Written by CJ Hubbard Updated: 11 July 2025

Overview

Should you buy a Kia EV6 GT?

The Kia EV6 GT mid-life facelift builds upon what was already a very impressive high-performance electric vehicle (EV) and manages to deliver tangible improvements in nearly every area – including an injection of bespoke technology that only Kia and Hyundai can currently offer buyers. That it does so at a lower price than before is the icing on the cake. So, yes, if you like the rest of the package you should definitely buy one.

It has (much) more power than price-comparable electric rivals such as the Ford Mustang Mach-e, and is an absolutely bargain versus blue-blooded premium alternatives that match the Kia’s performance – a Porsche Macan Turbo, for instance, costs £30,000 more.

For this reason, the closest alternative is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which shares the same platform and drivetrain technology. The two relations have very different characters, however, with the Kia trading the manic intensity of the Hyundai for a more comfortable and – dare I say it – laid back approach. Only you can decide which suits you better. But be in no doubt that the EV6 GT is a crowning achievement, and a fine range-topper for one of the best electric cars on sale.

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What’s new?

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Kia has changed far more than the looks for the facelifted EV6 GT. This top-of-the-line performance variant now has a mammoth 650hp – that’s 65hp more than the original version. It will do 161mph flat out and 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds. It is very, very fast.

Headlining the technical changes, however, is a new Virtual Gear Shift (VGS). This is intricately coded software that allows this single-speed electric car to pretend – very convincingly – that it has six gear ratios, which you can control via paddleshifters on the steering wheel. This innovation has been transferred over from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the only other EV to offer it, but in a way that’s particular to the Kia rather than a carbon copy.

Beyond this, the EV6 GT now has more compliant – though still adjustable – suspension, a larger battery, a longer driving range, and it charges more quickly, too. It comes absolutely loaded with standard equipment to the extent that the only options are fancier paint. And priced from £59,985, it is £2,690 cheaper than the old model at the time of its UK launch in June 2025.

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What’s it like inside?

The inside – like the outside – is beset with neon green detailing. This is a bit much for me but, together with the sporty front seats, certainly underlines that this is something a little out of the ordinary compared with the rest of the EV6 line-up. Better news is that the fingerprint-prone ‘piano black’ trim of the previous version has been replaced by a brushed plastic finish that won’t show marks in the same way.

Overall, the interior feel is modern and very spacious. While a prominent touchscreen dominates the dashboard – now running Kia’s latest connect car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) infotainment system – there are still a lot of buttons. It’s not immediately clear what all of them do, so expect a small learning curve.

Many of these controls can also be customised or have hidden functions. But once you know, for example, that holding down the volume dial on the steering wheel mutes the speed limit exceeded warning noise, there is a certain logic to the choices Kia has made. I have few complaints; even if you do have to delve quite deeply into the menu structure of the infotainment to access some functions this is easy enough to work out.

Other changes inside include revised rear seats, which offer greater comfort and versatility since they now split-fold 60:40 and include a ski-hatch. Build quality appears to be Kia’s usual high standard. Though some of the materials seem a touch cheap for a £60k car, nothing rattled for me during an initial two-day, 200-mile encounter over some very challenging roads.

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Kia EV6 GT boot space and practicality

The EV6 GT has a 480-litre boot under the tailgate with a further 20 litres of storage under the bonnet at the front, ideal for charging cables. That’s exactly the same amount of primary luggage space as the Ioniq 5 N, and an electric Macan offers only slightly more at 488 litres. The Mustang Mach-e is smaller at 402 litres. A conventionally powered Audi Q5 Sportback has a 510-515-litre boot.

The Kia’s cabin has loads of nooks and crannies for stashing stuff you need more closely to hand.

Kia EV6 GT electric motors, driving range and charging

There are two electric motors doing the work here: a 303kW item at the back and a smaller 175kW motor at the front. This gives the EV6 all-wheel drive, further enhanced by an electronic limited slip differential (eLSD); do not assume this means entirely unflappable grip – this is a very powerful, significantly rear-biased car, and it will behave in this manner if driven carelessly. Fun if you’re expecting it, potentially scary if you’re not.

The new, fourth-generation 84.0kWh battery pack is an upgrade over the 77.4kWh battery fitted previously. This not only offers 16 more miles of driving range for a total of 279 miles per charge (according to WLTP measurements), it also charges more quickly.

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Under optimum conditions on a 350kW public charger, 10-80% should be possible in just 18 minutes. A more basic 50kW public charger will juice the same in 76 minutes, which is still impressive. Home or office AC charging will require upwards of 7.5 hours.

Out in the real world, I halved Kia’s quoted 3.0 miles per kWh efficiency figure during my most committed driving, and ended up with an overall average of 1.9. That’s equivalent to just under 160 miles of driving range – though to be clear, you will be able to go further than that unless you’re planning to be foot to the floor everywhere.

What’s it like to drive?

Starting my initial test drive from the centre of a busy Dundee, Kia’s work on the suspension is immediately obvious. The new EV6 GT is more comfortable and compliant than the original, broadening its appeal as a grand touring car. With such large 21-inch alloy wheels, there’s still an edge to the way it rides over potholes and bumps, but with the adjustable shock absorbers set to their softest it’s all perfectly bearable.

It’s not small, though – feeling wide and long when threading through city-centre traffic and then out on Scottish country roads. The steering is also just a touch too synthetic, never quite delivering an authentic sense of feedback. And as you start to go faster, the unavoidable impact of a 2,200kg kerbweight starts to become apparent. Even with the suspension at its firmest there’s still a distracting amount of roll in the corners at first.

All of which is a long-winded way of saying the EV6 GT doesn’t feel as instantly cohesive as the Ioniq 5 N. This is an impression that continues when I start experimenting with the Virtual Gear Shift. With two fewer pretend gear ratios, a lower artificial rev limiter than the Hyundai and less synthetic engine noise, Kia’s variant of this seems strangely stunted by comparison. More of a hinderance to a good time than an enabler.

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However, in many respects these are minor defects in the broader context of what is an exceptionally fast car. And once I start to get used to the character Kia has clearly made an effort to instil – that of big, torquey GT car rather than a pent-up hot hatchback – the whole thing begins to gel. You don’t need to over-drive this car to make very rapid progress, and once you get into the swing of things it becomes really very enjoyable.

I found using the variable brake regeneration – the amount the electric motors’ drag slows the car when you release the accelerator – a satisfying way to interact with the car, and liked how much influence the customisable driving modes exert over the EV6’s personality. The stopping power available via the brake pedal is consistently mighty, too, adding a final measure of reassurance. This is an easy and engaging way to cover big distances quickly.

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What models and trims are available?

The EV6 GT comes in a single specification, and is extremely well equipped – as you’d expect from a range-topping model. During my relatively short acquaintance so far, I can’t think of anything I found to be lacking.

Our Kia EV6 GT6 spec pages can fill you in on all the details.

What else should I know?

As ever, Kia gives you a fully transferable seven-year / 100,000-mile warranty on the car, with the battery systems covered for the mandatory eight years / 100,000 miles. The service intervals are two years or 20,000 miles.

On the next page you’ll find a recap of what I do and don’t like about the Kia EV6 GT as well as our detailed star ratings. And don’t forget, you can find out all about how we test cars on our dedicated explainer page. Here’s why you should trust us, too.