Kia’s new EVs—the futuristic EV6 and luxurious seven-seater EV9—offer speed, space, and cutting-edge tech. While the EV6 impresses with range and performance, the EV9 sets benchmarks for space and innovation, though its high price may deter buyers.
New EV6: Goes the distance in power, panache
The new EV6 looks so futuristic that place it in any of the ‘Avengers’ film series and it won’t look out of place. It is one of the world’s most advanced EVs – spacious, modern, powerful, and fast – and to test it, we went to one of India’s finest test tracks, at the Kia India plant in Andhra Pradesh, which simulates all kinds of Indian road conditions.
What is it?
Launched last month, the new EV6 is a big hatchback car – 4.7 metres long, 2.9 metre wheelbase – with a roomy cabin. More than half the dashboard is a screen, touching which you can control navigation, in-car functions, radio, phone, media, driving modes, etc. The steering wheel and the screen are oriented towards the driver.
Seats are firm and comfortable, but the rear seats seem to have limited under-thigh support – I am not sure how comfortable these would be over long distances.
The drive
The new EV6 is insanely fast – not only it can overwhelm you, but can also make some occupants nervous. This extreme acceleration is not only from 0-100 km/h (in just 5.3 seconds), but from any speed to any speed (like 40-100 km/h or 60-120 km/h). Brakes are equally strong, and provide a feeling of safety and control.
It has a low centre of gravity – the heavy battery is under the floor – and that makes its ride & handling really good, and even on sharp turns, there is almost zero body roll.
The range
The claimed driving range is 663 km, but our test car’s trip computer showed it can do about 400 km – we were pushing it to the limits. In daily driving conditions, we expect it can easily do 500 km.
One-pedal driving
Once you set the brake-energy regeneration to the maximum, the EV6 enters the one-pedal driving mode. In this mode, whenever you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, the car slows down so fast that it almost mimics conventional braking. This increases the range, as the mechanical energy of wheels gets turned into electricity, which is then stored in the battery.
Is it a good buy?
The new EV6 is a rare case of a Korean carmaker beating the Europeans in most areas. For example, the ultra-spacious EV6 (84-kWh battery pack, Rs 65.96 lakh, ex-showroom) comes across as a better deal than slightly smaller EVs such as the Volvo C40 Recharge (78 kWh, Rs 59 lakh); BMW iX1 LWB (66.5 kWh, Rs 49 lakh); BMW i4 (83.9 kWh, Rs 72.5 lakh); and Mercedes-Benz EQA (70.5 kWh, Rs 67.2 lakh). Only the Hyundai Ioniq 5 (72.6 kWh, Rs 46 lakh) seems to be a better deal.
Kia EV9: Peerless, but has solid peers; priceless, but only if it’s priced less
A box-shaped car is unlikely to win design accolades, but the EV9 is no regular box – not just design awards, it was judged the World Car of the Year 2024. But is it that good – best in the world?
What is the EV9?
Kia is developing nine born-electric cars – the smallest will be the EV1 (yet to come), and the biggest is the EV9. It’s a proper seven-seat EV, with enough space for adults even in the third row (which usually isn’t the case with EVs such as Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV).
But it’s quite expensive (Rs 1.29 crore) – even more than the EQS SUV (Rs 1.28 crore).
How does it look?
It looks futuristic, but the real deal is when you step inside – there is actual room for five adults and their luggage for days, or for seven adults on a day-trip without much luggage.
The second row is the best place to be – these are captain seats (individual seats with armrests) with relaxation and massage functions – and the second row has its own sunroof. There is technology everywhere – for example, the cabin mirror is digital (a camera projects rear image to the cabin mirror, minimising blind spots), you can charge you laptop or other devices using a three-pin plug, and the entire dashboard is a screen (made of three screens).
How does it drive?
It looks lethargic, but is as quick as the EV6, and can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 5.3 seconds – it even beat the EV6 in our test runs on the Kia high-speed track. And while it looks like a van, it’s an authentic SUV, with an all-wheel drive powertrain, and drive and terrain modes.
What’s the range?
The claimed range is 561 km, but expect 400-450 km in actual conditions.
Is it the world’s best?
It definitely is among the best cars in the world, not just among the best EVs. It’s fast, spacious, tech-loaded, and can be charged at an ultra-fast speed of 350 kW (10-80% in just 24 minutes), but at Rs 1.29 crore, the EV9 is very expensive, even more than the EQS SUV.
Overall, the EV9 is amazing, but its interior – though functional and the most spacious among luxury EVs – doesn’t feel as luxurious as that of a Mercedes-Benz, and Kia’s brand value somehow doesn’t match the price point.
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This article was first uploaded on April eighteen, twenty twenty-five, at forty-nine minutes past ten in the night.
