Among the legacy car makers, there are surely no brands whose stock has risen as sharply, amid the transition to EV, as Korean sister companies Kia and Hyundai.
[This is part of an ongoing collaboration between Electrek and Fully Charged.]
Kia EV6
For the longest time, both were known for their simple, affordable, sensible, and if we’re being honest, largely drab economy cars. Then, by bravely embracing the EV revolution long before most of their rivals, they forged a new reputation as the champions of long-range and relatively affordable (but still slightly drab) electric cars — namely, the e-Niro, Soul, Ioniq, and Kona. And now comes the big step: reinventing their image and turning themselves into desirable brands — brands you buy into because you truly WANT one, not just because of the allure of a long warranty and many cup holders.
Hyundai has already achieved this feat emphatically with the brilliant and much-loved Ioniq 5. It’s a car with more charm than just about every Hyundai ever made before it, and now comes Kia’s response. And I won’t waste your time: It’s absolutely brilliant.
Everything we admire about Kias of old remains with the new EV6: The pricing is competitive, the standard equipment is ample, the range, while perhaps no longer segment-leading, is more than enough for any use case, and the car is littered with small, thoughtful touches designed to make your life a little easier. But on top of that, and unlike the brilliant e-Niro, it looks fantastic, it’s enjoyable to drive, and the interior is exquisite. It’s comparable more to high-end e-SUVs like the I-Pace and EQC than the ID.4s and Mustang Mach-Es that it’s closer to in price.
Kia says that 10 years from now, we’ll look back at the EV6 as the car that transformed the brand. And having spent a day with one, I wholeheartedly agree.
Check out the video below for my full review of the new Kia EV6:
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