The Kia EV6 GT performance EV has been delayed until early next year, the brand has confirmed.
A spokesperson for Kia Australia told CarExpert the 430kW halo car will likely launch during the 2023 Australian Open tennis grand slam, of which the Korean brand is the major sponsor. AO 2023 is scheduled to run from 16-19 January.
Kia previously indicated the EV6 GT would arrive during the late stages of 2022 (Oct-Dec) – but as we’ve seen across the industry, production delays and component shortages are still wreaking havoc.
Even though customer deliveries won’t start until the new year, expect local pricing and specifications to be announced before then – other than the drivetrain, Australian details are scant.
CarExpert anticipates the EV6 GT will be priced around the $100,000 mark, with the brand reporting a number of $2000 deposits have already been placed for the new flagship.
Back in July the local arm detailed the local ride and handling tune program it has been conducting for the upcoming EV6 GT, which started at the Nurburgring in Germany and continued onto Australian roads.
Initial EV6 GT tuning was conducted at the Nurburgring in Germany where it was found to be “confident, grippy and stable”. Kia Australia’s product and tuning team also travelled to Germany to find ‘B grade’ roads that come close to replicating rural Australian surfaces.
Tuning in Germany “locked in the hard parts” including the hydraulic tune for the shock absorbers and the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS). In Australia, Kia was working on the “finishing touches” around Canberra and the greater Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as recently as a couple of months ago.
“Being given the opportunity to add a new dynamic halo to our range, it was important we developed an Australian tune and not simply adopt a spec from another market,” said Kia Australia general manager of product Roland Rivero.
With 430kW and 740Nm, the EV6 GT is Kia’s most powerful production car ever, quoting a 0-100km/h time of 3.5 seconds on its way to a top speed of 260km/h.
Key to the performance gains is a new rear electric motor that bumps power by 63 per cent compared to the rear motor fitted to regular EV6 models. On its own, the EV6 GT’s rear electric motor makes 270kW (6800-9400rpm), adding to the front motor’s 160kW (4400-9000rpm).
The most powerful existing variant of the EV6, the AWD dual-motor version offered locally solely in GT-Line trim, makes 239kW and 605Nm combined. It manages to dash from 0 to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 185km/h.
As standard the EV6 GT comes fitted with the long-range 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which Kia Europe says is good for a claimed 424 kilometres of range. It can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 18 minutes. Read more about the EV6 GT in detail here.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
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