Kia EV6 GT Line review – still a favourite in the EV…

Kia EV6 GT Line review – still a favourite in the EV stakes

When I tested Kia’s first ever dedicated EV, the EV6, last November, I said that it was one of the most pleasant EVs I had tried.

But even rigorously testing a new car at a launch is a very different experience to living with one for a week. So I have been trying a different version of the EV6 to see how it stacked up in real world use.

This time I tried a EV6 GT Line with rear-wheel-drive. The 77.4 kWh Li-ion polymer battery gives the car a claimed combined range of 328 miles, although the cold snap while I was testing the car made sure the real-world range was far less.

Sharp

This is a good-looking model with sharp styling, vaguely like a larger Golf at the front and with elegant upswept lines at the rear it looks attractive from every angle.

I still like its appearance, power and sense of quality just as much as I did. But all cars have foibles and the EV6 is no exception. The ride can be a bit harsh and over-damped on rutted surfaces, and Surrey, where I live, has plenty of those.

It’s always the little things that annoy, and when the steering wheel is in the ideal position for me, it partly obscures the digital speed indicator and indicator warning lights.

Some niggles are easily solved. Someone who had been driving the car before me had adjusted the lower back support in the driver’s seat so far forward it suggested he was a fan of the Marquis de Sade. Fixed at the touch of a button.

Relaxing

The sat-nav system worked well but it did insist the speed limit along Esher High Street was 80mph. Hmmm.

But its good points outshone the bad. It was a relaxing and easy companion during a highly congested journey through central London and at higher speeds it remained quiet and well mannered. The electronic parking brake with auto hold works smoothly and was a boon in heavy traffic.

The modern and roomy cabin had comfortable and supportive seats covered in suede and vegan leather and was awash with USB ports and cubbies. There are three driving modes – Normal, Eco and Sport. Eco didn’t feel much different to Normal but press the Sport button and the car instantly feels more responsive and lively.

Safety

There is a curved 12.3-in driver display screen with touchscreen navigation and wireless phone charging and a huge raft of active and passive safety systems, plus a voice control system that actually works.

Kia claims 0-62mph acceleration in 7.3 seconds, although it felt faster than that to me.

All in all, the Kia EV6 remains just about my favourite reasonably-priced EV. It is good looking, well equipped, pretty fast and good at virtually everything it does – those previous foibles accepted.