Kia EV6 GT “True GT” with Taycan 4S-beating pace

Neon highlights mark out GT; cabin is rich and tech-heavy

OFFICIAL PICTURES Kia EV6 GT is ‘true grand tourer’

Taycan 4S-baiting range-topper gets 577bhp but majors on enjoyment and comfort

he new EV6 GT is Kia’s

Tmost powerful car yet, but it will be a true grand tourer with a high degree of versatility, according to the brand’s development guru.

The range-topping version of the electric crossover features a dual-motor powertrain with combined outputs of 577bhp and 546lb ft of torque, resulting in a 0-62mph time of 3.5sec and a top speed of 161mph – making it faster than the Porsche Taycan 4S.

Yet Albert Biermann, the Hyundai Motor Group’s retired R&D boss who now serves as an advisor, promised that the EV6 GT “will be a true GT”.

He said: “We started GT on the Stinger, and the GT is always the top-of-the-line model. It’s not a car for the race track; it’s a different story. This is designed for long-distance touring, and it offers good speed while being enjoyable to drive.”

The EV6 GT uses the same motors as top-end versions of the regular EV6. However, while the front unit remains at 214bhp, the rear one has been raised to 362bhp through the use of a second inverter.

Also fitted is an electronic limited-slip differential, which balances power between the four wheels.

The GT retains the regular EV6’s 77.6kWh battery, giving it a range of 263 miles, and is capable of ultra-fast charging, with 10-80% taking 18 minutes.

Biermann noted that the Hyundai Motor Group’s EVspecific E-GMP platform “is a fantastic base to start with” for a performance car, adding: “It didn’t need fundamental changes, because it can handle this level of power.”

Kia engineers added extra control arms to the front axle to give the system more freedom and retuned the steering and adaptive dampers to balance performance with comfort at high speeds.

There’s also a dedicated GT driving mode, activated via a button on the steering wheel, that optimises the motors, braking, steering, suspension, e-LSD and electronic stability control for performance.

The upgraded motors and performance tweaks will also be used on the forthcoming Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, but Biermann insisted that the freedom the E-GMP platform offers means the two brands can have “different fun cars”.

The Ioniq 5 N is set to take a more hardcore approach.

While the powertrain and vehicle settings have been heavily reworked, the design makeover for the EV6 GT is relatively limited. There’s a unique clamshell bonnet, new front and rear bumpers, a small rear aero spoiler, neon-look brake calipers and special 21in alloy wheels.

Inside, it gains suedetrimmed bucket seats and special GT design elements.

The EV6 GT is due on sale later this year. Pricing has yet to be set, but it will sit above the £53,595 EV6 GT-Line.

However, Biermann joked that “if you want to have something comparable with the GT spirit like this car, you would have to spend more than twice the money. So you can have one EV6 GT for the week in grey and then one in a bright colour for the weekend.” JAMES ATTWOOD

ALBERT BIERMANN DRIVES A PROTOTYPE FOR US

Our first taste of the EV6 GT came from the passenger seat with Albert Biermann driving. From a short test route that consisted largely of German autobahn, we can’t offer too many dramatic insights.

What we can tell you is the EV6 GT is impressively quick to accelerate and cruises effortlessly at high speeds.

Biermann insisted that our car wasn’t finished, describing it as “a mix of prototype and pre-production”. Even so, it felt settled and composed, and Biermann demonstrated how he has learned to use Kia’s i-Pedal energy recuperation system to aid spirited driving.

We could feel differences in the car’s poise as he switched driving modes, but even in GT mode the ride didn’t feel overly stiff, helped by the enveloping bucket seats.

We will have to drive it to know for sure, but it certainly seems Kia’s new performance car has embraced the ‘grand tourer’ ethos. GT can go from 0-62mph in 3.5sec and reach 161mph