The new Kia logo is not a simple exercise in style: it is the mirror of a drastic philosophical change. The Korean brand marries electric mobility (cars, but also a dedicated service system) and the spectacular EV6 crossover unveiled live in Milan represents the start of the revolution. It is the first of 11 full-electric models of the modern generation planned by 2026.
“The strategy indicated by our Plan S – explains the head of Kia Italy, Giuseppe Bitti – supports the great revolution with an investment of 25 billion dollars by 2025. And we expect that in 2030 half of the Kia sold in the world will be electric. In Italy, the presence of battery-powered cars is still low but the growth, albeit slow, is significant: the market share will be 5% at the end of the year, while in 2019 it was just 0.5 “.
EV6 is not the first Kia full-electric, Soul and Niro are already on the market. But this is in another category, catapulting the brand into the premium segment, and it is also the first born on the new E-GMP group platform shared with Hyundai. Which means a specific platform for the electric, with batteries “coated” under the passenger compartment, extended wheelbase and large spaces created for the interiors.
“Furthermore – assures the marketing director, Giuseppe Mazzara – the innovations that EV6 proposes are high-end cars, for example the 800 Volt technology with a 77.5 kWh battery pack”. A solution that allows the car to be transformed into a “power-bank” delivering up to 3.6 kW of power, to power even the domestic user in case of need. Charging to 80% takes place in just 18 minutes, and 4.5 is enough to recover 100 km of autonomy.
EV6 is 4.68 meters long, 1.88 wide and 1.55 high, so it has an imposing mass (and a weight of almost two tons) with a slender, almost coupe-like silhouette. The rear features LED lines incorporated in a spoileron that not only illuminate: they create design.
The interior is equally rich, where the double curved and panoramic 12.3 “display stands out. The seats are thin, very comfortable and upholstered in ecological materials. There is ample space for luggage in the approximately 500-liter compartment, plus 52 in the small front compartment for the two-wheel drive versions.The new crossover is in fact available with rear or all-wheel drive (two engines) and in three versions.
That base, two-wheel drive, has 229 hp and a range of 510 km. Price list from 49,500 euros, which is reduced thanks to government incentives. The AWD version (4×4) has 325 hp and a range of 490 km. It costs 53,000 euros. Then there is the GT-Line, rich and glamorous, at 61,000 euros. Finally, the top of the GT range (69,500 euros) which offers pure adrenaline, with its 585 HP, the sprint from zero to 100 in 3.5 “, a maximum speed of 260 km per hour and an estimated range of 400 km. .
It is a hi-tech essay, the brightest showcase of the new philosophy. This ultra-sporty variant really has nothing to envy to the designer queens of the electric, including Germany. Naturally, the Korean company has studied loans that allow, for example, to drive the EV6 with 29 euros per month (for 36 months), 2 years of insurance included and an advance of 9,300 euros. The launch on the Italian market is scheduled for September, but online pre-orders are already active.
Among the technologies on board, all the main Adas assistance systems, the I-Pedal that allows you to use the accelerator pedal almost exclusively even for slowing down to a stop, the augmented reality head-up display and a powerful system Meridian audio with 14 speakers that also carries a simulated sound of virtual power into the passenger compartment, to induce the driver not to exaggerate with the speed.
