Kia EV6 GT Preview 2024

The regular Kia EV6 is one of the best electric cars you can buy in 2023, so it's a bit of an understatement to say we're excited about the new Kia EV6 GT. It's the brand's new flagship model, and the fastest car it's ever made - it'll out accelerate most Porsche Taycans this side of the £120,000 Turbo.

While the prospect of getting excited about an electric Kia will be inconceivable to some, some green stitching on the steering wheel and a big green button signifying a special GT mode is enough to pique our interest. The Kia EV6 GT can pull off some cool tricks, too, such as shuffling power between all four wheels to aid traction (or, select drift mode, and it'll go sideways with little encouragement).

Of course, the Kia EV6 GT remains a family car, and our first impressions suggest is plays that role well too. It's quite a big car, while a flat floor means there'll be plenty of interior space - the 480-litre boot falls only marginally short of a Nissan Qashqai's.

Being a Kia, the EV6 GT represents good value for money in terms of standard equipment, too. It gets a pair of very user-friendly infotainment screens, while 21-inch alloy wheels, a 360-degree camera system and a premium Meridian sound system are all fitted as standard.

We'll wait until we've driven the Kia EV6 GT before we deliver our full review, but first impressions suggest it could be a very tempting alternative to premium electric cars like the BMW i4 and Porsche Taycan.

A lime green 'GT' button on the steering wheel adds to the sporty vibe, while the dual curved 12.3-inch infotainment screens provide a high-tech feel to the interior.

The Kia EV6 GT's 2900mm wheelbase and flat floor means it feels spacious inside, while there's 480 litres of luggage space in the boot. This drops to 1260 litres with the rear seats dropped, while a front boot provides an extra 20 litres of storage (ideal for stowing away a charging cable).

In terms of exterior dimensions, the Kia EV6 GT is the same as the regular car. That means it measures 4695mm in length, 1890mm in width and 1550mm in height.

Even the most affordable Kia EV6 feels pretty swift, so you can expect the EV6 GT to have the kind of gut-punching acceleration you get in the fastest Tesla Model 3. It packs an impressive 585PS and 740Nm torque. To put that into perspective, an entry-level Porsche 911 has just 385PS and 450Nm of torque.

Don't expect the Kia EV6 GT to be a one-trick pony, either. Kia says its suspension has been developed especially for the GT, mitigating roll when cornering or during high-speed lane changes. You'll probably have to compromise on comfort slightly, but the engineering team was apparently tasked with "ensuring  the ride retains a high degree of fluidity and compliance whichever drive mode is selected."

The Kia EV6 GT sits 5mm lower than the standard car, while power comes from a pair of electric motors (meaning four-wheel drive is standard). There's also an electronic limited slip differential fitted as standard, shuffling torque between whichever wheels have the most grip.

Drivers can select between eco, normal, sport and sport+ drive modes depending on their mood. There's also a GT mode, which allows a little more tyre slip, while a drift mode shifts 100% of torque to the rear wheels for sideways shenanigans. We wouldn't recommend experimenting with that on the road.

Kia says the EV6 GT can be charged at a rate of up to 350kW. In plain English, that means you can top it up from 10 to 80% in less than 20 minutes - so charging needn't be too much of an inconvenience. That's in optimal conditions, using a high-power rapid charger, but public charging shouldn't be too much of a time-waster on a long journey.

It's less of a faff to charge the Kia EV6 GT at home while you sleep. The fastest way to do so is using a three-phase 22kW home electric car charger, which will top it up from 10% to fully charged in a little over seven hours. You can charge it simply using a three-pin plug and a regularly electricity socket, but doing so will take more than 32 hours.

In terms of charging costs, you'll pay between £20 and £25 to fully charge the Kia EV6 GT at home (depending on your home electricity tariff). Shop around for electricity providers and you might be able to halve that by only charging during off-peak hours. Double those figures when charging at public rapid chargers.

The Kia EV6 GT is also capable of vehicle-to-device charging, which means you can use its battery to power home appliances. Plug in a kettle on a camping trip, for example, or even a fridge-freezer.

For comparison, a BMW i4 M50 (which is slower than the Kia EV6 GT) is more than £69,000. To get EV6 GT-rivalling performance from a Porsche Taycan, you'll need to spend £120,000 on a Taycan Turbo.

You can't go to town on options on the Kia EV6 GT, either, as everything's included for that list price. You get 21-inch alloy wheels, a pair of 12.3-inch digital screens, suede bucket seats and an energy-saving heat pump - all standard.

High demand will be good news for residual values of the Kia EV6 GT, although you'll have to pay a premium if you wish to skip the waiting list by buying a pre-registered model. We've seen nearly-new examples on sale for more than £70,000.