AUTO

Kia EV6 GT Receives Two Unique Accolades in October

November 3, 2023

As October came to a close, the 2023 and 2024 Kia EV6 GT earned a pair of unique accolades from reputable journalistic organizations.
The 2023 Kia EV6 GT was named a Best Invention of 2023 by editors from Time Magazine.
The 2024 Kia EV6 GT earned the Road & Track 2024 Performance EV of the Year Under $100,000 award.
The Kia EV6 GT delivers 576 horsepower and only needs 18 minutes to charge from 10% to 80%.

If you’re seeing more Kia EV6 electric vehicles around town, there are a few reasons why. The EV6 is a marvel of engineering that is not only fun to drive, but it’s also comfortable, reliable, and spacious. It’s also garnering the attention of noteworthy critics.

The all-electric compact crossover Kia EV6 has received two more impressive awards. The first came from Time Magazine, and the second from Road & Track Magazine. Both of the Kia EV6 GT accolades arrived in the final week of October.

Innovative Invention that Changed Lives

On October 23, Kia announced that the innovative EV6 GT was named one of the best inventions of 2023. The editors of Time Magazine chose the EV6 GT because it changed the way the public saw and experienced electric cars. For over 20 years, Time editors have selected over 200 innovations that are credited with “changing our lives.”

Anyone who has driven a Kia EV6 GT knows what the powerful EV can do. Thanks to the EV6 GT’s horsepower and performance, it performs like a supercar, but for a fraction of the price.

The EV6 GT continues to rack up awards, and the Time Magazine recognition only supports the 2023 World Performance Car and North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award both from notable automotive journalists.

It’s easy to see why the EV6 has caught so much attention, as it has 576 horsepower, a 3.4-second zero-to-60 time, and 545 lb-ft of torque. Not to mention the attractive exterior design and sticker price around $60,000.

As an added benefit, the Kia EV charges faster than other comparably priced models. Thanks to the 800-volt charging architecture, drivers only have to wait about 18 minutes to charge from 10% to 80% at a Level 3 350-kW DC Fast Charger – known as a “Green 7” on the Chargeway app.

Other top inventions of 2023 include Li-Metal – a friendlier lithium product that can be used to make EV batteries, the Sphere in Las Vegas, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 phone, and the Project Gutenberg Open Audiobook Collection.

Performance EV of the Year from Road & Track Magazine

The other high-profile award given to the 2024 Kia EV6 GT (which is equipped just like the 2023 model) came from Road & Track Magazine. The EV was named the 2024 Performance EV of the Year priced under $100,000. This is the inaugural year for the prestigious award.

Kia has designed a truly unique vehicle that just happens to top out at 161 MPH. The 2024 EV6 GT outperformed other similarly priced vehicles in a variety of road tests along a four-mile stretch of Angeles Crest Highway.

Professional drivers took six EVs through the twisty roads to evaluate raw speed, cornering, braking, endurance, and comfort. They also assessed the sports-car qualities that are clearly evident in the EV6 GT.

Steven Center, COO and EVP of Kia America said about the award, “ We are thrilled they recognized our core objective to redefine the notion that EVs don’t have to be silent boxes on wheels, and that our high-horsepower EV6 GT can evoke the same level of excitement as some of the most fun-to-drive gasoline-powered cars.”

Along with the all-wheel-drive layout with a 160kW front motor and a 270kW rear motor, the EV6 GT has a dedicated sport suspension with electronically controlled dampers, Z-rated Goodyear Eagle F1 tires atop 21-inch alloy wheels, ventilated 15-inch front and 14.2-inch rear disc brakes with monoblock calipers, and a special “Drift Mode” for extra oversteer.

The EV6 GT beat the 2023 BMW i4 M50 and 2023 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition. The Tesla Model S Plaid earned the 2024 Performance EV of the Year priced over $100,00, beating out the 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQS Sedan and 2023 Porsche Taycan Turbo S.

My Two Cents as an EV6 Owner

As an owner of a 2023 EV6 GT-Line, I don’t have the 576 horsepower, but my all-wheel-drive EV still delivers a smile-inducing 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque when in Sport mode. Before I purchased the GT-Line, I had my heart set on the GT.

I love the EV6 GT, including the ninja-star wheels, green calipers, and screaming GT mode. What did it for me was the range, as the GT delivers about 200 miles around town, while the GT-Line gets about 250 miles – even on the highway, and I need highway range. I also need Snow mode, which isn’t available in the GT.

Kia has built a vehicle that has and will continue to change lives. You can experience the Kia EV6 GT and decide for yourself if it deserves these accolades at your nearest Electrify Expo or at your local Kia dealership where you can most likely find new models at discounted prices.