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Kia has been talking a big game in recent years. This week it proved it wasn’t just talk.
In unveiling the all-new EV6, the South Korean brand has made it clear that it means business about changing not only its image but also the very nature of the company itself.
The EV6 is a clear statement of intent from Kia, that it not only wants to move into electric vehicle (EV) sales, but be a leader in the expanding market.
While other brands continue to talk, Kia is getting on with the business of building desirable and appealing EVs that provide a genuine alternative to the brand’s existing models.
It comes at the same time the company has introduced both a new logo and name, dropping the ‘Motors’ from its title as it aims to reinvent itself as a ‘future mobility brand’ rather than a traditional car company.
Up until this week, that could easily have been dismissed as ‘marketing spin’, a company simply applying a new graphic design element while it steadily evolved its cars down a traditional path. Because as impressive as the likes of the new Sorento and Carnival are, they are evolutionary designs. That’s not the case with the EV6 – it’s a true revolution.
“EV6, as the first dedicated Kia EV, is a showcase of human-centred, progressive design and electrified power,” said Kia’s Karim Habib, senior vice-president and head of global design centre.
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“We strongly believe EV6 is a compelling and relevant model for the new EV market. With EV6 we aimed to create a distinctive, impactful design by using a combination of sophisticated, high-tech features on pure and rich volumes, while providing a unique space as a futuristic EV.”
While there’s a lot of buzzwords in that statement, the core of it is true. The EV6 has progressive design with clear futuristic elements but is ultimately a car that could sell in significant numbers.
In many ways, it has the same potential as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that, as we wrote last week, has capability to shake-up the EV market in Australia.
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The reason is because they are very similar vehicles, in both concept and actuality. Both are based on the same new E-GMP underpinnings developed by Hyundai-Kia Group for a new range of EVs.
This modular architecture introduces a range of new technologies, including a more powerful battery that provides more than 500km of range and ultra-rapid 800-volt charging. These two features alone make it a huge step forward for Hyundai, while allowing Kia to enter the EV market locally with the latest and greatest tech.
But for all the excitement around the technology and the new design language, the fundamentals of the EV6 are sound. It’s a family friendly crossover with, what appears to be in the images at least, a practical interior, which means it’s not a styling exercise but a real alternative for a Sportage buyer.
Kia Australia is yet to confirm when, or even if, the EV6 will make it to its new-look Australian showrooms, but there’s a reason the company began installing EV chargers in its dealerships 18 months ago. Management knew this car was coming, and with its combination of style and technology, it has the potential to change the way people look at Kia forever.
The biggest challenge will arguably be convincing Kia’s head office to send the car here. That has been a problem already, resulting in the much-delayed arrival of the e-Niro. Kia Australia has repeatedly explained the problem is trying to convince head office that there is suitable demand for EVs in Australia, where few are sold and there are increasingly efforts to introduce new road user charges for EVs.
However, much of that is driven by the fact EVs are limited primarily to the premium brands, so political will to help incentivise EV sales is lacking, but introducing more affordable models from mainstream brands like Hyundai and Kia could be just what not only the brand’s need for growth, but the Australian car market as a whole.
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