Kia EV6 review

Where the Ioniq 5 resembles a lounge, the EV6 has a cockpit, which is probably the biggest difference between the two. It forgoes the Hyundai's flat floor and moveable centre console in favour of a static centre section (with tonnes of storage) but a much less open plan feel.

A pair of 12.3in screens span most of the dashboard; infotainment on your left, driver display straight ahead. Kia has resisted the urge to throw everything at you on the latter, instead keeping it simple with clear, easily digested readouts for speed, range, running info… that sort of thing.

Meanwhile, the infotainment - which was hardly a weak point pre-facelift - has been overhauled, with new menus, graphics and functionality. There’s even a ‘sports’ section where you can keep track of your favourite team’s latest score, or, um, your favourite golfer’s place on the leaderboard. Might keep a few drivers away from their phones, we guess.

The new setup is a little overwhelming though; the screen is very responsive but some elements could stand out more, such is the dark aesthetic that Kia has adopted. That’ll improve with familiarity, though. It’s a full five or six presses to turn the speed limit warning off, although you can shortcut it to the touch bar underneath. You’ll want to do this because it resets every time you get out.

On the subject of the touch bar: it works well. And we say that as die-hard supporters of the humble button when it comes to climate controls. We’re less keen on the touch sensitive icons for the heated/cooled seats on the centre console. 

Anything else to add?

Ergonomically the EV6 cabin works a treat. The rotary drive selector is nice and simple, and the funky-looking steering wheel shuns those haptic whatchamacallits, so you won’t accidentally change the radio station when you turn left.

New for the facelifted car is a fingerprint sensor: the car allows you to save individual driver profiles, so if multiple people in your household all drive it, they can load up their preferences quickly and easily. We haven’t tried it out yet, but in theory… sounds useful. GT-Line S cars get a three-pin socket under the rear bench for laptops etcetera. Again, might come in handy. Oh, and those top-spec cars also get an excellent Meridian sound system with 14 speakers. 

What's the quality like?

Really good. There’s the now familiar use of recycled PET bottles in the dash plastics, ‘vegan’ fake leather and all the hipsterish PR, but generally the execution is excellent, the design is attractive, and it all works. Hooray!

There’s no shortage of buttons – from the steering wheel to the centre console to the touchscreen/haptic bar – but once you’ve got the displays how you want them, you’ll be all set. The graphics are nice and crisp too.

The only thing we’d question is whether it all feels upmarket enough. Comes down to personal preference, probably. Kia would do well to take a leaf out of Volvo’s book and chuck some more natural-looking surfaces in there.

Still, it’s very comfortable: while not quite as roomy as the Ioniq 5, there’s plenty of space for passengers front and rear, with lots of clever storage solutions and neat touches that don’t trip into overkill.

Is the boot spacious?

The EV6 might be smaller than the Ioniq 5 in terms of interior volume, but that doesn't actually mean it's small: it manages 480 litres of boot space with the back seats in place, and there’s another 20 litres in the frunk. Probably enough to squeeze in a charging cable.