Kia has shown off its new all-electric flagship the EV6 — and it's the sleekest car we've seen from the brand yet.
The mid-sized crossover is based on the same E-GMP platform as parent company Hyundai’s forthcoming Ioniq 5, but whereas the Ioniq has an angular, retro design, the EV6 is a more futuristic beast, with its subtle curves and a lower profile giving it an excitingly sporty feel.
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While we don’t yet have full specs for the EV6, the fact that it's built on that same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 gives us a few clues about its likely capabilities.
Like the Ioniq 5, we'd expect it to feature 800V tech for super-fast charging of up to 220kW, enabling it to juice up from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. We'd also expect it to have either a 58 kWh or 72.6 kWh battery pack, with the bigger of those two good for a range of around 310 miles.
The E-GMP platform can support both rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts and single- and dual-motor drives — so as with the Ioniq 5, the EV6 could come in several varieties. A top speed of 120mph is likely for the most powerful of them, which would be the dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model.
As far as the images go, we're particularly taken by the rear taillight that spans the EV6's rear and acts as a border with the truncated, almost Kamm-like tail.
The EV6 is the first fruit of Kia's new design philosophy, which the company calls "Opposites United." This comprises five pillars: “Bold for Nature,” “Joy for Reason,” “Power to Progress,” “Technology for Life,” and “Tension for Serenity.”
We're not sure about any of that, but it certainly looks pretty on the outside.
The Kia EV6's minimalist interior is slightly less striking, but we like the look of the large, curved dual-screen setup, which features the dash and an infotainment screen.
The seats are slim and lightweight and appear to provide plenty of leg-room. And as you'd hope with an eco-friendly electric car, all plastics used are 100% recycled.
Prices are yet to be announced, but based on the Ioniq 5 we'd predict it'll start at about $45,000, putting it in roughly the same bracket as the Tesla Model 3.
