At 260 per hour, not on the track, but on the motorway. And without violating the Highway Code. Kia, which has its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany, where the model that won the title of Car of the Year 2022 is on display (also on display at Brussels airport), has chosen the German option to anticipate the advent of the GT declination of the EV6.
Actuality
Car of the Year 2022, vince la Kia EV6
OA
And, in fact, he allowed reporters to travel in the only car currently available in Europe, driven by a professional driver. That to put the chills above all to those who travel behind (who do not see much, but who thanks to the 2.9 meters of wheelbase still have space even when there are three of them at the rear) already take the access lanes with a lot of ease, confirming the machine stability. The EV6 GT is the most powerful production Kia in history. It has a comforting all-wheel drive and two electric motors that are worth 585 hp of power and 740 Nm of torque. The front unit delivers 218 HP and the rear unit adds the other 367. If the driver does not warn, the burning acceleration risks producing the same effects as a whiplash: 3.5 seconds to splash from 0 to 100. Perception is precisely that of a very high performance car, among other things with high comfort.
The gaze goes to the motorway, which is always busy around the financial capital of Germany, but the digital dashboard remains the other reference. The silence with which the GT reaches 260 per hour is almost embarrassing. The driver does not allow himself to be “bribed” and there is no way to take his place behind the wheel. At these sidereal speeds, consumption is also thrilling, as it far exceeds 40 kWh / 100 km. To reach the 400 kilometers of declared autonomy (the battery is 77.4 kW) it is necessary to return to “ordinary” speeds.
The pilot himself signals the presence of Drift mode and remembers how the procedure to activate it is rightly complex. The goal is not to make it accessible too easily: to have fun behind the wheel of a racing car with this option you have to know how to do it. The electric Gran Turismo for about 70,000 euros that will arrive in Italy close to winter is also fast in charging times: thanks to the ultra-fast 800 Volt system, 18 minutes are enough for a full 10 to 80%.
Slightly modified in design with its striking front fender-specific bumper and clamshell bonnet, the GT is fitted with large 21 ” wheels. Fluorescent ventilated brake calipers are standard (380mm discs at the front to 360mm at the rear) and complete an enhanced system designed to manage high performance. For the same reason, the steering has been recalibrated and the suspension has been recalibrated.
The car has two 12.3 ” screens for instrumentation and infotainment and an ergonomic two-spoke steering wheel with dedicated GT Drive Mode selector. The new driving mode, which optimizes the response of the engines, brakes, steering, suspension, ESC and limited-slip limited slip differential, is added to the existing Eco, Normal and Sport.
Despite the shapes and by virtue of the almost 4.7 meters in length, the EV6 GT is functional with a 480-liter trunk (1,260 with the rear seats folded down) to which must be added the 20 of the compartment under the front hood.
