The Kia EV6 GT is no longer just the fast version of an electric crossover. After the facelift it reaches 650 hp, accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and tries something few electric cars manage: turning performance into fun. We drove the new EV6 GT to see whether the experience at the wheel justifies a price of more than €74,000 in Romania.
There is a growing problem in the world of performance electric cars: almost all of them are very fast.
Power is no longer necessarily a sufficient argument. There are already plenty of family models that can reach 100 km/h faster than the sports cars we admired 15 or 20 years ago.
So the question is no longer only “How fast is it?”, but rather “Is it also fun?”
In the case of the new Kia EV6 GT, the answer is surprisingly simple: yes.
And that, I think, is this car’s main strength.
Kia EV6 GT in brief
| Specification | Kia EV6 GT |
|---|---|
| Powertrain | 2 electric motors |
| Drive | AWD |
| Maximum power | 650 hp with Launch Control |
| Power in GT mode | 609 hp |
| Maximum torque | 770 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h | 3.5 seconds |
| Top speed | 260 km/h |
| Battery | 84 kWh |
| WLTP range | up to 450 km |
| WLTP consumption | approximately 20.9 kWh/100 km |
| Maximum DC charging | 258 kW |
| 10-80% charging | approximately 18 minutes |
| Price in Romania | from €74,524 including VAT |
On paper, the figures are already enough to get attention.
But the specifications do not tell the whole story.
From 585 to 650 hp. But power is not the most important change
The first EV6 GT was already absurdly fast. It had 585 hp and could put many sports cars with far more prestigious badges in a difficult position.
The facelift raises the bar further.
The Kia EV6 GT now develops 609 hp in GT mode, and activating Launch Control temporarily allows access to a maximum of 650 hp and 770 Nm.
The result is a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds.
Top speed reaches 260 km/h, an unusually high figure for an electric car in this class.
But if you get into the EV6 GT expecting only the brutal hit that some Tesla models deliver, you might even be surprised.
Kia does not deliver the power hysterically.
The first tens of kilometres per hour are extremely fast, but controlled. The real sensation appears when you keep accelerating. From 50-60 km/h up, the EV6 GT seems unwilling to stop accelerating.
An overtake becomes a formality.
On the motorway, the mid-range punch remains impressive even at speeds where many electric cars already start to lose enthusiasm.
The green button changes the car completely
On the steering wheel there is a detail that defines the EV6 GT experience: the green GT button.
In Eco or Normal modes, you could drive this car almost like any other EV6.
The steering is light, the suspension becomes reasonably comfortable, and throttle response is progressive enough that you are not constantly reminded you have 600-odd horsepower under your right foot.
Then you press the GT button.
The car’s character changes.
Throttle response becomes much more aggressive, the steering gains weight, the suspension stiffens, and the electronics give you more freedom.
From a comfortable electric crossover you arrive in a car that actually tries to involve you in the driving.
And that matters more than the 650 hp.
The virtual “gearbox” seems like a gimmick. Until you use it
Probably the most controversial novelty of the facelift is the Virtual Gear Shift system.
An electric car does not need a conventional gearbox.
The EV6 GT knows this.
The driver knows this.
Kia’s engineers know this.
And yet they decided to simulate one.
The system reproduces gear changes through variations in torque, sound and throttle response. You even have paddles behind the wheel with which you can control the “gears”.
On paper it sounds almost like a video game.
At the wheel, though, it works surprisingly well.
If you select too high a gear at low speed, the car reacts lazily, exactly as a combustion engine would. If you reach the virtual rev limit and do not change gear, the EV6 GT enters a kind of limiter.
Obviously, if the goal is maximum acceleration, you switch the system off and let the electric motors do what they do best.
But on a twisting road?
That is where it becomes fun.
The virtual shifts give you something most electric cars have lost: rhythm.
You have a reason to use the paddles, to anticipate the turn-in and to change “gear” on the way out.
It does not make the car faster.
It makes it more interesting.
It is one of the few electrics that tries to be fun
This is the difference between the EV6 GT and many other very powerful electrics.
Brutal acceleration impresses for the first few days.
After that you get used to it.
What remains is the car’s behaviour.
Kia understood this and went much further than simply fitting more powerful motors.
The EV6 GT has a specific adaptive suspension, an electronic rear differential and a dedicated Drift mode.
Yes, there is a Drift Mode.
And in a controlled environment, the car can send enough power to the rear axle to become much more playful than you would expect from an electric crossover weighing more than two tonnes.
It does not turn the EV6 GT into a BMW M3.
The mass is still there, and physics cannot be completely fooled.
But Kia achieves something important: the car does not feel like an extremely fast household appliance.
It has character.
How does the Kia EV6 GT drive in normal use?
The interesting part is that all these devices do not wreck day-to-day use.
In a normal driving mode, the EV6 GT becomes surprisingly civilised.
It is not a limousine, and the 21-inch wheels cannot completely hide serious bumps in Romanian asphalt, but the adaptive suspension does a very good job.
On ordinary roads, the car can be used daily without trouble.
The driving position is low for a crossover, the sport seats offer good lateral support, and the low centre of gravity makes the EV6 feel closer to a large hatchback than to a traditional SUV.
The steering does not offer the feedback level of a classic sports car, but it is precise and quick.
In fast corners you feel the car’s weight, but not in an annoying way. The floor-mounted battery and a good mass distribution help the EV6 GT stay very stable.
It is the kind of car in which you can go quietly with the family on a Monday morning and press the GT button when you find the right road.
Interior: still a Kia, but a very well-made one
If you expect the cabin to look like an exotic 650 hp car, you will probably be disappointed.
Because the EV6 GT remains, at base, an EV6.
The dashboard is dominated by the two curved 12.3-inch screens, one for the digital instruments and one for the multimedia system.
Ergonomics are good, and Kia keeps enough physical controls that you are not forced to hunt for every function in a menu.
Materials are generally good, even if in the lower areas you also find plastics that remind you that you are not in a Porsche.
The difference from a regular EV6 comes mainly from the sport seats, GT details and neon-green accents.
The seats deserve a separate mention.
They support the body excellently in corners without becoming uncomfortable on a long trip.
It is also a practical car
Performance has not eliminated the advantages of the E-GMP platform.
The generous wheelbase means plenty of space for rear passengers, and the almost flat floor helps when you have three people on the bench.
The boot offers approximately 480 litres, enough for a family and incomparably more practical than what traditional sports cars with similar performance offered.
This is one of the fascinating things about the EV6 GT.
About 15 years ago, for 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds you almost always had to accept a serious compromise on space or comfort.
In the EV6 GT you can put two child seats in the back, luggage in the boot and then accelerate faster than many supercars of that period.
Kia EV6 GT consumption: this is where the compromises appear
650 hp does not come free.
Official consumption is approximately 20.9 kWh/100 km, but consistently hitting that figure requires a lot of discipline.
In normal urban and extra-urban use, values around 20-23 kWh/100 km are perfectly plausible.
On a national road, if you drive calmly, you can even drop towards 17-18 kWh/100 km.
The motorway changes the picture, however.
At about 130 km/h you should expect consumption that can rise towards 26-28 kWh/100 km, depending on temperature, wind and tyres.
And if you start using GT mode frequently, consumption is probably no longer your main concern.
Official WLTP range is up to 450 km.
In real conditions, for a long trip, an estimate of about 300-350 km between stops is more realistic if you drive on the motorway.
The 800 V architecture remains one of the biggest advantages
Here the EV6 GT recovers a good part of what it loses through consumption.
The E-GMP platform uses an electrical architecture of about 800 V, and maximum DC charging power reaches 258 kW.
In ideal conditions, the battery can go from 10% to 80% in approximately 18 minutes.
In Romania this advantage becomes increasingly relevant as 300 and 400 kW HPC stations appear on the main road corridors.
In practice, at a suitable station, the break can be short enough that charging is no longer the main problem of a long journey.
It is also one of the reasons I would prefer the EV6 GT over rivals that have larger batteries but significantly lower charging speeds.
Kia EV6 GT vs Hyundai IONIQ 5 N
This is the inevitable comparison.
The two models share the E-GMP platform and a great deal of technology.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N also has up to 650 hp, can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in approximately 3.4 seconds and offers its own virtual gear-shift system.
In Romania, the IONIQ 5 N is available around €70,000, so it can even be slightly cheaper than the Kia.
Hyundai is more extreme, however.
The IONIQ 5 N seems built first of all for the driver looking for sensations and possibly track days.
The EV6 GT is a little more discreet and more mature.
If I were looking exclusively for the most spectacular driving experience, the IONIQ 5 N would have a small advantage.
If I wanted a single car for family, long trips and fun, the EV6 GT seems more balanced to me.
Kia EV6 GT vs Tesla Model Y Performance
The Model Y Performance is probably the most dangerous rival financially.
The new generation offers approximately 460 hp, reaches 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds and has a WLTP range of about 580 km.
More importantly, official consumption is only 16.2 kWh/100 km.
Tesla clearly wins on efficiency and range.
In addition, at a price of about €62,000, the Model Y Performance can be more than €12,000 cheaper than the EV6 GT.
Tesla also has the Supercharger ecosystem advantage.
But Kia wins on another point.
The EV6 GT is a more interesting car to drive.
The steering, suspension, rear differential, GT and Drift modes and especially Virtual Gear Shift give it a personality that the Model Y Performance does not reproduce to the same extent.
Tesla is the rational choice.
Kia is the enthusiast’s choice.
Kia EV6 GT vs BMW i4 M60
The BMW i4 M60 is an interesting comparison because it already enters traditional premium territory.
In Romania, the starting price is around €70,000, before adding options.
BMW offers a more refined interior, better materials and a more convincing premium experience.
In addition, the i4 remains very pleasant to drive.
But there are two problems.
The first is the options list, which can raise the price quickly.
The second is that the EV6 GT offers excellent performance and a very fast charging architecture in a package that is extremely well equipped as standard.
BMW is more premium.
Kia is more spectacular.
Kia EV6 GT vs Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
The Mustang Mach-E GT remains an interesting rival for buyers who want a performance electric SUV.
With approximately 487 hp, it accelerates to 100 km/h in about 3.8 seconds.
It is fast, practical and has competitive range.
The list price for the GT recently sat in Romania around the €70,000 threshold, although Ford frequently runs important promotional campaigns.
Ford’s problem appears when we get to technology.
DC charging power is clearly inferior to that offered by Kia’s 800 V platform, and the driving experience does not have the same theatrical level.
The Mach-E GT is very fast.
The EV6 GT tries to be fun as well.
How much does the Kia EV6 GT cost in Romania?
At the time this test was published, the Kia EV6 GT has a recommended price of €74,524 including VAT in Romania.
That is a lot.
There is no point trying to present almost €75,000 as an accessible sum just because the car has 650 hp.
In this price area you already find BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Audi models.
But you also have to analyse what you get.
The EV6 GT comes very well equipped from the factory, has all-wheel drive, 650 hp, adaptive suspension, an electronic differential, charging of up to 258 kW and performance worthy of a serious sports car.
Looked at that way, the equation starts to make a little more sense.
Is the Kia EV6 GT worth it?
It depends what you are looking for.
If you want the most efficient performance electric for the money, the Tesla Model Y Performance is hard to ignore.
If you want the experience closest to a car built for the track, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is probably even more radical.
If the priority is luxury and interior quality, the BMW i4 M60 plays in a more premium area.
But the EV6 GT sits somewhere in the middle of all these worlds.
It is fast, but not only fast.
It is practical, but not boring.
It can be comfortable on a long trip, but it also has a Drift Mode.
And it can charge fast enough that a long journey with an electric car no longer feels like an expedition that must be planned two days in advance.
Carboratory verdict
The Kia EV6 GT shows that electric cars do not have to be only efficient, quiet and absurdly fast. They can also have personality.
The 650 hp is spectacular, yet paradoxically it is not what we liked most.
The virtual gears, GT mode, Drift mode, the chassis and the ability to turn the car from a comfortable electric crossover into a toy of more than two tonnes are what make the difference.
At €74,524, the EV6 GT can no longer be considered a cheap alternative to premium models.
It is expensive enough that you really have to want this type of car.
But it is also good enough that the Kia badge on the bonnet is no longer an argument against it.
Perhaps the greatest proof of the progress Kia has made is exactly this: after a few hours at the wheel of the EV6 GT, you no longer think it is impressive for a Kia.
It is simply a very good performance electric car.
Pros
- extraordinary performance and 650 hp with Launch Control
- one of the most entertaining EVs currently
- Virtual Gear Shift adds a surprising amount of personality
- 800 V architecture and very fast charging
- enough space for use as a family car
- adaptive suspension and several driving modes
- 260 km/h top speed
- generous standard equipment
Cons
- price of more than €74,000
- high motorway consumption
- real range falls quickly if you use the performance
- the interior does not offer the premium level of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz at a similar price
- mass of more than two tonnes cannot be completely hidden
Frequently asked questions about the Kia EV6 GT
How much power does the Kia EV6 GT have?
The Kia EV6 GT develops up to 650 hp and 770 Nm when Launch Control is activated. In GT mode, maximum power is approximately 609 hp.
How fast is the Kia EV6 GT from 0 to 100 km/h?
With Launch Control activated, the Kia EV6 GT accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in approximately 3.5 seconds.
What is the top speed of the Kia EV6 GT?
Top speed is 260 km/h.
What range does the Kia EV6 GT have?
Official WLTP range reaches approximately 450 km. In real use, range depends heavily on temperature, driving style and speed.
What battery does the Kia EV6 GT have?
The updated version uses an 84 kWh battery.
How long does charging the Kia EV6 GT take?
Thanks to the 800 V architecture and a maximum DC power of approximately 258 kW, charging from 10% to 80% can take approximately 18 minutes at a compatible fast station and in optimal conditions.
How much does the Kia EV6 GT cost in Romania?
The recommended price for the Kia EV6 GT is, at the time of publication, €74,524 including VAT.
Kia EV6 GT or Hyundai IONIQ 5 N?
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is a little more radical and more oriented towards sporting driving and the track. The Kia EV6 GT offers a better compromise between performance, comfort and day-to-day use.
Kia EV6 GT or Tesla Model Y Performance?
The Tesla Model Y Performance is more efficient, has more range and costs less. The Kia EV6 GT, however, offers a more complex driving experience, a very fast charging architecture and more personality for the enthusiastic driver.
Can the Kia EV6 GT be used as a family car?
Yes. Despite sports-car performance, the EV6 GT has five seats, plenty of space on the rear bench and a boot of approximately 480 litres, which makes it perfectly usable every day.
