Driven - Kia EV6 GT: Kia's blisteringly fast electric flagship

Price as tested: £59,895 | On sale: now

Hyundai might have stolen all the headlines with the loony Ioniq 5 N – a car that really caught the imagination of car enthusiasts, which is no small feat for an electric car – but it was the Kia EV6 GT that first tried to have a stab at this.

Launched back in 2022, the first EV6 GT was based on the brand’s excellent EV6 electric SUV, but it never quite lived up to its performance figures. Blisteringly fast in a straight line, it didn’t quite have the dynamism or the connection we’d hoped for, instead feeling more like an even faster version of the standard car.

Fast-forward a couple of years, and with the standard car getting a tweak here and there with a midlife facelift, it’s given Kia the chance to have another stab at the EV6 GT. And it would probably be fair to say that Kia’s also taken some inspiration from what sister brand Hyundai has achieved with the Ioniq 5 N.

So what’s changed? Well, if you’ve been scanning the spec sheet of the Ioniq 5 N, some of the Kia EV6 GT’s numbers might look a little familiar. The battery has increased to 84kWh, up from the original’s 77kWh, which now sees an official range of up to 279 miles, while power has been boosted by 24PS to a staggering 609PS. All this power is sent to all four wheels and will rocket the EV6 GT to 62mph in a supercar-beating 3.5 seconds. It’s probably no surprise to hear that that’s exactly the same time as the Ioniq 5 N. 

The key differentiator between the two cars is the styling, and it's fair to say that both have a very distinctive look. The facelifted EV6 GT enjoys the same tweaks as the standard car, but it sits on huge 21-inch alloy wheels that cloak large neon green brake calipers, while the front bumper has been sharpened up further to make it stand out from the rest of the range. As striking as the Ioniq 5 N? That’ll come down to personal taste, but the Hyundai, to our eyes, looks the more imposing and aggressive. Others will probably favour the EV6 GT’s more rakish design. 

The interior has also been given some love as well and has been elevated beyond the standard car’s cabin. This means that a lot of the gloss black surfaces have been swapped for matte black, while there’s lots of brushed metal and neon green highlights. Sink into the suede-covered bucket seats, and you feel properly enveloped by the EV6 GT’s interior, while there’s absolutely acres of space – take a look at our EV6 review where we go into more detail about that. 

Do all of these changes make it a better driving experience? The straight-line pace is still immense, but don’t expect that performance all the time. If you’ve got one eye on range and have the EV6 GT set in its ‘Normal’ driving mode, you’re not going to be able to unleash the car’s full potential. It’s still quick, but you won’t be getting close to those headline numbers. Even in GT mode, performance is held back a touch, though a 0-62mph time of 4.5 seconds is still incredibly brisk. For the full force of those motors working in unison, you’ll need to engage launch control. 

It’s not just about belting away from the line - even the standard EV6 is no slouch, but Kia has looked to make the EV6 GT a more engaging driving experience with this update. This sees the arrival of a  ‘virtual gear shift’ that impressed with the Ioniq 5 N. It’s not a carbon copy though, with the system in the EV6 GT opting for six ‘gears’ (the 5 N has eight if you’re curious), while the artificial engine note is different and more subtle, so you don’t quite get the drama that you enjoy with the 5 N. 

That said, it’ll still put a big smile on your face on the right stretch of road. It’s a big and heavy car at 2.2 tonnes, but once on the move, this is soon forgotten, and it can be properly fun. The firm ride that hindered the EV6 GT when it was launched has had its edges smoothed off to deliver a more supple ride, and while it's not perfect, it can be a very comfy motorway cruiser. 

The updated Kia EV6 GT, then, is a big improvement on the original, and it’s more affordable than when it went on sale, now starting at £59,985 - significantly less than something like a Porsche Taycan that matches it for performance. 

The only thing really holding the EV6 GT is the Ioniq 5 N. It’s the better, more focused car, but at over £5000 more than the EV6 GT, some buyers will be more than happy with its more rounded stablemate. 

Engine	84kWh battery, dual electric motors
Power	609PS
Range	289 miles (WLTP)