Kia to launch new EV6 GT early in 2023

Drivers keen to get behind the wheel of one of the country’s most in demand electric cars are in for some luck as stock shortages ease. Find out which car is affected.

The Kia EV6 electric car will soon be a lot quicker – in more ways than one.

Kia is readying the EV6 GT as the performance hero of the all-electric car’s line-up.

It will arrive early in the new year as the brand starts getting a healthier supply of the popular electric crossover.

While getting hold of an EV6 has proven a challenge, Kia hopes that will ease as more cars start arriving.

Kia has secured more than triple the amount of EV6s for 2023 as this year.

The company says Australia has secured supply of about 2500 cars in 2023.

While that’s only about as many cars as Tesla sells in a month, it’s more than triple the number of EV6s that trickled into the country throughout 2022.

Some dealers took advantage of the limited supply and strong demand by adding hefty dealer deliver charges to the recommended retail price.

Strict Australian consumer laws overseen by the ACCC means Kia has been powerless to do anything about the additional charges, other than encourage dealers to consider the potential impacts to the brand image.

The EV6 GT has supercar beating performance.

Either way, the new performance hero should be easier to attain, although Kia still believes there will be more buyers than vehicles, with the company sitting on “a bank of orders”.

“I think the demand [for the GT] will be probably 50 per cent higher than what supply can be,” says Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith, adding that some people who bought a regular EV6 will transition to the GT.

“There will be more orders written than the amount of cars that come into the country.”

Sitting above the EV6 Air and GT-Line, the GT gets two electric motors that combine to make 430kW and 740Nm.

That’s more than some supercars.

It can scorch to 100km/h in a claimed 3.5 seconds, about the same as a Ferrari Portofino M.

Meredith describes the GT as “a very exciting addition to the EV6 range” and one that “is attracting a remarkable level of attention”.

EV6 buyers are treated to a laundry list of standard hi-tech and luxury equipment.

It no doubt helps that Kia’s marketing has cheekily involved pitting it in a drag race against a McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Mercedes-AMG. The EV6 doesn’t win, but finishes a close second to the McLaren, which is about four times the price.

Pricing hasn’t officially been announced, although an industry pricing guide has listed it as $99,590 before on-road costs. That would make it something like $110,000 drive-away.

While it’s the most expensive vehicle ever to wear a Kia badge, it’s also by far the quickest.

But Kia believes the EV6 appeal goes beyond its potent performance.

“Here is a car that combines the power, performance and agility of a track-worthy sports car, while also providing comfort, on-road driveability and practicality for everyday use,” says Meredith.

Like the regular EV6 it gets plenty of space for five and a smattering of luxury equipment that more expensive luxury machines miss out on, although the ventilated electrically adjustable front seats have made way for race-inspired buckets that need to be shifted manually.

Larger brakes finished in “neon green” and sticky track-ready 21-inch Michelin tyres build the dynamic story, which includes a drift mode that can send more power to the rear wheels for lairy slides.

Originally published as Kia to launch new EV6 GT early in 2023