As Americans have started shopping for electric cars, a quick favorite has emerged. More Americans are buying, and more automakers are building, electric midsize SUVs than any other type of electric vehicle (EV).
One of the most intriguing new EVs is the 2023 Kia EV6.
Take one look at it to understand why. The EV6 is beautiful. Its aggressive shape just works. Broad shoulders and a sharp front end make it look ready to pounce.
We’ve spent quite a bit of time with the EV6 and found it as much fun as it looks. Our test driver wrote, “This really is an amazing car, electric or not. It’s fast, thrilling, and an absolute joy.”
It’s easy to imagine that we’re talking there about the powerful EV6 GT, with its 576 horsepower and standard all-wheel drive. But the least-powerful option in the EV6 is still a joy around town and on the highway.
That’s great news because the best-selling EV6, at least so far in 2023, is the least-expensive EV6. The 2023 Kia EV6 Wind uses a single electric motor on its rear axle to put out 225 horsepower.
It’s elegant inside despite having the lowest entry price in the EV6 stable.
Let’s see what the EV6 Wind has to offer.
2023 Kia EV6 Wind: $48,700
- 225-horsepower single electric motor with 258 pound-feet of torque
- 77.4 kilowatt-hour battery
- Gloss black grille and lower body cladding
- Heated, power-folding side mirrors with integrated turn signals
- Smart power tailgate
- Solar control, sound-absorbing glass
- Automatic rain-sensing wipers
- High beam assist
- Rear spoiler
- 19-inch alloy wheels with black finish
- 12.3-inch dual panoramic displays
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Vegan leather seat trim
- Dual-zone automatic climate control with auto de-fog system
- Smart key with push-button start & remote start
- Power windows with drier and front passenger one-touch auto up/down
- Wireless phone charger
- Power onboard generator
- 2 front-row and 2 second-row USB charging ports
- Meridian premium audio system with 14 speakers
- Wi-Fi Hotspot
- Forward collision-avoidance assist with car, cyclist, and pedestrian detection
- Blind-spot collision-avoidance assist
- Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist
- Driver attention warning with leading vehicle departure alert
- Lane-keeping assist
- Navigation-based smart cruise control with stop&go – curve
- Highway Driving Assist
- Parking distance warnings, forward and reverse
- Rear occupant alert
That’s an extensive list – one reason our test driver says, “the entire EV6 range has shifted upmarket.”
Competitors like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4 have lower starting prices. But they get there by skimping on luxuries that Kia makes standard.
Let’s take a closer look at some of our favorite features.
Premium Cabin
Kia designers are just playing a different game than most automotive designers this year. The EV6’s cabin is lovely. Two-tone seats (yes, even on the entry-level trim) look great. Two 12.3-inch screens mounted in a single housing look like one huge, curved screen.
Designers made the most of advancing technology with two screens. But they didn’t over-rely on it – you can still adjust the temperature with a dial without even taking your eyes from the road.
It’s a great-looking, ergonomically thoughtful cabin.
800-Volt architecture
Even if you’ve known cars well for decades, the electric age will require you to learn a few new terms and ideas. One is that not all electric cars are built for the same voltage. Even Tesla’s newest designs use 400-volt systems. That controls how fast the car can receive electricity when charging.
It won’t make a difference at home – your house can only put out 220 volts at most, anyway. It won’t make an immediate difference at most public chargers, which don’t go that high yet. But a small number do, and if you can locate one on your regular route, you can charge the EV6 faster than most rivals. And, as the infrastructure improves and DC fast chargers grow more common, your EV6 will be able to make the most of improving charging infrastructure.
Highway Driving Assist
True self-driving cars are still many years away from the market. But Kia’s Highway Driving Assist system can take over some of the workload on long drives. It combines adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist to keep the car a safe distance from traffic and centered in its lane, even around turns.
It’s not safe to take your hands off the wheel while it’s engaged. But it is safe to relax a little and trust that it will prompt you to take over when needed. In hour three on the road, that’s a big relief.
Meridian sound system
When buying most 2023 vehicles, you have to settle for six so-so speakers or pay for a higher trim level to get truly good sound.
With the EV6, even the Wind model gets a 14-speaker sound system from Meridian – the same provider Jaguar relies on for high-end audio systems.
Remarkable driving experience
With electricity, horsepower comes cheap. The least powerful EV6 has 225 horsepower – a figure that might have characterized a sporty model in the gasoline era. Like all electric cars, it makes 100% of its torque available instantly, meaning acceleration that feels more instant and surprising than gas-powered cars.
Kia could have relied on just that trait to make the EV6 feel sporty. But they put work into the handling, too. Our reviewer wrote, “In every model, the steering is precise and nicely weighted, while the brakes feel direct and confident.”
More Kia EV6
Want to learn more about the EV6 and how it compares to the competition? Read our full Kia EV6 review or find Kia EV6 models for sale near you.
