The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has given the 2023 Kia EV6 its highest possible safety award, Top Safety Pick+, after it got the highest possible ratings in all of the six categories where it was tested. It even got the “Superior” rating for its frontal crash prevention systems and “Good” throughout all of the six separate crash tests that were performed.
With this latest result, the EV6 becomes the third Kia vehicle to be named a Top Safety Pick+ (after the 2022 K9 and 2022 Stinger) and it’s the tenth ever Kia to get at least a Top Safety Pick rating. Steven Center, COO & EVP, Kia America, said that
The EV6 is a landmark addition to our lineup and it has received massive consumer interest in its first year. We are proud that the 2023 EV6 received a 2022 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award, reflecting Kia's commitment to innovative products that prioritize safety and performance.
Starting at $48,500, the EV6 can be had in either single-motor rear-wheel drive form or with all-wheel drive. You can either go for more range and stick with the 225 horsepower single-motor version, which can go up to 310 miles on one charge, or you can go all out on performance and get the 576 hp EV6 GT – it costs from $61,400 and sprints to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
All versions get the same 77.4 kWh battery pack, 800-volt architecture and fast charging capability, supporting up to 350 kW, enough to charge to 80 percent in 18 minutes. Standard equipment for the base Wind model includes 19-inch wheels, heated and cooled, as well eight-way as power-adjustable front seats, a dual 12.3-inch screen setup, full wireless smartphone connectivity, a smart key, wireless phone charger, premium audio system and all the important pieces of active safety tech.
We’ve driven several versions of the Kia EV6, including the long-range rear-wheel drive model in Europe, and every time we’ve been impressed by its blend of qualities. Most recently we’ve put an EV6 AWD GT-Line through our 70 mph range test and it achieved 245 miles (395 km), or around 10 percent less than the EPA-rated range of 274 miles (442 km) on one charge.
