Yahoo Autos 2023 Kia EV6 GT First Drive Review: Kia's 576-hp mack daddy EV finally arrives
LAS VEGAS – This is the E-GMP car we’ve been waiting for. As great as the Hyundai Group triplets of Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60 are, we’ve always known that something greater (and far more powerful) was lurking in future: this 576-horsepower 2023 Kia EV6 GT. Despite impressing with their state-of-the-art EV architecture, unique designs, distinctive interiors and compelling value, none of them could be described as fun in the traditional sense. They’re heavy, a bit soft and sit kind of high. So, now that the EV6 GT is finally here, does it actually deliver that missing ingredient?
If it does, it will do so stealthily, as the GT is nearly impossible to tell apart from just another GT-Line car (you can see how that visually differs from the base Wind trim level here). The body is identical save for slightly different grille inserts and rear diffuser panel. It does get 21-inch wheels and lime-green brake calipers, which are monoblock units grasping larger rotors (15-inch front, 14.2-inch rear). The interior is similarly, well, similar to GT-Line, though it now has lime green accents and "GT" badges. The steering wheel also has a big green button labeled "GT," which selects its most hardcore drive mode. We'll get into that in a minute.
The main difference is the addition of sporty bucket seats, and they're a massive improvement over the standard EV6 seats in terms of overall support. Big strong bolsters hug you, but not so tight to be unpleasant for those of bigger builds (I'm approximately 300 pounds for reference). They have deeper lower sections that provide better thigh support. They're heated, too, but unfortunately, they’re also only manually adjustable. This is a bummer for a car that costs more than $60,000 and for a range-topping Kia, a company that prides itself on stuffing its cars with features for reasonable prices. While I might happily trade power controls for better-shaped seats as I would in a Mustang or Porsche, how many will be irked that their range-topping Kia EV6 lacks a common feature found on a $23,000 Soul?
Things are much different under the skin, though, and the obvious change is in the GT's powertrain. Both motors are more potent than those in the regular all-wheel-drive EV6s at 215 horsepower for the front and 362 at the rear. Combined they make 576 hp and 545 pound-feet of torque – increases of 256 hp and 99 lb-ft. Kia also claims these motors will propel the 4,795-pound EV6 GT to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds with a top speed of 161 mph. We didn't get it going that fast, but we did have the opportunity to run it on a drag strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, managing an 11.7-second quarter-mile time with a trap speed of 117. Numbers aside, you can really feel the added power. It'll pin you hard, and it feels strong all the way through highway speeds, only starting to taper slightly past 100 mph.
Interestingly, Kia noted during the press launch that peak power starts to dip below the 70% charge mark, but did not indicate by how much. We did have some time to drive the cars with full charges as well as partially depleted on the street and, at least in that real-world environment, could not detect a loss in power. But if you're planning on tracking a GT or doing some other high-performance driving, you'll probably want to make sure you charge it to the brim, and then go easy on the way to the track.
