KIA EV6 Air

KIA EV6 is a breath of fresh Air

Andrew Walker was so impressed by the KIA EV6 he made it his Medium Electric Car of the Year. Can the entry-level Air match that achievement

We got to drive the Kia EV6 last October and came away impressed enough to name it as our Medium Electric Car of the Year for 2022. What we didn’t get to do, however, was to spend anytime in the entry level EV6 Air. As it’s the cheapest EV6 proposition we felt this was an oversight, especially if you are considering one as your next company car.

We put this oversight right with a week-long loan recently.

Exterior

The front comes with a new sequential dynamic light pattern. Below this sits a low air intake for optimum aerodynamics. A character line runs along the bottom of the doors and at the back, there’s a sloping C-pillar with an integrated black glossy insert, a roof spoiler and rear lights that wrap around the edges of the boot hatch. Check out the photo above – it’s a great looking car. stretch to an EV6 Air, have no fear, it comes nicely equipped. So factor in 19” alloys, automatic LED headlights, heated front seats with adjustable driver lumbar support, a heated steering wheel, a 12.3” touchscreen infotainment system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, adaptive cruise control, dual-zone air con, rear parking sensors, a rear-view camera and vegan leather upholstery.

The more expensive EV6s add goodies such as a power boot and electrically adjusted seats.

The dashboard is dominated by the infotainment and instrument cluster screens, which stretch across two-thirds of the car. Below the central touchscreen sits a new multi-mode display which replaces physical buttons with a dedicated ‘haptic’ touchscreen, with shortcuts to control climate control, SatNav and infotainment.

The good news is that you don’t need to delve into too many sub-menus to choose what you want, a problem associated with many existing car infotainment systems. It’s easy to work, featuring a small arrow which when pushed, switches from climate to functions and frees up dashboard space.

The cabin features a range of sustainable materials and quality-wise, it’s excellent to the point that even premium car customers won’t be disappointed.

Practicality

Up front there’s a storage tray, a glovebox, twin drinks holders, two USB inputs, a normal and a C version and in the rear, twin C USB inputs located on the inside edges of the front seats. There’s also a plug socket which sits in the centre rear and two rear drinks holders. Another design feature is the floating front centre binnacle, with additional storage space underneath.

The boot offers 490 litres of storage and if you fold down the rear seats this increases to almost 1,300 litres. The EV6 also offers a ‘frunk’, 52 litres of storage under the bonnet, and space underneath the rear boot floor.

Battery range and performance

The RWD EV6 can travel up to 328 miles on a single charge. With a power output of 226bhp and maximum torque of 350Nm, it can sprint to 62mph in 7.3 seconds and will go on to reach a maximum speed of 114mph.

To clarify the range, we drove 95 miles to the Stellantis HQ in Coventry and back in the EV6 Air, 180 miles of which was on the M6. At a steady 70mph we used 193 miles of range, to travel 190 miles. Without question, after the outside temperature, driving on motorways is the biggest factor in reducing an electric vehicle’s range, and this was the first time we had come close to a 1:1 ratio of distance travelled to battery range used in a motorway test run, so hat’s off to Kia!

Charging

The EV6 comes with a multi high-speed charging system which means that the system is compatible with both 800V ultra-fast charging and more mainstream 400V fast charging, without the need for a special adapter or additional on-board charger.

A breathe of fresh EV6 Air

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The Air is fitted with a Type 2-to-Type 2 charger, as well as a Type 2-to-Domestic three-pin plug charger. A 7kW home charger will recharge the EV6 Air from 10 – 100% in 7 hours 20 minutes. A 50kW rapid charger will take the car from 10-80% in just 1 hour 13 minutes. Plug in to a 350kW ultra-fast charger and it will only take 18 minutes to recharge from 10-to-80%.

Driving modes and regeneration

Electric and plug-in hybrid cars, come fitted with several driving modes, ostensibly to save the cars battery and increase the vehicles range. In the EV6 there’s three: Eco, Normal and Sport Sport. Each does what it says on the tin. Which brings us to the i-Pedal... Alongside the driving modes, the EV6 has several levels of regen, Zero, 1, 2, 3 and then the i-Pedal. Being someone who wants to get as much range out of my electric cars battery as possible, I spent my week in the Air driving almost always in Eco mode. However, when selecting i-Pedal, which offers the highest level of regen and reduces your need for the brake, we found that it’s quite heavy and was best for stop-start urban journeys. Venture on to 30mph roads and Level 2 or 3 gives you bit more zip, while on the motorway, Level 3 or Zero allows you to drive the EV6 unhindered.

Plainly, when battery range isn’t your paramount concern, turning off the regen and driving in Sport mode opens up the performance one associates with electric cars and the EV6 Air definitely doesn’t disappoint. Its ability to iron out the shakes associated with large battery EVs also shines through. The battery weight can be felt but Kia has done a great job of masking its effects on the ride and it handles nicely.

Out and about

As electric cars become more and more mainstream, without a doubt the EV6 is a car that showcases what’s best about EVs. The cabin is one of the best out there, the interior is incredibly spacious and the car features all of the on trend tech that you’d expect. The massive 12.3” touchscreen infotainment system is easy on the eye while working extremely well.

Family members had no complaints about the amount of head and leg room, which is very impressive in the rear.

The rear seat USB inputs, located in the inside edges of the two front seats, are a nice touch and easily reached with a USB cable, as is the pull out storage, also located on the rear of the front seats.

The control functions, most of which are selected using the touchscreen and the menus located within, are well designed and quick to respond, and the graphics are also crystal clear.

The small arrow located underneath the screen switches between the climate controls and the car’s functions, such as SatNav, and works really well. It also takes no time to get used to.

Pros

The EV6 Air uses 800-volt technology, meaning the battery can charge much faster than most other electric cars. For the company car driver, it’s low BIK and 300+ driving range adds appeal.

It’s also the cheapest way into an EV6, costing £40,945.

Cons

The i-PEDAL will aid battery range but makes your right foot work hard for it. GT Line and GT Line S EV6s are better equipped and the AWD version is better to drive.

Conclusion

When we drove the EV6 GT Line and GT Line S we couldn’t help but be impressed by how good they look and drive. The EV6 Air looks the same and drives the same as the RWD GT versions.

Where the Air differs is with its lower price and, in our test car’s case, the colour, metallic grey, which is not available on GT versions. And it’s not quite as generously equipped.

Of course, like its GT siblings, where the EV6 really shines is with that 300-mile range and fast on-board charging. Even in basic Air form, the EV6 really is an exceptional electric car.

CC&V VERDICT

Anyone looking to access the qualities of the EV6 but reluctant to pay top dollar for the privilege can rest assured: the Air, while cheaper, doesn’t miss out on the key things that make the EV6 so great, such as the ride, the looks and, of course, the range.