Kia Gearing Up To Launch All-Electric EV6 In Australia, Around 500 Examples Allocated For 2022

The all-electric Kia EV6 is edging closer to its Australian market launch and when it does, local consumers will be offered a compelling alternative to the Tesla Model 3 and forthcoming Model Y SUV.

Approximately 500 examples of the EV6 have been earmarked for the Australian market for 2022. This allocation will be staggered throughout the year and Kia Australia is hopeful that it will be able to increase the number of cars it is allocated.

Full specifications about the EV6 being sold Down Under will be announced in January. For now, we know it will be offered exclusively with the long-range 77.4 kWh battery pack and in base rear-wheel drive and GT-Line guise with rear- and all-wheel drive options. The high-performance GT variant will launch later in 2022 or in early 2023.

In recent months, Kia has been testing the EV6 in Australia through its Ride and Handling Program, ensuring that it suits local road conditions. Interestingly, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 didn’t receive a local suspension tune, despite being a sibling to the EV6.

“I just love driving the Kia EV6, it’s a car that just wants corners,” Kia Australia Ride and Handling Engineer Graeme Gambold said in a statement. “It is so engaging and so rewarding to drive. Great car. Best car Kia has ever made! Personally, as a chassis dynamist, I think the biggest part of that enjoyment is the width of the battery in the car. A typical ICE vehicle has an engine and a drivetrain that has a high centre of gravity but it’s all in the centre of the vehicle therefore it works like a moment in roll. But with a dedicated BEV, it has a big flat battery in it, so it has to lift the energy on the inside to actually upset the car, creating a very flat roll dynamic. This makes the EV6 feel very light, nimble and responsive.”

Kia says it has received more expressions of interest in the EV6 than all previous Kia models before it.