Kia EV6 GT Review

The standard EV6 is already one of the best electric cars on sale, so turning it into a 650PS flagship could have gone one of two ways. Kia could have created a genuinely exciting performance EV that transformed the car’s character, or it could simply have made the already good EV6 much faster. In truth, it lands somewhere between the two.

The EV6 GT certainly looks the part. The lower stance, 21-inch wheels, bright brake callipers and more assertive detailing help mark it out from the rest of the range without tipping into the sort of visual noise that some performance EVs now favour.

Under the skin, though, there's more going on. The GT uses the same dedicated electric platform as the rest of the EV6 line-up but adds dual motors, all-wheel drive, electronic limited-slip differential hardware, adaptive suspension and much more power. The facelifted version now produces 650PS and 770Nm, up from the old car, while keeping the same 3.5-second 0-62mph time.

What matters is that it still works as an EV6. That means plenty of passenger room, a useful boot, strong charging capability and the sort of big-mile usability that makes it far easier to live with than most cars with this sort of performance. The issue is that, as ever with fast EVs, turning the wick up does not automatically make the car more enjoyable.

This is refreshingly simple because there's only one version of the EV6 GT.

That means every UK car gets the 84kWh battery, dual-motor all-wheel drive, adaptive suspension, bucket seats, the Meridian audio system, heat pump and the full GT package. You do not need to agonise over which drivetrain or trim to choose, because Kia has already made the decision for you.

The real question is whether you actually want the GT over a regular EV6 GT-Line or GT-Line S. For many buyers, the answer will still be no, because the standard car is already quick enough and more comfortable. But if you do want the flagship, there's at least no weak-spec version to avoid.

The current Kia EV6 GT is priced at £59,985 on the road in the UK.

That's undeniably a lot of money for a Kia, even one this specialised. At the same time, it still looks relatively good value compared with premium-badged performance EVs offering similar pace.

The more awkward comparison comes from closer to home. A regular EV6 GT-Line S is considerably cheaper and more rounded, while the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is only modestly more expensive and a far more interesting driver’s car.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the clearest rival because it shares much of the same underlying electric hardware but adds more performance-focused engineering and a much more playful, engaging character. If you are a keen driver, it is the one to beat.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E GT is another obvious alternative if you want a fast electric family car with a more extrovert flavour, while the BMW i4 M50 remains tempting if you are willing to sacrifice some practicality for a more premium badge and a more conventional fast-car feel.

You could also argue that a regular EV6 GT-Line S is the biggest threat to the GT, because it already looks the part, goes hard enough for most people and is easier to live with. That's what makes the GT such a niche proposition.

One of the clever things about the EV6 GT is that it loses very little of the regular car’s usability. There's plenty of space in the front, a roomy rear bench and a flat floor that helps the cabin feel genuinely family-friendly.

The sports seats make a stronger visual statement than the standard EV6 chairs, but they are still comfortable enough for longer journeys. Rear-seat room remains generous, and the GT does not suddenly turn into a cramped coupe-like thing just because it is the fast one.

Boot space stands at 480 litres, which is healthy enough, and the front boot adds another 20 litres. The headline practicality story is therefore much the same as in any other all-wheel-drive EV6: usable rather than class-leading, but more than good enough for family duties.

That means the GT’s issue is not practicality. It is whether the chassis compromises that come with all that performance are worth it.

The Kia EV6 GT measures 4,695mm long, 1,890mm wide & 1,550mm high. Those dimensions are identical to the regular EV6, which explains why the GT still feels so usable and spacious inside.

It also means this is a substantial car on the road, and you do feel its size in tighter spaces and on narrower roads. There's no disguising the fact that it is a big, heavy electric family car with a huge motor output.

The EV6 GT uses the same dual 12.3-inch screen setup as the rest of the EV6 range, and that remains one of the car’s strengths. The displays look high-tech, the menus are easy enough to navigate and the whole system feels modern without becoming maddening.

Kia also deserves credit for keeping separate climate controls and physical temperature knobs, which matter all the more in a car with this much performance because you do not want to be hunting through touch menus while moving quickly.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the head-up display is especially useful in the GT. The 14-speaker Meridian sound system is another standout, making the EV6 GT feel every bit the flagship from behind the wheel.

The GT’s cabin materials are good. The suede-trimmed sports seats, GT branding, metal inserts and lime-green highlights all help distinguish it from the regular car without feeling gaudy.

The standard EV6 interior was already stylish and well finished, so the GT has a good base to work from. The one lingering weak point remains the slightly wobbly centre armrest, which still feels out of step with the rest of the cabin.

Even so, the EV6 GT looks and feels expensive enough inside to support its price better than some might expect.

The facelifted EV6 GT uses an 84kWh battery with dual-motor all-wheel drive. Total output is now 650PS and 770Nm of torque, enough for 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 161mph.

Those are serious numbers, and they are backed up by a launch-control-style shove that feels deeply impressive even in a world where fast EVs are no longer unusual. The GT still delivers that sense of eye-widening acceleration that makes passengers laugh or swear.

The cost of all that performance is range. Officially, the GT manages up to 279 miles, but in the real world you'll see much less if you use the power regularly. Something around 200 miles or a little more is the realistic expectation in mixed use.

The EV6 GT feels brutally quick, but the rest of the driving experience is more mixed. In a straight line, it is sensational. In corners, you become much more aware of the car’s size and weight.

Kia has worked hard to tighten the chassis with adaptive suspension, lower ride height and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential, and the GT certainly corners flatter and feels more tied down than a standard EV6. But it never quite escapes its mass, and there are times when the front end feels keen to push wide.

The biggest problem is ride comfort. In GT mode, the suspension is very firm indeed, and even in softer settings the car can feel too harsh over broken roads for something that still looks like a family GT rather than an all-out track special.

Refinement is otherwise strong. Wind and tyre noise are well controlled, the cabin feels solid and the GT is still a relaxed long-distance cruiser when you calm it down. The issue is simply that the really fast settings make it less pleasant than the standard car, while the less aggressive settings also make you question why you paid for the GT in the first place.

The EV6 GT itself has not been crash tested separately by Euro NCAP, but the closely related EV6 Long Range AWD achieved a five-star result in 2022. That gives a useful indication of the car’s underlying crash safety.

Being the flagship, the GT also comes with a very broad spread of standard safety and driver-assistance equipment. That includes forward collision avoidance, Highway Driving Assist 2, blind-spot assistance, lane-keeping systems and parking collision avoidance support.

Like the rest of the EV6 range, the GT benefits from Kia’s 800V architecture. Peak charging reaches up to 258kW, and Kia quotes a 10 to 80 per cent charging time of just 18 minutes on a sufficiently powerful charger.

At home, the GT can be charged overnight without too much fuss. Kia quotes 7 hours 35 minutes for a full 10 to 100 per cent charge from an 11kW charger.

So while the GT’s range is not especially impressive for a car costing nearly £60,000, the speed at which you can top it up does at least soften the blow. It remains one of the easiest fast EVs to take on a longer trip.

Kia’s seven-year or 100,000-mile warranty remains a major selling point, and it matters all the more in the GT because this is a very expensive and technically complex electric performance car.

Kia also has a strong reliability reputation, and there is no particular reason to expect the GT to fare worse than the rest of the EV6 line-up. On paper, at least, ownership should be relatively reassuring.

The EV6 GT sits in insurance group 45. That is significantly above the rest of the EV6 range and should tell you most of what you need to know.

This is not going to be a cheap car to insure, and buyers should absolutely get quotes before ordering. That is especially true because EV repair costs can still be higher than many equivalent combustion-engined cars.

After year one, the Kia EV6 GT pays the standard annual EV VED rate, currently £200.

Because it sits above the £50,000 Expensive Car Supplement threshold for EVs, it also attracts the additional annual charge from years two to six. At current rates, that adds £440 a year, taking the total annual bill to £640 during that period.