Kia EV6 Review (Long Term): Punches Way Above It’s Weight

When Kia launched the EV6 in India back in June 2022, it signaled a seismic shift for a brand known for making affordable, reliable, and feature-packed cars. But a ₹60-lakh electric vehicle with performance figures that rival supercars? That was a curveball nobody saw coming. Earlier last year, the Kia was sent to my garage EV6 for a long-term review, and the timing couldn’t have been better.

As 2024 drew to a close, I took the Kia EV6 through its paces for one final time before sending it back to the brand after driving it for 10,458 km. Last week, I took it to my brother’s wedding in Badaun, Uttar Pradesh, which was the perfect excuse for one final real-world range test on India’s expanding expressway network and dusty bylanes. It also gives me the opportunity to see how its battery health holds after 6 months of driving.

With the wedding in my rearview mirror and thousands of kilometers on the odometer, I’ve got plenty to share. So buckle up as I dig deep and uncover whether the Kia EV6 is truly worth over Rs 60 lakhs — or just another EV trying to find its place in the Indian automotive landscape.

But before I get too excited, let’s begin my long-term review of the Kia EV6 with some figures. So the Kia EV6 comes with a 77.8kW battery, which is almost twice the size of the Tata Nexon’s battery. It claims to offer a total range of 708 kms on a single charge. Further, this produces about 320bhp of power and 605Nm of torque, helping the car achieve a 0-100 dash in just 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 192 kmph.

Kia EV6 Review - Design & Build

With the figures out of the way, let’s talk about the design. Now, this car looks straight out of a Sci-Fi movie (yes, there are many other EVs in the market that give a similar feel). From the front, it has this aggressive yet bulky look with full LED headlamps and a sweeping bonnet. We get these triangle-like headlights, and the front bumper has these angular supercar elements going for it, giving that sports coupe-like feel to the design.

From the sides, the car comes with really prominent curves that add to the whole bulk of the design. There aren’t many sharp angles and lines except on the front bumper. The sides are just very neatly designed curves that give this car a wide and planted look. The door handles, like many other options currently, are plush into the doors and pop out when you unlock the car. My favorite part about the car’s broad shoulders and curves is when you’re looking back from the ORVMs, and you can see the arches that come from the back, shaping the car’s sides. Gives you a feeling that you’re driving something badass.

At the back, the car has a rather thick look. It has connecting tail lamps, which are shaped like an arch, which also connect from the bottom, creating another arch. The shape that the top and bottom arch create resonates with the Kia EV6’s steering wheel design, which is a nice touch.

On the inside as well, the Kia EV6 has a very premium look and feel to it. The dashboard has two 12.3-inch displays – one is the fully digital instrument cluster for the driver, and the other is the infotainment display. The whole unit that holds the two screens also curves slightly. Below the screens, we have the horizontal vents for the air conditioning, and right under that is the switchable control panel, which has touch controls for the climate control and car settings. You can switch between the two with the click of a button (more on this later).

The center console was my favourite part of the design. The Kia EV6 has a floating center console that has the start-stop button, the drive selector, and the controls for parking assist, auto hold feature, and a 360-degree camera. Between these buttons and the center armrest, there is a neatly tucked wireless charger for your smartphone as well. And yes, the controls for heated and ventilated seats, along with the heated steering button, are also placed neatly in the front of the floating center console.

The interiors of the Kia EV6 are all made of premium materials. The seats are plush and comfortable, with ample legroom for all kinds of people who would want to sit in the back. The seats are made of a fabric-like material which feels like something in between leather and fabric. The best part about the back seat, which I say about every EV, is that there is no transmission tunnel, so the footbed is absolutely flat, making it easier for 3 or more people to sit in the back seat. With the Kia EV6, the back seat can also be reclined, which just adds to the comfort.

Across the car, there are diagonal lines or accents that add a little bit of variation to the design. I’m not sure if I liked it, but among the people who sat in the car with me, most seemed to like that little bit of a design detail.

And while talking about the interior design, it would be unfair to talk about the ambient lighting. The ambient lighting is really good and luminant. We can choose from 64 different colours, so it can be set according to the user’s taste and preference.

Overall, the Kia EV6 is designed really well inside and out. The rear of the car may have mixed reviews. I myself am not sure if I like how bulky it looks from the back, but apart from that, there is hardly anything about this design that I don’t like. Be it the interiors or the car’s road presence, everything just reeks of premiumness. And let’s not forget the build quality. The car feels sturdy and strong, so slight bumps and brushes won’t really hurt the sheet metal. Overall, I give it a 7 on 10 in design.

Kia EV6 Review: Features and Comfort

Now, let’s talk about features and comfort. This may be the longest section of the review, so hang tight. First, I will start with everything on the outside. First, we will talk about the LED headlamps. The Kia EV6 gets these triangle-shaped headlights which are full LED units with integrated fog lamps. With this headlight, we are also getting sequential indicators, which add to that whole premium feel. At the back as well, we get connected LED taillamps, which also come with sequential turn indicators.

The car comes with reach sensors, which unlock the Kia EV6 the moment you walk toward the car without the need to press the unlock button on the key fob. The tailgate is also automatic, which is a bit of a hit-and-miss since there is no specific gesture required to open the boot, and it just randomly opens up once you walk toward the back of the car. Furthermore, the charging port cover is also electronic and can be closed manually as well.

On the inside is where the real magic begins. First, there are welcome seats, which go back when you open the door for you to easily get in the car and then get back in position once you close the door or start the car. As mentioned, we are getting a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment system, both housed in the same curved unit. The digital instrument cluster gives you a plethora of information. Apart from the range and speed, it will show you all the necessary details while driving the car.

Be it your cruise control or ADAS settings, tire pressure monitor, or blind spot indicators, every piece of information that you need while driving the car is there on the digital instrument cluster. If you are using Google Maps with Android Auto or Apple Car Play, the navigation can also appear on the digital screen above the steering, which is more useful than you’d think.

Coming to the 12.3-inch infotainment system is basically the main screen of the car. Each and every car setting – from ADAS to cruise control, to lights, to sound, to display settings each and every control for the car is there in this infotainment system. In fact, despite having a separate touch panel for climate control, the Kia EV6 gives you the option of controlling that as well from the display itself. Now, there are so many things that I am having a tough time recalling everything, but it is just astonishing the amount of things you can do from this 12.3-inch display.

Two major issues that I have with this infotainment system are; first, I wasn’t able to get Android Auto to work. Yes, the Kia EV6 GT Line AWD variant, being a close-to 70 lakh car (on-road), didn’t have wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play, and with the wired connection, I wasn’t able to get it to work on both my Android phone or iPhone. This was after I tried both ports with different wires, but nothing seemed to work.

Talking about ports, we get a sufficient amount of ports with this car. Up front, right below the center console, there is one USB type-C and one USB-A port, and there are two more type-C ports placed neatly within the front seats of the EV6. To add to all this, there is also a 16A wall socket below the back seats, in case users want to power other things while on the road. Nifty.

Coming to other features of this car, we are getting 8-way adjuastible electronic seats for both the front passengers along with memory function. Both these seats are heated and ventilated, and it also comes with a heated steering. Sounds super comfortable, well it is, especially during the biting Delhi winters.

Furthermore, there are other features. For example, we do get an automatic dimming rearview mirror, and we get a sunroof, which is not panoramic. The Kia EV6 also has blind spot indicators and monitors. Basically, apart from the indicator on the ORVMs, the car also uses the cameras on the bottom of the mirrors to show oncoming traffic on the digital cluster. Good feature, but most people prefer checking the mirrors.

So yes, in terms of features and comfort, there is hardly anything missing. You name it, the Kia EV6 has it. The car comes with all the bells and whistles and some more in order to appeal to all kinds of users. Now, I’ll be honest here and say that people who aren’t very tech-savvy may have a hard time navigating through all the features and options, but for a techie like myself, this was nothing short of a fest each time I sat inside the Kia EV6.

Kia EV6 Review: Performance

Now, coming to how the car drives. This is where many people seem to have an opinion about EVs not being as fun as ICE-powered cars. And while that remains largely true in the case of mass-market cars like the Tata Nexon EV or the Tiago EV, or even the XUV400 from Mahindra, it is definitely not the case with powerful cars like the Kia EV6.

Now, this is the most powerful EV that I have driven so far. Before this, I had experienced the MG ZS EV for a sufficient amount of time, and that itself was quite a lot of fun, except maybe the lack of sound and vibrations. But then comes this 325bhp and 605Nm beast with a much wider body and thicker rubber for better aero and grip.

So, in terms of speed and acceleration, this is so fast that it’s frightening. The Kia EV6 is so quick that you don’t need the engine sounds and vibrations tingling your spine to feel the rush. With a 605Nm toque available in an instant, this itself is frightening enough. Close to 2,000kgs being pulled in an instant really makes your head spin and your heart pound faster as the G-Force does its thing. With regenerative braking and traction control off, this car can go from 0 to 100kmph in just 3.5 seconds!

Let alone the power and instant torque, the Kia EV6 is also super fun to drive in the city. And it is convenient. The KERS (regenerative braking) helps you slow down in city traffic, requiring very minimal braking input. Then there is the i-Pedal feature, which makes the Kia EV6 a single-pedal drive car. How does that work? When you put the regenerative braking to max, the car starts braking itself in a way that it can also come to a complete halt during traffic. This is another feature I used a lot while driving in Delhi traffic and it does make things much more comfortable.

Talking apart from the braking and acceleration, even the Kia EV6’s suspension felt really nice. It stiffens a little bit when in sports mode and is on the softer side when driving in Eco or Normal modes. So going over potholes or speed-breakers never makes the car roll or move too much; it is very comfortable over small bumps.

Coming to the steering wheel usually, in EVs, the steering wheel also feels a little artificial, and the rotating angles are much smaller than those of normal ICE cars. Now, that could be because of steer-by-wire technology, but I doubt the mass market cars like the Tata Nexon use steer-by-wire tech. The Kia EV6, on the other hand, has a really good steering wheel feel.

This did not feel like an EV steering. It turned a full 900 degrees, which is close to how much ICE cars turn, and the feedback is really good. Never, during my driving, did I feel like I’m driving an EV. And despite the steering wheel being so nice and good, the turning radius of the Kia EV6 is huge. But that has nothing to do with the steering or handling. The car itself is really long and wide so it will take a little bit of space to make a U-turn. 

Kia EV6 Review: Battery & Charging

Coming to the most important part – the range of the car. Now, in the beginning of the review, I had said that I took the Kia EV6 to Badaun, which is about 200kms from Delhi. And in one single charge, the car was easily able to go all the way and come back to Delhi, with about 10% of the battery left. So overall, it gave me more than 500 kms of range on a single charge.

Now, close to 500kms is much less than the claimed range of 708, but do keep in mind that I was driving this mostly on the highways during my range test and the car was mostly at speeds close to 100kms. And no, this is not like our ICE cars. With EVs, the faster you drive them, the quicker the battery drains so I believe in city driving, this car can easily give around 550kms on one charge.

So yes, this car is fun; it feels comfortable and fast and gives enough range to even go the distance depending on the charging infrastructure. I absolutely loved driving the Kia EV6, and even without the engine vibrations and everything, it felt like an absolute blast each time I drove this car, especially on highways. The instant torque really made overtaking easier and helped me cut my travel time by a margin, and the regenerative braking made driving in Delhi’s busy traffic a breeze. At times, I struggled to get it through narrow lanes, but that is an issue with every wide and long car. 

Review Verdict: Should You Buy the Kia EV 6?

Smartprix Rating: 8.7/10

Design and Build: 8.5/10

Features and Tech: 9/10

Performance: 9/10

Comfort and Space: 8.5/10

Battery and Charging: 8.5/10

So, that was my rather detailed long-term review of the Kia EV6. This car, despite being an EV, is super fun and, at the same time, practical (if you can get over the ₹60 lakh+ price tag). It has all the features you can ask for and will also appeal to enthusiasts with power figures that even put yesterday’s supercars to shame.

I love how it looks, except the rear which could have been more sleek, I really liked all the comfort and safety features it had. However, during my time, two things were extremely problematic – one, Android Auto or Apple CarPlay not working, and two – the car randomly turns the forward collision feature on, which can be fatal. In India, traffic is very dense, and cars are jampacked with less than inches between them. If the forward collision isn’t off, it can break suddenly and result in crashes very easily.

But apart from these couple of features not working seamlessly, the car was absolutely lovely. The fact that you are getting supercar-like performance along with an electric powertrain means maximum fun with minimal running cost. Now, which Indian worth their salt won’t be all for that deal. If only they can afford the over 60 lakh price tag.

First reviewed in January 2025.

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