• Bigger battery pack = even more range
• It’s the fastest charging car in its segment
• Home charging should cost less than fuel

What are the running costs?

The facelifted Kia EV6 should be even more convenient to own than its predecessor. Its larger 84.0kWh battery has swelled the official WLTP driving range of the 230hp rear-wheel drive model from 328 to 361 miles. The 324hp four-wheel drive model has seen improvements, too – its range has increased from 314 to 324 miles.

We got remarkably close to that official figure, too. During our 71-mile test drive, our EV6 average 3.8 miles per kWh. If you do the maths, that puts its real-world range just shy of 320 miles, which is only four miles short of its WLTP figure. Granted, our test drive was in the summer when the battery was working at its best, but that’s still a mightily impressive feat. This is comfortably one of the most efficient EVs on sale.

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The EV6 now charges even more quickly, too. It still runs on the firm’s novel 800-volt architecture, but Kia has cranked up the rate at which the battery can accept a charge. So, if you can find a 350kW DC rapid charger, it still takes 18 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%, despite the extra capacity.

Plus, the EV6 can act like a massive power bank for external appliances. That’s right, you can use to charge your phone, power a television, run power tools or even charge up electric bikes and scooters. In a power cut, you could even use it to power your home.

Servicing and warranty

Kia has a cracking warranty package. Every EV6 is delivered with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, matching the likes of KGM and MG. It’s one of the longest warranties in the business, playing second fiddle only to Toyota’s 10-year Relax scheme.

Kia has a dedicated service plan for its electric cars, but it works much likes its plans for its petrol and diesel cars. It allows buyers to tailor the service they need to their car’s age, mileage and usage – and it means you can lock in the cost of servicing for the duration of the plan to protect yourself from inflation.

Reliability

• Kia has an excellent reputation
• Fewer mechanical parts in an EV
• All EV6 models feel built to last

We only have three owner reviews of the Kia EV6 – two are glowing and one is very poor. The poor one reports a major electrical system fault that turned the car into some space age lawn art but, to Kia’s testament, it was working on repairing the problem.

This is an isolated incident, though. Every EV6 we’ve encountered thus far – even the prototype ones – were assembled with far greater care and attention than the cars from rival brands such as Tesla or Volkswagen. None of the cars we’ve tested have rattled and none have encountered any mechanical failures.

Kia’s recall schedule is pretty good, too. Just three have been issued since the car was put on sale – one relating to the charger for the auxiliary battery, one relating to a driveshaft issue and one relating to an electrical fault with the parking mechanism.