The Kia EV6 is the Car of the Year, which is an award that lets auto journalists from 23 European countries select the best new vehicle from the last 12 months. Because of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the jury decided not to count the votes from the Russian delegates. In the announcement of this decision, the organizers said that these votes would not have changed the ranking of the winner or runner-ups.
The Kia EV6 won this year's award by scoring 279 points from the jurors. This beat the Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric with 265 points. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 finished third with 261 points. The other finalists were the Peugeot 308 with 191 points, Skoda Enyaq with 185 points, Ford Mustang Mach-E with 150 points, and Cupra Born with 144 points.
Gallery: 2022 Kia EV6: First Drive Review
This is the first time for Kia to win a Car of the Year award. In the European WLTP rating, the EV is capable of going as far as 528 kilometers (328 miles on a charge). The brand offers the model in a variety of forms. For example, there are 58.0- and 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery options. Rear- and all-wheel-drive layouts are available.
"Excellent EV because of its fast charging and good range for the price. In comparison with the Hyundai, the EV6 offers less body roll, more playful handling, and tighter steering. A bit sportier overall," an unidentified member of the journey said in the Car of the Year winner's announcement.
In the US, the EV6 is also available with the 58.0- and 77.4-kWh batteries. The smaller pack on a rear-wheel-drive model has an EPA estimated range of 232 miles (373 kilometers). The bigger one boosts the distance to 310 miles (499 kilometers).
The all-wheel-drive version is only available with the 77.4-kWh battery. With two electric motors, the output is 320 horsepower (239 kilowatts). The downside of the extra power is that the range estimate falls to 274 miles (441 kilometers).
In late 2022, the EV6 lineup in the US grows to include the GT model. It also has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive layout, but the power output grows to 576 horsepower (430 kilowatts). This lets the model reach 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in less than 3.5 seconds.
