The Kia EV6, usually classified as a crossover/SUV, is one of the most interesting electric vehicles in the United States.
It's one of three first Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP based models (along the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60) and is available in several versions (two battery options*, rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive powertrains). Let's check the 2023 model year offer in the US.
The EPA officially listed range ratings for the 2023 model year version, which spreads from 206 miles up to 282 miles.
2023 Kia EV6 EPA combined range:
- RWD SR 19-inch: 232 miles (373 km)
- RWD LR 19-inch: 310 miles (499 km)
(relates to Wind and GT-Line trims) - Wind AWD LR 19-inch: 282 miles (454 km)
- GT-Line AWD LR 20-inch: 252 miles (405 km)
- GT AWD LR 21-inch: 206 miles (331 km)
SR - Standard Range - 58-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery
LR - Long Range - 77.4-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery
As we can see below, the numbers for the RWD versions remained the same, but in the case of the AWD versions, there are now two ratings (for 19- and 20-inch wheels), compared to the single rating in the 2022 model year.
According to the EPA, the AWD LR with 19-inch wheels is good for 282 miles (454 km), while the switch to 20-inch wheels will cut the range by 30 miles or 10.6 percent. Previously it was 274 miles (441 km), without specifying wheel size (though, the base version was 19 inches in 2022).
There is also an all-new version - GT, with an AWD powertrain and a 77.4-kWh battery. Because it's performance-oriented (0-60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds) and equipped with 21-inch wheels, the range of this version is the lowest of all of Kia EV6s (even the SR). The EPA Combined range of the Kia EV6 GT is 206 miles (331 km), which is a big difference compared to the non-performance versions.
The average energy consumption in the EPA combined test cycle (including charging losses) is about 117 MPGe: 288 watt-hours per mile (179 Wh/km) in base RWD versions (regardless of the battery size SR and LR).
The all-wheel-drive versions are expected to consume noticeably more energy - by 7 percent (with 19-inch wheels) and by 22 percent (with 20-inch wheels). In other words, the addition of the front motor for more power, combined with bigger wheels and some additional equipment in higher trims, will take its toll on energy consumption.
The GT version further increases power and wheel sizes, and at least according to EPA, energy consumption skyrocketed to roughly 427 Wh/mi (265 Wh/km). That's one-fifth more than the non-Performance version.
2023 Kia EV6 RWD SR 19-inch
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2023 Kia EV6 RWD SR 19-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 2-cycle label] | |
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Combined City Highway |
232 miles (373 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
117 MPGe: 288 Wh/mi (179 Wh/km) 136 MPGe: 248 Wh/mi (154 Wh/km) 100 MPGe: 337 Wh/mi (209 Wh/km) |
2023 Kia EV6 RWD LR 19-inch (Wind and GT-Line trims)
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2023 Kia EV6 Wind RWD LR 19-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 2-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
310 miles (499 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
117 MPGe: 288 Wh/mi (179 Wh/km) 134 MPGe: 251 Wh/mi (156 Wh/km) 101 MPGe: 334 Wh/mi (207 Wh/km) |
2023 Kia EV6 Wind AWD LR 19-inch
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2023 Kia EV6 Wind AWD LR 19-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 2-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
282 miles (454 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
109 MPGe: 309 Wh/mi (192 Wh/km) 120 MPGe: 281 Wh/mi (175 Wh/km) 98 MPGe: 344 Wh/mi (214 Wh/km) |
2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD LR 20-inch
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2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD LR 20-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 2-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
252 miles (405 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
96 MPGe: 351 Wh/mi (218 Wh/km) 106 MPGe: 318 Wh/mi (198 Wh/km) 86 MPGe: 392 Wh/mi (244 Wh/km) |
2023 Kia EV6 GT AWD LR 21-inch
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2023 Kia EV6 GT AWD LR 21-inch :: EPA Range rating by InsideEVs [Electric Vehicle 2-cycle label] | |
|
Combined City Highway |
206 miles (331 km) N/A N/A |
| EPA Energy consumption (including charging losses): | |
|
Combined City Highway |
79 MPGe: 427 Wh/mi (265 Wh/km) 85 MPGe: 396 Wh/mi (246 Wh/km) 74 MPGe: 455 Wh/mi (283 Wh/km) |
A strong point of the Kia EV6 is its fast charging capability from 10 to 80 percent of state-of-charge (SOC) in just 18 minutes (at least in optimum conditions and when an 800 V high-power charger is available).
The onboard charger, rated at 10.9 kilowatts (kW) is more than good for overnight charging and is basically on par with most of the other models on the market.
Prices
When visiting the Kia website, we discovered that the 2023 Kia EV6 RWD SR version (the entry-level one with a 58-kWh battery) is not available for order. We guess that the South Korean manufacturer resigned from selling this version, which in 2022 was limited in terms of availability anyway. A year ago, the price for the entry-level version was $40,900 (plus a $1,215 destination charge) for a total amount of $42,115.
This means that customers can choose only between Long Range versions (77.4-kWh battery), RWD, AWD, or the new performance GT.
Prices are slightly higher than a year ago (by $1,700), while the destination charge is higher by $110. The biggest issue for the Kia EV6 (and other imported electric vehicles) is the lack of eligibility for the $7,500 federal tax credit.
This means that the effective starting price is above $50,000 (compared to nearly $41,000 a year ago and compared to nearly $35,000 in the case of the SR version). That's a big difference and a negative outcome for the broader Hyundai Motor Group.
| Model | Base Price | Dest. Charge | Tax Credit | Effective Price |
| 2023 Kia EV6 RWD SR 19-inch (not available) | ||||
| 2023 Kia EV6 Wind RWD LR 19-inch | $48,700 | +$1,325 | N/A | $50,025 |
| 2023 Kia EV6 Wind AWD LR 19-inch | $52,600 | +$1,325 | N/A | $53,925 |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD LR 19-inch | $52,900 | +$1,325 | N/A | $54,225 |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD LR 20-inch | $57,600 | +$1,325 | N/A | $58,925 |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT AWD LR 21-inch | $61,600 | +$1,325 | N/A | $62,925 |
Basic specs
Below we added also basic specs for each model (including the SR version from 2022, just for reference).
| Model | Drive | Battery (kWh) | EPA Range | 0-60 mph (sec) | Top Speed |
| 2023 Kia EV6 RWD SR 19-inch (not available, 2022 numbers) | RWD | 58 | 232 mi (373 km) | 8.0 | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| 2023 Kia EV6 Wind RWD LR 19-inch | RWD | 77.4 | 310 mi (499 km) | 7.2 | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| 2023 Kia EV6 Wind AWD LR 19-inch | AWD | 77.4 | 282 mi (454 km) | 5.1 | 117 mph (188 km/h) |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line RWD LR 19-inch | RWD | 77.4 | 310 mi (499 km) | 7.2 | 115 mph (185 km/h) |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD LR 20-inch | AWD | 77.4 | 252 mi (405 km) | 5.1 | 117 mph (188 km/h) |
| 2023 Kia EV6 GT AWD LR 21-inch | AWD | 77.4 | 206 mi (331 km) | 3.4 |
