on the GT-Line Package 1 and this synthetic black suede/white leather combo on the GT-Line Package 2 (optional on GT-Line in the US). Additionally, in the US, you have the option of a Misty Gray interior colour for the Wind trim (actually fairly similar to the Misty Gray offered in the Gen 3) while the Wind gets an all-black vegan leather seat trim with light grey headliner. The GT-Line trim in the U.S. comes with black leather/white leather trim as standard with white leather/black suede trim or black suede/white leather seating as options.

The dashboard is large and sweeping, reminiscent of the Gen 3 Prius’ dashboard; just replace the Gen 3’s “leaf vein” motif with geometric shapes or, in the GT-Line, diagonal stripes. It is all hard touch plastic but the wrapped portion with the geometric shape or diagonal stripes has a different texture that’s hard to describe. The interior does make use of a lot of piano black plastic and unfortunately, they don’t feel as nice as the ones in the Gen 4 Prius/Prime. The trim around the door handles in particular feel cheap and smudges easily. The piano black on the door window/handle area and the centre console look to be of better quality but the one around the driver’s door handle is already showing signs of fine scratches.


(Kia America)

That said, the rest of the interior ergonomics is fine. The steering wheel is mounted with a greater tilt angle than I am used to and while the rim diameter is larger than the Prius, it is nice to hold. Depending on your height, it may partially obscure the speedo or range readouts but I did not find it to be an issue. The augmented reality head-up display is large and covers all the information I need to see. I have the speed, speed limit, blind spot warnings and navigation instructions in my field of view. When I’m using the adaptive cruise control, all the information pertaining to the operation status of the system is displayed (such as whether Lane Follow Assist is active, Lane Change Assist is working, navigation-based cruise control, distance setting and so forth).

Moving onto other storage bins, the centre console is very deep and reasonably wide. However, I will dock marks for Kia not offering a tray insert or some sort of bi-level storage feature. I had to go aftermarket to add a top tray to the centre console to store smaller items that I do not wish to fumble for at the bottom of the console. The glovebox is quite large and features storage on the lid itself (like the Prius) as well as an actual deep shelf compartment (like domestic car gloveboxes used to be or some European cars).

The passenger seat gets the same full range of motion on my GT-Line trim as the driver’s seat which is a nice touch. I would say, almost expected at this price point, but in this day and age, it seems that mainstream manufacturers are cutting back on passenger seat adjustments. I find the lumbar support fine but I have heard some owners find it a bit too high on their back. There is no height adjustment for the lumbar support.

One thing I do miss is the “premium relaxation seat” function that other markets get. This allows a one-touch recline feature like a La-Z-Boy wherein the seat bottom will tilt (moreso than your standard power tilt function) as well as recline to a comfortable angle to relax while charging or otherwise waiting. This function is available on both front seats in other markets. Unlike the Ioniq5, it does not have a driver’s leg rest.

In the rear, there is a lot of legroom, courtesy of a wheelbase that is identical to the 3-row Kia Telluride SUV. The high floor does raise your knee a touch but as a taller person, I didn’t find it as much of an issue. I’d say it was better than a 2000s vintage 4Runner or any other body-on-frame SUV with 4WD. The EV6 is 5” wider than the Prius Prime but some of that width went to the design of those wide shoulders. There is still room for three abreast but perhaps not as much as you may think given the vehicle’s width. Again, this vehicle incorporates style as well as functionality and I know the more practical among us will prefer the Ioniq5 which makes better use of the width. The sliding rear seats of the Ioniq5 will also provide greater flexibility than the fixed seat bottoms on the EV6.

Where the rear interior falls apart is the lack of footroom under the front seats. The higher floor and the lower roofline equate to floor-mounted front seats (rather than raised ones like in most cars). Unless the front passenger is short, and thus the seat is raised, there is no footroom. Luckily, the long wheelbase does deliver very generous legroom. In addition, the rear seatbacks are completely covered in hard plastic. Great if you have small kids but otherwise, it looks cheap in what is essentially a $60,000 car. The Ioniq5 has a mix of padded fabric and hard plastic for a nicer visual for rear seat passengers. That said, the design of the rear seatbacks on the EV6 creates a place for a coat or a jacket to hang if you forgot your coat hanger or a place to hang bags.

There are two rear seat A/C vents mounted on the B-pillar as well as USB-C charging ports located at the side of the front seats for rear passengers. At first glance, it looks like there are no places to store your phone while charging but fold the rear armrest down and the cupholder can double as a storage spot if you slide the cupholder cut-outs back – a neat storage solution. Two-stage heated outboard seats are also present as well as retractable overhead door grips. Down by the floor, under the rear seats is the interior V2L socket (that’s lockable if you have kids or animals in the back) for powering 120V devices. It shares the same 1,900W output with the exterior V2L adapter.

I found the rear seat quite a comfortable place to be. Fully reclined, it’s actually awkward to sit that way while the car is motion (but great for resting at rest stops!) but there are 10 steps to suit your preferred seating position. The windows look large because they’re short in height but long in length and offer enough light into the cabin. Base models get regular solar tinted windows while every other trim gets privacy glass.


(Kia America)

The audio system in the GT-Line Package 2 (also on the Wind trim in the U.S.), is a 14-Speaker Meridian Surround Sound system with a tiny 5” subwoofer below the cargo deck. There’s been a lot of chatter about the poor quality of the system. I think some of the criticism stems from the lack of bass and the general populace equating a booming system with a good system.

For me, yes the audio system lacks the bass of a Sony or Harmon Kardon system (JBL included), it does make up for it in clarity.

I found the sound stage quite literally a stage in “Authentic” setting with the major of the sound coming from the front speakers. The “Surround” option will increase the power in the rear but given that the two speakers in the cargo area appear to fairly low rent, it just increases the hollowness if you’re sitting in the rear.

There was an update to the system with something to do with the amplifier which would have been applied after all the media reviews. I’m not sure if that has any difference but I have noticed my sound quality increase a week after owning the car (and before the amp software update). The bass is punchier than when I first bought it and some have said it might have to do with “breaking in the speakers”. Whatever the reason, it does require some calibration and, unfortunately, a louder volume setting to really appreciate the audio system. At lower volumes, like the JBL audio in the Prius Prime, it’s adequate and it’s hard to discern it from a base audio system. The only genre I found that didn’t require any equalizer setting change was jazz where Kenny G sounded great with the bass/mid/treble set at 0.

At higher volumes, other genres, particularly if you are running a hardwired connection and higher quality digital formats, sound clear and crisp in “Authentic” sound stage setting rivalling my B&O headphones.

Cargo:

The rear hatch is fairly spacious with good depth but the width is compromised with the charging port located on the passenger side (similar to the Prime). As a result, a folding camping chair or set of golf clubs don’t fit widthwise as there isn’t a cut out in the cargo area on the passenger side. In terms of volume, the VDA volume is 450L or 15.89 cu. ft. The US’ listing is 690L or 24.4 cu. ft. Just like the Prius Liftback without a spare tyre, the numbers are obviously due to different testing. Basically, the cargo area is similar to the Prius Liftback but without the usual cutout space on the passenger side (so I guess the volume is made up by a longer floor). There is a slight lip to the boot edge but it’s similar to a Prius Liftback with a spare tyre (~1”).

There is underfloor storage that stretches to the back seats like the Prius v but it’s quite shallow and barely fits my ClipperCreek EVSE. It definitely does not fit the L1 EVSE (standard in Canada, dealer-accessory in the US) as it comes in a travel bag that also stores the V2L adapter and it’s bulky. The velcro on the bag signals the intent of Kia to have it sit on the cargo floor.

There is a small frunk (20L/0.7 cu. ft.) that is the same size regardless of drivetrain (RWD/AWD). It is larger in RWD in other countries but NA spec cars have the smaller frunk on both cars. It is illuminated and is large enough for an umbrella, a small L1 EVSE and a first aid kit. If you keep it clean, you could store soft clothing (sweaters/t-shirts) and non rigid shoes while travelling.

(Bengt Halvorson - Green Car Reports)


Driving:

The most surprising thing I like about the car is the ride and handling. The suspension is well calibrated with a firm enough setting that it doesn’t feel like a heavy car but soft enough to transmit only the harshest of bumps. The wider wheels certainly help traverse the smaller potholes and cracks. The frequency selective dampers installed in this vehicle really helps smooth out the high frequency shocks (like a cobbled or potholed road). It eats up the miles on the highway with smooth power delivery and well controlled body motions. Where it falls apart is that under harder cornering, it does lean but you still feel in control and that I found the power steering assist to be too light and would prefer a slightly heavier weight to the wheel. That light steering weight does wonders for low speed parking manoeuvres, however.

Visibility is good except the A-pillars as they are quite thick and will require a look around them when making a left turn. Out the rear, I found it good, despite the thick D-pillars; the Ioniq5 definitely has a much better all-round visibility and was the first thing I noticed when I backed up an Ioniq5. Where I found it awkward is reversing into a spot as the rear haunches are wide and you do see them in the side mirrors. Given that the car is 5” wider than the Prime, it did take some getting used to the extra width.

Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA-2) combines all the latest Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as radar cruise control, lane departure warning and lane keeping assist (confusingly, Kia calls the former Lane Keep Assist and the latter Lane Follow Assist). HDA-2 adds Lane Change Assist and side collision avoidance (similar to Tesla) where it will move your car to the other side of the lane if a car beside you gets close. For AEB type assistance, it’s similar to TSS-P 2.5 with junction crossing and junction turning assistance and braking as well as Evasive Steer Assist where it will actively steer (within your lane and if it’s safe to do so) to avoid a collision.

There are finer adjustments to the radar distance compared to Toyota’s system with four available distance settings. The braking and acceleration motions are smoother than the TSS-P 1.0 that was installed in my Prius Prime. The Lane Departure Warning (with Steering Assist) is more proactive than Toyota’s, nudging you back earlier than TSS-P 1.0 would. The sensitivity is adjustable of course.

Lane Follow Assist is interesting. On surface streets, you can manually activate it and it can help steer around curves but given that surface streets tend to have sharper curves than on the highway, it will disengage in those scenarios. Again, it may be useful if you have trouble keeping centre or if you’re driving after a long day at work and you’re not the most alert. On the highway, it will come on with HDA if you’re on a highway that the system recognises as one. Combined with radar cruise, it’s a very capable system within the boundaries of its parameters and can definitely make long highway drives less fatiguing.

Speaking of highway driving, wind noise is kept to a minimal. There is some noise somewhere in the back and I think it’s coming from the winglets that stick out to the side of the car as an extension of the rear spoiler and a little bit near top of the A-pilar. The vehicle is very stable at high speeds and the combination of HDA-2, low wind noise and high stability makes eating up the miles easy and comfortable. The Cd is 0.28 but the extra sound insulation over the Prius Prime is noticeable. Unlike other EVs, the power reduction isn’t as noticeable above 112km/h (70mph) and above 120km/h (75mph) for passing, it feels like it’s in Eco mode, that is to say, still a reasonable amount of power.

Climbing up a mountain grade at the speed limit of 120km/h (75mph), it was interesting to see the difference in power delivery between Eco mode and Normal mode in the “4-wheel drive” display on the instrument panel. In Eco mode, the power is nearly maxed out in the rear motor while switching to normal will see the power split between the front and rear motors. I presume it’s still more economical in Eco mode as the rear motor was able to sustain the speed up the mountain. There’s a display to show what each part of the car is drawing in terms of energy and the drivetrain is one of them. I forgot to check what the max regen was on the downhill part but other reviews have seen up to 226kW of regen (e.g. Out of Spec Reviews on the Autobahn)

Around town, there are different driving modes and different regen strength to suit your driving style or mood. There are the usual Eco, Normal and Sport modes that actually do feel different as you cycle through. Eco mode is best for around town as it allows for smooth acceleration with lower power output. The car remains mostly in rear wheel drive but, like the Prius AWD-e, the car will start in AWD at low speeds regardless of mode and will switch to RWD at higher speeds. In Normal mode, the increase in power is noticeable under normal acceleration and it will blend the two motors as need. Sport will, naturally, keep it in AWD as much as possible to give you the instant acceleration needed. There is a SNOW mode that will lock the regen level to “1” and will numb the throttle (Similar to Eco mode) to ensure a smooth and drama-free acceleration on slippery surfaces.

I found the additional of the paddle shifters useful over other systems that require diving into the infotainment menu to change the regen capabilities. It really is nice to change it on the fly as I may have it in Level 1 or 2 but if there’s a long stretch of light traffic until a red light, I could switch to Level 0 and glide to the light without having to lightly press the accelerator. A fine tune of the regen or light brake can be accomplished by pressing the left paddle to increase the regen level if someone turns in front of you instead of tapping the brake. Coming up on a steep downhill, I could jump into Level 3 or i-Pedal (one pedal driving) to control my speed without riding the brake pedal. These are just some of the various scenarios that I’ve found I could take advantage of the regen paddles.

The AR HUD is useful. I’ve almost never look at the speedo on the instrument cluster as the speedo on the HUD is in my line of sight and I exclusively use it. In addition, BSM information show up on the HUD giving you real-time information of cars in your blind spot before you even look at the mirrors. The nav instructions are mostly good but occasionally can be confusing when the exits are close to each another and the arrow appears to be pointing you to the nearer exit when the next exit is your actual route to take. It’s not as comprehensive as BMW’s where it will overlay the navigation map on the HUD but for a mainstream vehicle, it’s pretty good.

As for the navigation system, I’ve practically been using it for my trips even though there’s AndroidAuto and CarPlay. I found it quite useful and even if you have a typo in the search engine, it actually finds the POI you want, unlike Toyota’s nav (the ones before the cloud-based one). In Canada, our navigation is not cloud-based while the U.S. version is so you will have an expanded database in the U.S. Despite that, it’s fairly comprehensive and I’ve only found one POI that it did not have. It uses the same HERE Maps as my Prius Prime and yet is more useful. Hmm…

In addition, using the built-in navigation system means I can take advantage of the AR HUD.

One feature I found myself using more than I thought I would is the Remote Vehicle Operation where I can remotely move the car forward or backwards. I reverse into spots so sometimes if there isn’t a lot of room at the back to load shopping, I can remotely move the car out a few feet to gain some room at the back to open the hatch. I’ve also pulled the car out when a car parked closely when I returned to the car so why try and squeeze in when you can bring the car out? I’ve also used it at home to push the car out as I navigate the garage or if you’re trying to apply tyre dressing after car washing, you can remotely move the car to apply the dressing to the part of the tyre that was sitting on the road.


Charging:

This is the EV6’s trump card (and any E-GMP based car – Electric-Global Modular Platform). The car has a multi-charging system that separates it from other 800V BEVs (Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT). This system uses the rear electric motor and inverter (with SiC semiconductors) to variably step up the voltage from 400V DCFCs to 800V resulting in faster charging even at 400V DCFCs as it can request the maximum voltage and amperage that the 400V DCFC can provide. In comparison, a car like the Taycan uses a fixed onboard charger to step up the voltage and is fixed (basically request half of the possible voltage it can accept) which means it’ll charge at 400V stations at the same power as other 400V BEVs and one would only see the advantage of the 800V architecture on 800V DCFCs. The use of the rear electric motor and inverter means there isn’t a separate onboard charger/converter, saving weight, space and costs.

GM’s Ultium battery may match E-GMP but we’ll have to wait til those vehicles get into customers’ hands and we get real world data from them.

I have been able to achieve the max power of 239kW at Electrify Canada stations and that occurred near the middle of the pack (~50% indicated SOC) which is unlike any other BEV that tapers as SOC increases. This is very impressive. Even at 80%, it was still pulling 117kW before dropping. I forgot to take a photo at 90% when I unplugged but a 15-minute charge time from 25% to 80% and an additional six minutes to 90% is impressive. Outside temperature was 25°C/77°F and it was after a highway session of about 150 km / 97 mi over mountainous terrain.

On 50kW DCFCs, I’ve managed to pull a steady 49kW vs. 38-45kW on 400V BEVs depending on SOC.

If one was to get the SR RWD (Light trim level the U.S.) with the 58kWh battery, the maximum DC power drops to 180kW (as a function of the pack voltage) but it is still rated as 10%-80% in 18 minutes.

For AC power, it can pull 10.9kW and I have pulled 9.5kW out of a 9.6kW EVSE as shown in the car (I’m guess that 100W was loss). The rated L2 charge time is around 7 hours at 10.9kW from 0-100%. As you all know, it tapers towards 100% so for daily charging to 70-80%, a few hours is probably the charge time, even on 6.6 or 7.2kW EVSEs. I’m currently using my 3.3kW/16A ClipperCreek from the Prius Prime just fine. The higher AC power is nice as I was surprised to find a number of 7kW and 9.6kW public AC chargers. Most are still 6.6kW shared (ChargePoint) but those are typically at malls or recreation centres while the higher-powered ones are at private businesses or at hotels.

Powertrain:

I’m just including this section if you’re curious about the composition. It’s a NCM 8-1-1 lithium ion polymer battery with pouch-type cells. 77.4 kWh for the long range and 58 kWh for the short range version. (We suspect it’s net capacity but Hyundai/Kia haven’t been forthcoming and charges have ranged from 72 to 77 kWh from owners of the long range). 697V pack voltage for the large battery and 522.7V for the smaller battery. Towing is rated at 2,300lb for the 77.4 kWh battery (both RWD and AWD). Towing is not rated for the smaller 58 kWh battery. Motors are PMSM both front and rear with a Disconnector Actuator System (DAS) for the front motor on AWD models for efficiency.

Complaints:

As a package, the EV6 is a pretty impressive vehicle but naturally there are little annoyances that are exposed after ownership that are not necessarily caught on a 1-day media test drive. The biggest is the lack of an illuminated charging port. The port is briefly illuminated by the taillights but the timer on them is 15 seconds after you open the driver’s door and of course, it’s dark when you return to the vehicle. Another feature I miss from the Prius Prime is the SKS lock button on the charging port. If the charger is locked, you have to unlock the car prior to unplugging the charging cable and that requires fishing out the key fob. The timer on the re-locking of the charging cable is very short.

Another is the “approach unlock and auto-present handles”. They’re only on the top trim which means all other models require a (hard) push of the flush door handles (which look like you’re about to break them) before the car unlocks. But then the handles remain flush and you’ll have to push in one handle to pop out the other end (similar to Tesla Model 3/Y). However, on the top trim, the car will unlock and pop-up the handles automatically. This is a nice feature except it doesn’t do the opposite – which is push in the handles and auto-lock as you walk away. Locking the door using the smart key function also requires a long touch on the sensor – it’s definitely not as easy or user-friendly as Toyota’s implementation of SKS.

Newer cars are starting to remove the front door courtesy light to cut corners and the EV6 is no different. There isn’t even a red reflector in its place so the doors are not illuminated in the dark when they’re open. In addition, they’re fairly large doors (front and rear) that can open very wide (so wide, it’s rare I actually use the fully open position) so some sort of notification via light or reflector that they’re open would be nice. Sticking with the doors, the power door lock switch cannot lock the doors while the front doors are opened which means you have to use the key fob or touch sensor to lock the car – I think Kia implemented it this way to do away with the “key lockout protection” and save some money on an interior sensor. I don’t know but either way, it’s weird. And lastly on locks, the driver’s door keyhole only locks and unlocks the driver’s door – you cannot lock all doors with the driver’s keyhole lock. Why does this matter? If you’re using Utility Mode and want to walk away from the car and you’d like to lock the doors, you have to sit in the car, press the LOCK button on the power door lock switch to lock all doors, then open the driver’s door, close the door and manually lock the driver’s door with the physical key.

For an expensive vehicle, there is hard plastic in the upper rear door panels which is disappointing. However, there is the same trim treatment (piano black) that the Prius Prime doesn’t do so I guess that’s a plus.

While it doesn’t bother me for now, battery-preconditioning to a DCFC is not yet available but it is coming. We know this because the GV60 and the upcoming 2023 Niro EV has/will have this feature as well as the 2023 Ioniq5 and EV6. Speaking of charging, the car doesn’t automatically choose a DCFC if your destination is set out of range and if you select from a list, it tends to list the ones closes to you and in order of distance from you which isn’t that useful.

It would be nice if the navigation voice search was as good as typing it in but given that I’m in Canada, your experience in the U.S. may be different as the U.S.’ version is connected to the cloud. As a result, you also have a “Send to car” feature for navigation while the Canadian version doesn’t.

At night, the LED headlights are just adequate. The Prius Prime has a superior headlight setup to the EV6. While it has a sharp cutoff, the Prime has a much powerful setup with a bright low beam light and a very long and focused high beam pattern. The EV6 in comparison with its multi-reflector LED headlight setup has a more dispersed light pattern and is noticeably weaker in lumens. On the plus side, the diffused light means there isn’t a sharp cutoff so perhaps there will be more light at the edge of the coverage area. The high beam doesn’t add much more which is disappointing.

Occasionally, the front parking sensors will act up while at a traffic light, sensing non-existent objects (sometimes red, sometimes amber warnings). No idea why.

Lastly, there’s a creak that developed around the base of the passenger side A-pillar and I can’t figure out where exactly it’s coming from.

Conclusion:

The EV6 is a very impressive proposition from South Korea. It combines a lot of the features that buyers want such as long range, fast charging and efficient powertrain in a bodystyle that is currently popular and at a price that makes it competitive against other 400V competitors. The high powered DCFC capability makes road tripping super easy (especially if DCFCs in your area or along your route are 150kW or higher). Even without those, 73 minutes 10%-80% at 50kW is enough for a quick lunch. The high-speed stability and quiet spacious cabin makes for a serene drive over long distances and, as any BEV driver will tell you, over mountainous terrain, the lack of engine drone as you climb in elevation is a luxury.

Naturally I have some reservations regarding reliability and durability coming from the Toyota family so I will update you on that if anything occurs during ownership. Interestingly, the HV battery warranty in the US is much longer than in Canada (10 year/100,000 miles vs. 8 years/150,000km) but the new car warranty is the same at 5 years/100,000 km (5 year/60,000 mile).

As the only purchase I’ve done without sitting in it or test driving, it was an interesting experience but the staggered launch of the EV6 meant I was able to watch reviews from South Korea and Europe before the U.S. media videos and get a sense from a wide range of reviewers with different backgrounds and of course different body types to get a sense of how I would fit in the car without ever sitting in one.


TL;DR:

• Superb comfort and decent handling because suspension is tuned by former BMW M division engineer and VP along with frequency adaptive dampers. The ride is the biggest draw in my opinion
• High speed stability and quiet cabin
• Powerful AWD system yet efficient at city speeds
• Regen paddles for on-the-fly regen strength change depending on drive conditions
• Good visibility but watch for thick A-pillars
• Excellent 800V charging capabilities make this a road trip warrior (especially if the charging network around you can support the faster charging)
• Future-proof AC power levels to take advantage of higher powered AC Level 2 EVSEs at businesses or at home
• Decent Meridian audio system but will depend on what you want out of a vehicle’s sound system
• Surprisingly decent navigation unit
• Cool tech like 360° camera, Remote Smart Parking System, AR HUD and V2L for camping
• 5/5: Would buy again

Issues:

• Adequate headlights (Prius Prime headlights are more powerful)
• Hard plastic in the rear doors and pillar trims for the price
• No door courtesy lights or puddle lamps
• A-pillar trim rattle developed within two months of ownership
• No charging port light
• Less sensitive smart key lock switch on door handles compared to Toyota's
• Weird front sonar sensor behaviour (randomly detect objects when queuing in traffic)
• No lock button on the rear power hatch
• No locking ability from the power door lock switches if the front doors are opened

 

You’re welcome!

Not sure. They can be disabled for the winter months if necessary.

 

No. It doesn’t even have a jack stand!

 

Yeah. But I have a different jack for winter swap so it’s not really an issue.

Yes 5 years/100,000km.

 

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Active or passive?

 

Oddly enough, the IIHS still hasn't crash tested it and NHTSA hasn't rated it either. I do want to know too. However, it has been tested abroad.

Euro NCAP has tested it and a PDF is available. It did achieve 5 stars. Note that the European airbag types are different.
Official Kia EV6 2022 safety rating

What do I mean by that? Each EV6 has 7 airbags but the 7th airbag depends on which region of the world you're in. In North America, the 7th airbag is the driver's side knee airbag. In Europe and South Korea, the 7th airbag is the centre airbag between the driver and front passenger. (You'll see it mentioned on the Euro NCAP webpage).

I feel like Toyota is slowly taking the lead among Japanese automakers in terms of safety. The reason is that I see them updating TSS-P quite often (from 2016-2022, we've gone from TSS-C/TSS-P to TSS-P 3.0 with added features along the way). Others seem to been only in their second iteration but they are caught up. This just means Toyota tends to add incremental features allowing people to always get the latest active safety tech when they buy a new vehicle, rather than one that was developed and installed for 4 model years before an updated one comes along. For the EV6, I'm lucky that I can afford the top model that adds HDA-II (Highway Driving Assist 2). The 2nd gen adds a Lane Change Assist function under "convenience" items but also adds the same functions found in TSS-P 2.5+ and 3.0 such as Junction Crossing and Junction Turning collision avoidance assist, Evasive Manoeuvre Assist (steering within the lane to avoid a collision). The Lane Follow Assist (similar to Lane Trace Assist) allows for offset if you and the car in front are not exactly behind each other, the car will still keep the Lane Trace Assist. And it will also move the car to one side of the lane if the car in the next lane is driving close (similar to AutoPilot). Note that TSS-P 3.0 will add an additional distance option to the radar cruise - making it 4, compared to 3 options previously) so that's a nice update (similar to HDA)

In passive safety, Toyota has quietly been adding airbags even though it's not required (See ID.4 - it only has 6 airbags). Toyota now includes rear side airbags and passenger seat cushion airbags (anti-submarining) for a total of 8 to 10 airbag count depending on vehicle. (Heck, even the Corolla sedan/hatchback have the full 10 airbag suite for 2022). In that sense, Kia is a bit behind, having only 7 airbags (Same as my Gen 3 Prius).

So I feel Kia is ahead or the same (if you include TSS-P 3.0) as Toyota. Highway Driving Assist really takes the stress off highway driving beyond using DRCC. The acceleration and deceleration of radar cruise is much smoother than my Prime's TSS-P 1.0. There is machine learning so the car can learn your acceleration habits under radar cruise. Radar cruise also has the ability to slow down for curves and ramps as well as auto set speed to the speed limit (nice idea but in practice, I prefer the offset speed limit where I can manually set the speed when the limit changes with one push of a button. I can explain it in detail if you want cause this post is already getting too long).

But in terms of passive safety, I feel Kia is behind. The airbag count is low. (but better than ID.4) and, as you may have heard, apparently cars with keyed ignition may not have engine immobilisers up to and including 2021 MY!!! (And hence the social media trend of steal Hyundai/Kia cars that don't have smart keys).

Progressive Reportedly Won't Insure Some Kias And Hyundais Because They're Too Easy To Steal - The Autopian

Also this:

Immobilizer security flaw leaves millions of Toyota, Hyundai, and Kia cars vulnerable to theft | TechSpot

where, yes, Toyotas were vulnerable too but for a different reason.

I feel like they're starting to change (especially if you want to take on the Japanese) but they still have a way to go to catch Toyota imo. We give Toyota flak for being slow but they do stuff that you take for granted and that you'll notice when you buy a different vehicle.

I don't know if I mentioned it in the review up there but one example is that Toyota crimps the edges of their tailgates so the metal bends into itself to form a rounded edge. Kia doesn't so they're all straight edged and it looks ugly af and unfinished. It doesn't change the functionality but it does show the difference in attention to detail between the two companies.

 

That's true but I don't think the knee airbag has anything to do with that, right? It's mostly for the deployment force of the driver's and front passenger airbags.

I think it's fairly standardized in North America. A side curtain airbag is listed as one pair of airbags (regardless of whether it's one entire curtain or two separate ones deployed from the headliner). The only thing that isn't listed is whether the side curtains extend to the 3rd row of SUVs/minivans - that isn't usually listed.

So 6 airbags means you get dual front airbags, dual side (thorax) airbags and dual curtain airbags. Beyond that, it's not standardized. Well, usually the 7th one is the driver's knee but the 8th can be the front passenger's knee or the front passenger seat cushion airbag. 7/8 can also mean the two rear airbags (Without the front knee ones). An odd count usually indicates the presence of the centre front airbag (btwn the front seats)

The part I'm thinking is the rear hatch on my EV6.