2023 Kia EV6 GT Revealed – From Bargain Basement to Boutique
By Edward A. Sanchez — Aug. 19, 2022
There’s not much we didn’t already know about the 2023 Kia EV6 GT – and its “official” reveal at the 2022 Monterey Car Week didn’t really give us much more info than what has been previously shared. We knew it had 576 hp, a sub-4-second 0-60 mph time, and that it was the quickest and fastest Kia model to date. We know it will have the now all-important “drift mode” and an electronic limited-slip differential. We do now have, however, a somewhat better idea of the on-sale date, which has been announced to be the fourth quarter of 2022.
Rather than rehashing stats, let’s reflect on Kia’s ascent from a “throwaway” brand that got its start as a humble contract manufacturer for Mazda in South Korea, and its start in the U.S. by offering its Sephia compact sedan initially to rental fleets as somewhat of an under-the-radar torture test to identify potential quality and durability issues before the company pursued full retail sales.
Following Yugo’s departure from the U.S. market in 1992, Kia was regarded by many as being the de facto lowest rung on the automotive totem pole in the U.S., even below sister brand Hyundai, which purchased a controlling stake in the company in 1998. Today, only the most jaded, cynical consumers consider Kia as a “throwaway” brand. Yes, Kia, and Hyundai have had some ongoing issues with their Theta 4-cylinder engine, but the Hyundai Group is hardly alone in having to deal with large-scale recalls.
Kia’s current renaissance began in earnest with the Telluride large SUV, which drew stylistic comparisons to Land Rover, and customers that had never considered a Kia before were suddenly taking notice. At the height of its popularity (and likely still today) customers are willing to travel out of state and pay above MSRP for the Telluride, and similar reports are coming in on the EV6.
The Kia EV6 GT is the premium offering of the EV6 lineup, and continues Kia’s tradition of growing the brand into a quality space.
In addition to being the most powerful Kia model ever, the EV6 GT is likely to be the most expensive. Possibly as much or more than the recently-departed K900, which came in at around $60,000. The initial allocation will likely be pre-sold before they even hit the dealerships.
Tesla has enjoyed the lion’s share of EV sales up to this point in most major markets simply because it was the only compelling EV option on the market. With the arrival of the E-GMP triplets (Ioniq 5, EV6, GV60) and soon to be quadruplets (with the Ioniq 6), that is no longer the case. The Hyundai Group will likely be supply-constrained on its E-GMP models until it can get U.S. factories up and running.
The interior of the Kia EV6 GT will be familiar, albeit with some GT details.
The production debut of the EV9 may see a repeat of the Telluride’s wild success all over again, albeit in EV guise. The EV9 may prove to be the budget version of the Rivian R1S, and judging by the Telluride’s popularity, many buyers may not feel they’re getting a downgrade buying it over an R1S.
I have privately recounted to The Watt Car Podcast co-host Phil Royle how much he made fun of me when I had a humble Samsung flip-phone in the early 2000s, while he was sporting the then de rigueur Nokia. Today, Samsung is considered by many to make the flagship Android phones, and Nokia is a non-entity in the global smartphone space.
The Kia EV6 is a looker, with the GT iteration only adding to the mix.
Korean brands and products have gone from “settle for” second-tier choices made for budgetary reasons, to people’s first choice, whether in the area of consumer electronics, and now cars. The EV6, as impressive as it is in its current iteration, is likely just the first of impressive vehicles to come from the Hyundai Group in the coming decade.
(Images courtesy Kia)
