Kia teases new EV6, could be here end of year

KIA Corporation has released the first set of teaser images for its upcoming EV6 electric vehicle (EV), a car that could be with us by the end of the year following confirmation it will be revealed this month.

Based on the wider Hyundai Motor Group’s ‘electric-global modular platform’ (E-GMP), the EV6 looks to feature all of Kia’s signature styling cues including the ‘tiger nose’ grille, angular headlights and bold contour lines.

Distinguishing it from the brand’s internal-combustion-engined vehicles is a shorter and more curvaceous bonnet along with a new sloping tailgate, lending the EV6 a similar silhouette to the premium Jaguar I-Pace.

At the front, the small and angular lights are mounted low in relation to the rest of the body while the rear is adorned with what looks to be a full-width LED brake strip resembling the arching tail-lights and spoiler of the current Civic RS hatch.

The curving nature of the brake strip also reveals a wide hipline, something more visible from a three-quarter angle with the flanks of the EV6 sporting both soft curves and sharper contours.

According to Kia design boss Karim Habib, the EV6 will be the embodiment of both the brand’s “purpose” and new design philosophy.

“It has been designed to inspire every journey by offering an instinctive and natural experience that improves the daily lives of our customers and provide user ownership that is simple, intuitive and integrated,” he said.

“Our aim is to design the physical experience of our brand and to create bold, original and inventive electric vehicles.”

Given it rides on the same platform as the recently revealed Ioniq 5, it would be safe to expect the EV6 to be powered by a 58kWh lithium-ion battery at the very least and offer the choice of both rear- and all-wheel drive, as per its Ioniq cousin.

Going by the numbers present in the model names and comparing the silhouette proportions, it would also be safe to assume the EV6 will be bigger than the 5 – perhaps in the segment above – which would also help prevent competition between the two if they launch at similar times.

On the subject of launches, a Kia Australia spokesperson said it was “way too early for even the slightest indication of timing” for the EV6, meaning its launch could still be some way off however we expect it to arrive this year going by previous communications from the brand.

The launch of the EV6 will mark the beginning of a new era for Kia under its Plan S strategy which will see seven EVs launched between now and 2027.

Specifically, executives say the brand will transition from a traditional auto-maker to a “leading EV brand in the market”.

Overall Kia sales Down Under are up 15.7 per cent so far this year ending February with 11,371 units sold compared to the 9825 shifted over the same two-month period last year.

With no singular model doing the bulk of the heavy lifting, the Cerato (3013) small car has proven the most popular model within the current portfolio, followed by the Seltos (1847) compact SUV and aging Sportage (1435) mid-sizer.