Jonathan Gitlin
LAS VEGAS—In January, we received our first likelihood to drive Kia’s new EV6 electrical automobile. Built utilizing Hyundai Motor Group’s wonderful new E-GMP platform, the EV6 immediately impressed us, providing a much less polarizing design and extra playful dealing with than the additionally spectacular Hyundai Ioniq 5. Designed as a devoted EV platform, E-GMP options an 800 V battery pack that permits for speedy quick charging, and the rear- and all-wheel drive can obtain wonderful ranges of effectivity.
In that first drive, after which once more on native roads over the summer season, my seat time within the EV6 confirmed Hyundai Motor Group’s knowledge in hiring Albert Biermann away from BMW to construct up the Korean automakers’ analysis and improvement applications. But now Kia’s turned the dial nicely previous 11 with the brand new $61,400 EV6 GT, a limited-production variant that may outdrag some Ferraris and Lamborghinis, and trip the rumble strips at a racetrack with one of the best of them.
Between the axles of the EV6 GT you will discover the identical 77.4 kWh (gross capability) battery pack as in different EV6s—the corporate has discontinued the smaller-battery variant (the EV6 Light) on account of little or no demand. But within the EV6 GT, that battery will now feed far more energy to the pair of electrical motors that drive the entrance and rear wheels. There’s a complete of 576 hp (430 kW), actually, plus a mixed 545 lb-ft (738 Nm) of torque, cut up between a 215-hp (160 kW) entrance motor and a 362-hp (270 kW) rear motor with an digital limited-slip differential.
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The adjustments to the GT are principally mechanical and software program versus styling tweaks.
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In the previous, I’ve written that the EV6 seems to be a bit like a Lamborghini Urus. Now it has as a lot efficiency as one, too.
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At the rear, there is a new diffuser.
Jonathan Gitlin
To put down that energy, the EV6 GT rides on 21-inch wheels shod with Goodyear Eagle F1 efficiency tires. And to rein it in once more, despite the fact that Kia has elevated the quantity of regenerative braking from 0.3 G to 0.4 G, it is also seen match to equip the EV6 GT with massive, ventilated disc brakes (15 inches on the entrance, 14.2 inches on the rear) with monoblock calipers, picked out in a fetching neon inexperienced paint. The automobile rides on electronically managed dampers with revised spring charges and retuned steering in comparison with lesser EV6s, and there are distinctive entrance suspension elements, plus new traction and stability management algorithms that make this fairly a playful automobile.
To entry all that energy and torque, it’s essential press the neon inexperienced GT button on the steering wheel—this unlocks the total 576 hp and places the digital security internet in its most permissive setting. In eco mode, the EV6 GT sends simply 287 hp (214 KW) of energy to the motors—principally to the rear motor for higher effectivity. In regular and sport modes, the battery will increase most energy to the motors to 429 hp (320 kW), which is sufficient to make this a fast EV regardless of a not-inconsiderable curb weight of 5,732 lbs (2,600 kg). (This additionally explains the large brakes.)
But in case you press the inexperienced button, and you have a minimum of 70 % state of cost remaining, the automobile unlocks all 576 hp. At Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s drag strip, the EV6 GT simply ran 11.5-second quarter-mile instances, crossing the road at 118 mph (190 km/h). Kia quotes a 0-60 mph (0-98 km/h) time of three.4 seconds, a tenth of a second sooner than rivals just like the Tesla Model Y Performance and the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, and the EV6 GT will hold accelerating till the velocity limiter kicks in at 161 mph (260 km/h).
Jonathan Gitlin
On the observe, I used to be capable of correctly discover GT mode’s extra permissive dealing with and located a automobile that may powerslide fairly readily, however which is simple to catch. The suspension was ready to deal with using the curbs, though it is true that the highway course at LVMS is flat, and the curbs are easy and never tooth-rattling. A warmup lap in sport mode adopted by laps in GT mode affirm simply how a lot sooner the latter is. And you will be glad to know that the brakes work nicely, despite the fact that you do discover the automobile’s mass on observe when it is time to sluggish issues down from velocity.