The Manila Times

Kia’s revolutionary EV6 now in local dealerships

BY ISAAC ATIENZA

AFTER its initial reveal at the 2022 Philippine International Motor Show, the 2023 Kia EV6 has finally reached Philippine shores.

The globally-acclaimed and awardwinning EV6 has become a popular and desirable option for those living in Europe and North America — raking awards left and right in the process. Now that it’s in the Philippines and with Ayala behind Kia Philippines, this is more than just a new EV launch. Here’s why.

The sole model to be offered in the Philippines is the EV6 GT Line Long Range, which means it gets a large 77.4-kilowatthour (kWh) lithium-ion battery. This gives it an EPA-estimated range of 528 kilometers when fully charged, which is barely any different from any internal combustion engine car. What’s more, the EV6 is one of the only few EVs right now that come with an 800-volt architecture, which means it can support up to 350 kW of DC (direct current) fast charging and 11 kW of AC (alternating current). The former allows a 10 to 80 percent charge in just 18 minutes, while the latter does the same job in 7 hours and 20 minutes. On the downside, the fastest charger in the Philippines is a 180-kW DC fast charger that the Shell Recharge Mamplasan station provides.

Under the hood — or rather its E-GMP platform that’s shared with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 — is a single electric motor powering the rear wheels, which is good for 229 hp and 350 Nm of torque. These aren’t earth-shattering figures, but for the general Filipino car buyer, the upside of this is its aforementioned long range. Besides, its 0-100 kph time of 7.3 seconds is already fast enough for Manila.

On the exterior, Kia has done an amazing job designing the EV6. Thankfully, the GT Line is what we’re getting, which means it gets a very sporty exterior design.

This begins with its large 20-inch wheels that fill the wheel wells nicely. Oh, and don’t let the photos fool you. This isn’t a typical hatchback. It’s actually quite huge in person (or in the metal). It’s not as tall as a Kia Sportage, but it’s not as low as a Kia Forte, either. The EV6 is an electric crossover SUV that has a very long 2,900 mm wheelbase — longer, in fact, than the Kia Sorento midsize three-row SUV.

What does that mean for its interior? Tons of space. Its long wheelbase and absence of any combustion engine mean that in terms of volume, it rivals that of a midsize crossover. And just like the exterior, the interior is just as stylish. Two 12.3inch screens are housed in a single glass panel, and like most modern cars, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard. There’s also an excellent Meridian surround sound system, a panoramic sunroof, as well as premium materials all over the place. Speaking of the materials, Kia used vegan leather for its upholstery as a way to make the EV6’s production process more sustainable.

The 2023 Kia EV6 GT Line Long Range that will be sold in the Philippines is also fullyloaded with the latest driver-assistance tech,

such as automatic emergency braking, fullspeed adaptive cruise control, lane departure

warning, lane centering, blind spot warning with cameras mounted on the side mirror, a 360-degree camera system, rear cross traffic alert, and adaptive LED headlights.

The 2023 EV6 GT Line Long Range, with all its inclusions, is competitively priced at P3.788 million. It includes a portable ICCB charger, five years or 160,000-kilometer vehicle warranty, and 8 years or 160,000-kilometer high voltage battery

system warranty, whichever comes first. This is also bundled with five years of free preventive maintenance service, and five years of free 24/7 roadside assistance.

It will be available in all of Kia’s 42 dealerships, but the initial roll out will happen at their four EV dealerships: Kia New Manila in Quezon City, Kia Alabang in Muntinlupa, Kia Sto. Tomas in Batangas, and Kia Pampanga in North Luzon.

Fast Times

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2023-03-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-28T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/282372633866760

The Manila Times