Kia To Open Books For 2023 EV6 In India

Kia EV6 has swept a slew of prestigious awards for its design, technology, and innovation excellence including the 2022 Car of the Year and SUV of the Year at the Red Dot Award, 2022 Korean Car of the Year, 2022 European Car of the Year, 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, and Green Car Award 2023 by ICOTY.

The South Korean automaker through its Kia India subsidiary will open the books to Indians for the 2023 Kia EV6 on April 15, 2023. The EV will be available in two trims namely the GT Line and GT Line AWD. The prices will be INR 60.95 lakh ($74,203) and INR 65.95 lakh ($80,293) respectively.

Kia EV6 was built on the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The automaker touts the vehicle as the perfect combination of exciting electric performance, innovative technologies, progressive engineering, and bold design.

“We are thrilled with the response to our first premium EV offering, the EV6, which has established itself as a design and technology marvel and has won multiple awards since its launch,” said Tae-Jin Park, MD & CEO, Kia India. “As a symbol of our commitment to electrification and sustainability, the EV6 has created history by becoming one of the best-selling products in its first year.”

Kia EV6 received overwhelming acceptance when it was launched in the Indian market in June 2022. The automaker revealed that it has delivered 432 units of the vehicle in the last seven months which is four times higher than the number originally allotted to the Indian market.

“For this year, we are focusing on importing more products to cater to the audiences who couldn’t get their hands on the premium car last year by expanding our dealer network,” Park said. “We are confident that the EV6 will continue to lead the premium EV segment with its splendid performance in the market.”

Kia plans to expand its network of dealers from 15 outlets in 12 cities to 60 outlets in 44 cities. The automaker also plans to bring 150 kW high-speed charger networks to all 60 outlets.

Performance features of the Kia EV6

The Kia EV6 is loaded with the most advanced EV features including vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, fast DC charging, ADAS, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, a curved digital console, and connected car tech.

The GT Line derives its power from a single PMS electric motor with an output of 226 bhp and 350 Nm torque. On the other hand, the GT Line AWD is equipped with dual motors that churn out 320 bhp and 605 Nm of peak torque.

The GT Line AWD can move from 0 to 62 miles in 5.2 seconds and makes use of a 77.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Kia EV6 promises a range of 440 miles (ARAI certified) on a single charge. When the books open for the Kia EV6 in India, it will be available in five colors namely Snow White Pearl, Aurora Black Pearl, Moonscape, Yacht Blue, and Runway Red.

Kia wants to sell 1 million EVs in 2026

Kia announced on April 5 that it wants to sell 1 million EVs in 2026 as it transitions into a “sustainable mobility solution provider”. The Korean automaker revealed during the CEO Investment Day earlier this year that it will launch the all-electric EV9 flagship SUV in the domestic market before the end of the first half of this year and gradually introduce 15 models by 2027.

Kia plans to add the EV9 GT-line and performance EV9 GT models to the EV lineup later this year. The EV9 will be the second time that Kia’s model is equipped with Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated EV platform called E-GMP. The first was the EV6 which was launched in 2021.

Kia plans to introduce its connectivity services to most new EVs that will be launched after 2025 so that they will be constantly updated through over-the-air updates without having to take them to the dealer.

The automaker also has plans to complete a purpose-built vehicle (PBV) plant in the Autoland Hwaseong factory before the end of 2024. Once it is completed, the production of midsized PBVs will commence in mid-2025.

PBVs can be used as movable offices, unmanned cargo carriers, robotaxis, or other purposes. The company revealed it will launch a midsized PBV and slowly introduce a self-driving PBV-based robotaxi and larger PBVs will follow later.

The Korean automaker’s long-term goal is to invest 32 trillion won ($24.4 billion) in the next five years in future mobility. The automaker plans to sell 4.3 million vehicles by 2030 and 1.6 million of that number will be battery-powered.

This year, the company has set the goal of selling 3.2 million vehicle units out of which 2.6 million should be sold overseas. In the first quarter of 2023, the company recorded a 12% rise in sales to 767,700 units from 685,738 within the same period last year.

A peek at the all-new Kia EV9

The Kia EV9 has a stunning design and the world got to see it first at the Seoul Mobility Show. Arguably the first distinct interior feature of Kia EV9 is the 180 degrees second-row swivel seats allowing the second row to face the third row.

The high-end variant like the EV9 GT Line can be equipped with digital side mirrors and comes equipped with Kia’s Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) system, a Level 3 semi-autonomous function that can be turned on with the push of a button on the steering wheel.

Also, the GT Line is equipped with two separate sunroofs—one each for the front and second rows. The full specification is yet to be announced. However, since it will be based on an 800-volt architecture, it will likely have a range of 338 miles (WLTP cycle) on a single charge. 

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