State-of-the-art affordability: 2025 Kia EV6

The 2025 Kia EV6 showcases South Korea’s leadership in electric vehicles over North American or European manufacturers. The typical Kia ability to offer more for less is evident, from the powertrain and technical features to the styling and quality evident throughout. All at a comparatively attractive price.

The middle child of Kia’s electric family slots in between the Niro and the EV9. There are three trim levels – Light, Wind and Land. Obviously, the marketing team was in a ‘green’ mood.

Upgrades across the board for the 2025 Kia EV6

For its third year on the market, the EV6 gets upgrades across the board. The stand-out styling is freshened inside and out. The electrical components are smaller and lighter yet more powerful and offer more range.

The front-end appearance has been tweaked for the 2025 model year. There are new headlights, wheels and taillights.

But the more significant updates are found inside and underneath. The dash now boasts a pair of big 31-cm screens, one each for driver and passenger. The panoramic infotainment screen has been updated, as have the wireless smartphone charging pad and the almost rectangular steering wheel.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both wireless and you can order a fingerprint-authentication system.

An 84 kWh battery replaces the 77.4 unit used previously. The new one offers improved energy density and is a full kilogram lighter. The rear-wheel-drive Light model offers 167 horsepower and 258 lb. ft. of torque. The RWD Wind bumps that to 225 ponies and the same amount of torque from a slightly larger battery.

The tester, in Land trim, had one motor up front to drive those wheels and another for the rears. The two motors result in 320 horsepower and a whopping 446 lb. ft. of torque. All-wheel-drive is seamless, unnoticed until needed.

EV6 for EVery 1

With pricing ranging from roughly $49,000 to $65,000, three trim levels and a choice of rear or all-wheel-drive, there is an EV6 for most needs.

The RWD Wind model offers up to 513 kilometres of range on a full charge. The Light, with a slightly smaller battery, offers 381 km. The Land AWD I tested will go up to 475 km, 40 km less if equipped with the 20-inch wheels that come with a couple of trim packages.

The EV6 joins some Porsches with its 800-volt architecture. If you can find a 350-kW fast charger – there are only a few in the Maritimes – you could charge the battery from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes. The 11-kW onboard charger of the EV6 will refill the battery from 10 to 100 percent in seven hours on a Level 2 outlet.

The Kia EV6 is impressive, smooth and responsive

The tester’s twin motor setup provided impressive acceleration, able to go from rest to 100 km/hr in less than five seconds! The power delivery is not only smooth, but progressive.

Kudos for the tuning of the adjustable regenerative braking. You can operate most of the time without ever using the brake pedal.

Kia tries to differentiate itself from the EV pack in terms of driver enjoyment or feedback. The EV6 offers quick, responsive steering, a slightly stiffer suspension and resulting sharper handling.

Passenger comfort and room to breathe (and carry stuff) is top of mind in the Kia EV6

The hatchback design brings practicality in the ease of access to cargo space. The EV6 wheelbase (distance between front and rear wheels) is actually longer than the much bigger three-row Telluride. That allows for great rear seat legroom.

And, because there is no need for a driveshaft, the floor is flat, meaning occupants in the middle of the second row do not have to straddle that hump.

There is a good amount of cargo space behind the second row, drop that seat and it expands to cavernous quantity.

With no bulky engine, transmission, radiator and cooling system, the floor can be lower, making more space for people and packages. Added bonus – with no engine up front there is room for a small trunk there as well.

The 2025 Kia EV6 is pretty much the state of the art in the ‘affordable’ EV segment. In addition to stylish design inside and out, it offers excellent driving dynamics, a spacious and well thought out interior and enough range to remove much of the range anxiety associated with EVs.

If an EV is in your future, you would be wise to stop off at the nearest Kia store.

Speaking of ‘an EV in your future’

As the number of electric vehicles on the market grows, we have a large base of knowledge to call upon. For example, we now know that contrary to early speculation about having to buy expensive replacement batteries every few years, electric vehicle batteries and motors will outlast the vehicle.

Industry experts, after a study of 15,000 EVs, found they typically experience 1-2% loss of range per year, slightly quicker over the first 80,000 km. It is also acknowledged that EV ownership is most rewarding if there is access to a 240-volt Level 2 charger at home or where the vehicle can be left unattended for several hours a day.

While growing, the public charging station infrastructure is woefully inadequate, plagued by technical issues, overcrowding and often not in working order. The exception is Tesla’s Supercharger network with a reputation for reliability and speed. The 2025 EV6 can use Tesla’s NACS charge port.

FACTS & FIGURES – 2025 Kia EV6 Land AWD Premium

PRICE

Base: $58,495

As tested: $62,495 including freight

SAFETY

LED headlights

INFOTAINMENT

31-cm curved infotainment screen,

STANDARD EQUIPMENT

20-in alloy wheels, power front seats, driver’s with memory, smart power liftgate

SIGNIFICANT OPTIONS

Wolf Grey paint $250

MECHANICAL

239 kW permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor, 84 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack. front and rear motors combined: 320 horsepower, 446 lb. ft. of torque, AWD. NRCan rating (litres/100km city/highway equivalent): 2.0 / 2.5 or 19.3 kWh/100 km

DIMENSIONS

Length, 4,669 mm; width, 1,890 mm; wheelbase, 2,900 mm; weight, 2,059 kg

COMPETITION

Chevy Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach E, Hyundai Ioniq