Kia is now one of the world’s most well-known automotive brands. Before venturing into <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/road-test-the-kia-sorento-ex-is-safe-comfy-and-sporty-for-city-driving-1.1223602" target="_blank">commercial vehicles</a>, however, it started out as a bicycle manufacturer. Much in that vein, the company is continuing its future-facing focus with a range of new <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/lifestyle/motoring/2024/08/13/polestar-4-review-electric-car/" target="_blank">electric vehicles</a>, which it is intent on making as ingenious as possible. The latest of these is a properly accomplished ride called the EV6 GT. This 2024 model is a decidedly pristine yet snazzy crossover that manages to be innovative while avoiding any kind of clinical feel (think Stanley Kubrick’s <i>2001 Space Odyssey </i>rather than Ridley Scott’s <i>Blade Runner</i>), which is a feat in itself. As soon as I get in, there is sense of a cosiness that is often missing from some of the more overtly contemporary rides. This is despite the fact that, like many manufacturers these days, Kia had sustainability in mind when it created the EV6 – the inside is decked out in vegan leather and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) materials that lend themselves to the recycling process. I should mention that it is fast, too. The Middle East GT version will hit 100kph from a standing start in about five seconds and, naturally, because it is an electric car, without any of the shoutiness of a petrol engine. It is not just about the red line, though. The EV6 is an agile mover with decent stopping power and the firm chassis tuning in the GT model makes for a ride quality that feels precise. Range anxiety remains a concern with any non-fossil-fuel-powered vehicle, but the EV6 scores well in this department. The car can travel 100km after a four-and-a-half-minute charge, while 18 minutes on the electric nozzle will get the battery up to 80 per cent full. A fully juiced up EV6, meanwhile, has a purported range of more than 500km. While driving economically would be required to achieve this, it puts the Kia among the electric car world’s premium performers. It also has a smart regenerative braking system that, in layman’s terms, allows drivers to recharge the battery while coasting. The amount of information available in some cars' digital clusters these days borders on overwhelming. But when it comes to the tech in the EV6, Kia has kept it simple. The car manages to retain a sense of conciseness on its screens, with the data displayed staying well within the confines of what a driver is actually likely to require in any regular driving situation. Not having to decipher something basic – like speed, for example – amid a series of rather less necessary details is curiously refreshing. The car is on the long side, and that is a positive as there is a good deal of space inside the cabin. The EV6 is the first to be built on what Kia calls its electric-global modular platform – or E-GMP – and the manufacturer has plans for more cars to follow in this solid model’s tyre tracks.
