When the all-electric Kia EV6 SUV debuted for 2022, so many buyers opted for the step-up Wind trim level that the company dropped the entry-level Light for 2023. Maybe that was a bad idea for sales, or maybe someone decided that an electric vehicle with a base price greater than $50,000 wasn’t philosophically Kia. Whatever the reason, the Light returns to the EV6 line for 2024, dropping the price of entry from 2023 by nearly $6,000.
Powertrain Specs and Range
The entry-level Light also marks the return of the smaller battery pack: a 58-kilowatt-hour unit that feeds a 167-horsepower, rear-mounted electric motor. This combo is good for an EPA-estimated 232 miles of electric range. But now, the Light is also available with the larger battery used by the rest of the EV6 lineup. At 77.4 kWh, it packs enough juice for 310 miles in rear-drive Lights and Winds and 282 with all-wheel drive.
The larger battery pack is bundled with a more powerful motor, bumping output to 225 hp; the addition of the front motor ratchets that to 320 hp. The EV6 GT-Line doesn’t get any more power, and its larger wheels (20 inches versus 19s on other trims) bump range down to 252 miles on AWD variants. The line-topping EV6 remains the GT, which sucks the 77.4-kWh battery dry in 218 miles thanks to front and rear motors totaling 576 hp — but will accelerate from 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds, according to Kia.
Wind and Rafts (of Safety Features)
While battery size and motor output and location vary among trim levels, if your buying decision hinges on a particular active-safety feature, the dartboard method of choosing an EV6 trim will probably work. Throw a dart and buy whichever one it hits; all come with a comprehensive suite of systems.
The list includes forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, active blind spot monitoring, lane departure prevention, active lane centering, rear parking sensors, rear cross-traffic alert with automatic braking, and automatic high beams. The GT-Line and GT add adaptive cruise control, blind spot cameras that feed a display in the instrument panel, a 360-degree camera system, front parking sensors and automated parking.