Kia Motors Europe discussed further details to come EV6 GT leader in electric performance, set to become “the fastest production Kia and Hyundai Motor Group vehicle to date”.
Just last week Kia Australia confirms details its testing and tuning program for the upcoming halo model – starting with the undulating bends of the Nurburgring Nordschleife, and working its way through the final stages on Australian roads.
The flagship will launch in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2022with local and price and specifications will be detailed near that time.
We predict the company’s new flagship will be priced about 100,000 dollarswith the brand’s local department reporting some $2000 deposits were placed.
With 430kW (585PS) and 740NmThe EV6 GT is Kia’s most powerful production car ever, with a 0-100km/h speed of 3.5 seconds on its way to top speed 260km/h.
These numbers are in line with the “estimated” goals Kia set when it unveiled its new “dynamic halo” more than a year ago. Here we will confirm more details about the GT’s improvements over the standard models, at least for the European market, as local specifications may be slightly different. a little.
Key to the performance boost is a new rear electric motor that’s 63% less powerful than the rear motor found on regular EV6 models. The EV6 GT’s rear electric motor alone generates 270kW (6800-9400rpm), adding to the 160kW (4400-9000rpm) of the front motor.
The most powerful variant available for the EV6, the dual-AWD variant is only offered locally in the GT-Line trim, making 239kW and 605Nm combined. It manages to accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds on the way to a top speed of 185 km/h.
As standard, the EV6 GT is equipped with a long range 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which the European branch says is good for one 424 kilometers of the driving range. Moreover, it can be charged from 10 to 80% within 18 minutes.
In addition to the extras, Kia has upgraded cooling performance with an oil-washed coil pack along with the existing water-cooling system for the electric motor.
Kia says the system helps maintain a “stable temperature even under extreme conditions and during continuous high-speed operation”.
Other measures include reinforcing the bearing cage and a permanent magnet arrangement in the rear efficiency motor’s structure, which the company says helps manage heat gain, centrifugal force, noise and vibration. generated when the rear engine “operates at its upper limit.
Clear NVH suppression has also been achieved with a new two-piece motor shaft.
The company has made numerous changes to the EV6 GT’s suspension composition compared to the standard car, with the aim of providing “a wide range of dynamics to rival the biggest sports car brands”.
There’s a new two-wishbone setup for the MacPherson strut suspension that claims to better manage vertical movements and maintain consistent contact with the road surface as cornering loads increase.
There are also new springs, which are 9% softer at the front and 11% stiffer at the rear than the standard European model – resulting in a 5mm lower travel height. The EV6 GT also has 15% stiffer rear anti-roll bars.
Additionally, the EV6 GT features a unique variable-ratio steering system that quotes 2.3 times the lock-to-lock for the GT compared to 2.67 for the standard EV6.
Kia Australia recently detailed a local driving and handling tuning program that has begun on local roads, following initial dynamics testing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany. That could mean local tunes may differ from the quoted European tunes – read more about that here.
An electronic limited-slip differential (e-LSD) with Smart Traction and Smart Yaw Damping functions automatically adjusts torque to the wheels with the highest traction, while balancing traction. and comfort befitting a “short-legged GT”.
The GT features an Electronically Controlled Suspension System (ECS) with semi-active high-performance dampers, which is specific to the performance car model and can be adjusted to the selected drive mode.
Speaking of driving modes, there’s a new GT driving mode accessed via a new neon button on the steering wheel. A new mode automatically configures the EV6 GT’s engine, brakes, damping, e-LSD and ESC to the most aggressive settings for maximum attack.
According to Kia Europe’s media release, the ESC system allows for a higher level of tire slip and can be turned off completely for “greater potential”.
On the subject of out-of-the-box potential, there’s a Drive Mode available that sends up to 100% of the power to the rear “to perform unrestricted side-to-side action” and then the drive can be split. distributes back to the front wheel before exiting to improve grip and acceleration.
The Michelin Pilot Sport 4S performance tire will be fitted to the Kia EV6 GT in Europe, a tire designed specifically for this vehicle.
They measure 255/40 R21 compared to the 255/45 R20 Michelin Pilot Sport 4 SUV tires of the EV6 GT-Line AWD offered in the European market.
Behind the large 21-inch alloy and sticky tires are larger 380mm front and 360mm rear ventilated brake discs with four-piston calipers up front. Kia says one of the reasons for choosing the new 21-inch alloy wheel package is to accommodate the larger brakes.
Braking says there’s an Integrated Electronic Booster (IEB) that claims to reduce braking distance, with Normal and Sport modes allowing the driver to adjust brake pedal sensitivity.
It combines with existing regenerative braking, which is calibrated to peak at 150kW recovery which, when combined with active braking, peaks at “over 300kW recovery” in the EV6 GT. Like the standard versions, there are six levels of regenerative braking, including an i-Pedal mode that allows driving with one pedal.
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THAN: Kia EV6 GT launched in the fourth quarter of 2022
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