Previewing the 2024 Kia EV6: What we expect in the new model year [Update]

Update: ‘Rear’ sub-section of ‘Design’ and ‘Features’ and ‘Price & Release Date’ sections updated.

The Kia EV6, which went on sale in the U.S. as a 2022 model, completed a year on the market in February 2023. Kia’s second-generation electric car will receive an update and will be released as a 2024 model in a few months. Here’s everything that we expect from the 2024 Kia EV6. Please keep in mind that the information and visuals presented are reflective of the current model year we will continue to update this page as new details emerge.

Design

We expect the design of the 2024 Kia EV6 to remain unchanged, meaning that it will retain its attention-grabbing look, which combines the best features of a coupe and an SUV. As the first vehicle to use Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, the EV6 brings together a coupe’s boldness and dynamism with the striking and athletic appearance of an SUV to form a swanky crossover.

Front

At the front, the Kia EV6 features a low-set sloping hood with the new Kia logo and boomerang-shaped headlamps that have pixel-inspired daytime running lights inspired with ‘moving light pattern.’ The angled windshield glass is one of the many aerodynamics-focused design elements of the electric crossover.

Side

An interesting detail is the DRLs of the headlamps which converge at the top of flared wheel arches. A shiny twin strip in the lower body runs almost parallel to the swiftly sloping beltline that has a kick at the C-pillar, and it’s a nice touch over the black rocker panels. The roofline drops in a way that headroom for the rear-seat passengers wouldn’t be compromised much. The flush door handles provide a neat touch to the futuristic crossover. 19- and 20-inch are the available alloy wheel size options in the U.S. market.

Rear

At the rear, the Kia EV6 has a dramatically inclined windscreen that makes the silhouette reminiscent of the Jaguar I-Pace. The concave shape of the smooth, uncluttered lower tailgate, which bears the new Kia logo in the center, complements the sportier styling created by that steeply raked glass. The lights are thin C-shaped units connected via a narrow light strip running across the width. A slim satin strip also connects the rear lights at the bottom, underscoring the electric crossover’s elegance.

The charging port is located at the rear, secured by a flap that opens and shuts electronically. According to a post on Kia EV Forums, Kia plans to increase the brightness of the bar graph that displays the charging level of the battery pack with the MY2024 update. This post also states that there will be no change in the color options:

• Glacier
• Snow White Pearl
• Steel Gray
• Interstellar Gray
• Steel Matte Gray
• Aurora Black Pearl
• Gravity Blue
• Yacht Blue
• Runway Red

Features

Considering that it is brand new, the interior will be a carryover from the outgoing model. However, there might be a few changes with respect to the features. When Kia updated the EV6 for the 2023 model year, it discontinued the base ‘Light’ trim of the EV6 with the MY2023 update. The company could relaunch the base to make the EV6 more affordable with the 2024 model year update. The carried-over trims may also have some equipment changes.

According to the post on Kia EV Forums that we mentioned in the Design section, Kia plans to revise the haptic feedback of the touch-type controls of the EV6’s steering wheel with the MY2024 update. It also states a change in the materials for the wireless smartphone charging pad and control button.

The EV6 features a minimalist design, which is no longer a concept limited to vehicles of luxury brands. A 12.3-inch virtual instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system are put together to create what looks like a seamless and wide single display. The central display is slightly tilted towards the driver to make viewing and accessing easy. The chic-style black and white two-spoke steering and the garnish on the floor console are among the several fashionable touches inside the cabin.

The screens of the EV6 are blue light-filtered to reduce strain on the eyes and fatigue. Kia has equipped the EV6 with an augmented reality head-up display as well, which can project speed and ADAS alerts, lane guidance, vehicle information, and navigation directions. A Merdian sound system featuring 14 speakers with a titanium dome and Intelli Q speed-sensing (adaptive) volume adjustment is another interior highlight.

With Kia Connect (formerly known as UVO), EV6 customers can enjoy many connected vehicle functions, including but not limited to smart speaker integration (Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant-enabled smart speaker), vehicle notifications on paired Apple/Android smartwatch, and stolen vehicle recovery.

Safety & Autonomous Driving

The 2024 Kia EV6 may have revisions in the ADAS department, with some previously available optional features becoming standard and vice-versa. Here are the Advanced Driver Assistance Safety Systems that we expect to be standard in the 2024 Kia EV6:

• Forward Collision-Avoidance (FCA) with Car / Pedestrian / Cyclist detection (Fusion-type with sensor) – Junction Turning
• Blind Spot Collision Avoidance (BCA)
• Parking Distance Warning (PDW) – Front and Rear
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance (RCCA)
• Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
• Lane Keep Assist System (LKA)
• Lane Following Assist System (LFA)
• Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control – Curve with Stop and Go – Curve (NSCC-C)
• Highway Driving Assist (HDA)
• Rear Occupant Alert (ROA)
• High Beam Assist (HBA)

Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control Ramp (NSCC-R), Auto Evasive Steering Assist, Surround View Monitor (360-degree camera system), Blind-spot View Monitor (BVM), Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2) with auto lane-changing function, and Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) will likely be some of the optionally available safety features of the 2024 EV6.

HDA 2

Highway Driving Assist 2 is an evolution of the Highway Driving Assist (HDA), which provides the comfort of hands-free, autonomous driving on highways. Using information from the navigation system, HDA determines whether the vehicle is on a highway. If it is, it takes over the functions of controlling the steering, acceleration, and deceleration.

HDA 2 uses radars located around the vehicle and helps the driver maintain a set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead. Above a certain speed, the driver can change the lane with just a click of the indicator stalk. Drivers would need to have their hands on the steering wheel, though.

RSPA

Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA) allows the driver to allocate the task of parking to the vehicle with this system in both perpendicular and parallel parking situations.

RSPA doesn’t require the driver to be in the vehicle. The system can understand the vehicle’s surroundings using surround-view cameras and ultrasonic sensors and decide the right parking spot for itself. Accelerating, braking, reverse, and steering are automatic.

Specifications

Dimensions

Assuming that there are no body changes, 2024 Kia EV6 should have the same dimensions as the outgoing model. Thanks to a wheelbase measuring 114.2 inches, which is equivalent to that of the Telluride, the EV6 offers 103.0 cu. ft. of passenger room. Kia says that the width is comparable to that of the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which is a mid-size SUV, and that its wheelbase and ground clearance are similar to those of the Tesla Model Y.

The EV6 offers 27.7 cubic feet of cargo space, which drivers can increase to 53.5 cubic feet liters by folding down the second-row seats. Moreover, there’s also a front trunk or a frunk with an additional storage space of 20 liters (0.7 cubic feet) in both RWD and AWD configurations of the North American model.

Dimension	Measurement
Length	184.3 in. (Wind)/184.8 in. (GT-Line)
Width	74.0 in. (Wind)/74.4 in. (GT-Line)
Height	60.8 in.
Wheelbase	114.2 in.
Ground Clearance	6.1 in.
Luggage Capacity (Rear Seats Upright/Rear Seats Folded)	24.4 cu. ft./50.2 cu. ft.
Passenger Volume	103.0 cu. ft.

Performance & Range

With the discontinuation of the Light trim level, the EV6 is no longer available in the base power electric configuration (Standard Range RWD) that had a 58 kWh battery pack and a 125 kW (167 hp)/258 lb.-ft. rear motor and delivered an EPA-est. range of 232 miles. Kia may relaunch the Light trim, although there’s no supporting evidence at the moment to claim it does plan to do that.

The 2024 EV6 will likely be available in the outgoing model’s Long Range RWD power electric configuration with a 77.4 kWh battery pack and a 225 hp/258 lb.-ft. rear motor. Similarly, the top-end power electric configuration (Long Range AWD) with the 77.4 kWh battery pack and two motors generating 320 hp and 446 lb.-ft. of torque could be carried over. The maximum range figures could be the same – 310 miles (Long Range RWD) and 282 miles (Long Range AWD). Customers who seek more thrill will have to get the Kia EV6 GT.

Charging

In long-range EVs, 0-80% and 0-100% charging times often become the deciding factors during purchase than acceleration time or the top speed. The 2024 Kia EV6 would offer Porsche Taycan standards of charging parameters, which make charging close to the refueling experience, something that’s expected to bring the much-awaited breakout in the EV market.

The multi-charging system of the 2024 Kia EV6 should continue supporting 400V and 800V DC charging, which should work on DC chargers with charging rates as low as 50 kW and as high as 240 kW. 10-80% rapid-charging or ultra-fast-charging may take just 18 minutes.

Aspect	2024 Kia EV6 Long Range RWD Specification	2024 Kia EV6 Long Range AWD Specification
Battery Pack Capacity	77.4 kWh	77.4 kWh
Drivetrain Layout	RWD	AWD
Power	168 kW (225 hp)	239 kW (320 hp)
Torque	258 lb.-ft.	446 lb.-ft.
Range (EPA est.)	310 miles	282 miles (Wind)/252 miles (GT-Line)
Max. Charging Power (AC/DC)	10.9 kW/240 kW	10.9 kW/240 kW
AC Normal Charge Time (100% at 120V w/ In Cable Control Box)	68h	68h
AC Normal Charge (100% at 11 kW EVSE)	7h 10m	7h 10m
DC Fast Charge (80% at 50kW EVSE)	73 minutes	73 minutes
DC Fast Charge (80% at 350 kW EVSE)	18 minutes	18 minutes
0-60 mph Acceleration	7.2 seconds	5.1 seconds
Top Speed	115 mph	117 mph
Towing Capacity	2,300 lbs. (braked)	2,300 lbs. (braked)

Price & Release Date

The 2024 Kia EV6 could be launched in the U.S. in Fall 2023. If it doesn’t include a new base trim in a Standard Range RWD power electric configuration, its base price could be close to USD 49,000, but if it does, that figure could be much lower, around USD 41,000.

Kia sold 20,498 units of the EV6 in the U.S. in 2022. In 2023, it delivered 12,714 units by the end of August. Compared to 2022, year-to-date sales at the end of August in 2023 were 21% lower (January-August 2022: 16,124 units).

TopElectricSUV says

The EV6 is one of the most appealing electric crossovers in the U.S., offering phenomenal performance, a decent driving range, and plenty of premium comfort, convenience, and safety equipment. There’s no denying that it’s not accessible like a typical Kia, but it’s not an ordinary Kia either. We only hope the MY2024 update brings back the Standard Range RWD power electric configuration and lowers the entry price. Overall, the EV6 should remain a highly recommendable product in the compact EV segment.

Kia EV6 FAQs

Featured Image Source: Kia