The Hyundai Ioniq 5’s cousin, the Kia EV6, will be low-volume in Australia.
“Initially, 500 units of the EV6 (in base and GT-Line trims) have been earmarked for Australia in 2022,” a Kia spokesperson told CarExpert.
“We are of course in continuous dialogue with head office about this number.”
The mid-sized electric SUV is due in the first half of 2022.
Kia Australia has previously said supply of the EV6 will be tight as Kia prioritises regions with CO2 regulations.
Unlike the Ioniq 5, which was sold online directly by Hyundai, the EV6 will be sold throughout the Kia dealer network.
The company says a “fair allocation” will be worked out between its metro and regional dealers.
It says over 90 per cent of the Kia dealer network is currently set up to sell and service the EV6.
“Interest in the EV6 is unmatched, with the expressions of interest tally already exceeding all previous Kia models before it,” said Kia Australia’s general manager of marketing, Dean Norbiato.
“This level of interest in our first all-electric model is equally shared between existing and new Kia customers.
“EV6 will be tremendous for the Kia brand in Australia and we’re confident it will cement itself as a true halo model atop our product portfolio.”
While 500 is still a limited number, it’s more than sister brand Hyundai managed to bring to Australia in 2021 of the related Ioniq 5.
Hyundai’s first allocation of 240 Ioniq 5s were quickly scooped up by buyers, and no more will be released for order until – at this stage – early 2022 once the company has some visibility on delivery.
The projected allocation for this calendar year falls short of the 400 units expected.
The EV6 range will expand in either late 2022 or early 2023 with the range-topping EV6 GT, which will pack a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain with a supercar-rivalling 430kW of power and 740Nm of torque.
EV6 GT
That’s good for a 0-100km/h time of just 3.5 seconds, with a targeted range of 405km.
Base and GT-Line models are expected to be available with either single-motor rear-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains.
Kia Australia is likely to prioritise the larger 77.4kWh long-range battery pack, which offers around 520km and 505km in RWD and AWD guises respectively.
Global specifications indicate the single-motor EV6 will accelerate from 0-100 in 7.3 seconds, with the EV6 AWD reducing that to a sprightly 5.2 seconds.
As for pricing, Kia is yet to confirm even indicative figures. However, the Ioniq 5 launched in Australia with pricing of $71,900 for the rear-wheel drive model and $75,900 for the all-wheel drive, both using a 72.6kWh battery.
MORE: Everything Kia EV6
