KIA EV6 GT FACELIFT REVIEW
Facelifted and rearmed with 641bhp, Kia’s flagship EV prefers long strides to sharp stabs. We head deep into the Highlands to see if the GT now walks the walk
By Craig Toone
KIA EV6 GT
REVIEW
Facelifted and rearmed with 641bhp, Kia’s flagship EV prefers long strides to sharp stabs. We head deep into the Highlands to see if the GT now walks the walk.
KIA EV6 GT FACELIFT
REVIEW
Facelifted and rearmed with 641bhp, Kia’s flagship EV prefers long strides to sharp stabs. We head deep into the Highlands to see if the GT now walks the walk.
By Craig Toone
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ou’ve got to feel for the Kia EV6 GT. Imagine sharing your DNA with a younger sibling who is constantly the centre of attention and scooping up all the plaudits. One that’s intelligent, good looking and a prized athlete.
But here’s the rub: I don’t actually think Kia minds playing the introvert. The clue is in the name – a GT should be more discreet, a little more rounded in its behaviour. And now there is a facelifted version, one that borrows technology from the Ioniq 5N making it not only better to drive than before, but on the flipside, Kia also claims to have widened its bandwidth for when the moment doesn’t take you.
Putting those claims to the test is the Cairngorms National Park. It’s a valid proving ground for any grand tourer, and we’ll be seeking out the famous Old Military Road to not only assess the credentials of the facelift, but ask a broader question if an electric SUV can deliver more smiles per mile than kilowatt hours.
But before we get to The Red Hills, let’s go over some of the key changes. Like the GT itself, the facelift is subtle: a new headlight array, more sculpted bonnet, deeper front spoiler and redesigned 21-inch alloys. It’s a handsome car for its size – especially in the optional £1,500 Yacht Matt Blue.
Hardware improvements include a new, larger 84kWh battery pack, which increases range to 279 miles – up by 16. Despite the gains, the pack weighs 1kg less than before, and thanks to 800V technology, it can charge from 10–80% in just 18 minutes when connected to a 258kW charger. That’s around 8% quicker than the outgoing model.
AUTHOR
Rush Founder
Photography by:
Adam Warner via Kia
Published on:
18th June 2025
OUR PRINT MAGAZINE
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Maximum power is also up to an Ioniq 5 N matching 641bhp, the steering and geometry has been tweaked, and the spring rates have also been relaxed – a response, Kia says, to owner feedback.
Kia has also, rather generously, knocked £2,690 off the list price. But that doesn’t mean money has been saved elsewhere – inside, Kia has again taken onboard feedback. Material quality has improved, the fingerprint-magnet and scratch-prone gloss black trim has been replaced by a brushed metal-effect, and the front seats are now electrically adjustable with memory, rather than manually operated – a curious omission on the previous version. The infotainment system has also been updated with Kia’s latest software.
The GT immediately covers the bases of humdrum driving exiting Aberdeen. Refinement is exemplary, the throttle response is well judged and one-pedal driving is intuitive. Irritating mandated driving aids can be quickly dismissed with the prod of two buttons on the steering wheel. We glide along in near-silence, just the white noise of the tyres for company and the beckoning mountains to our east.
Once off the motorway, it quickly becomes clear going full GT-mode makes the ride quality too busy for anything but the smoothest of UK tarmac. Before getting into the Cairngorms proper, there’s a testing B-road running parallel to the A93 which will find fault in any set-up. On the B9077, the challenge comes from below rather than any switchbacks. This is an objective road, not a driver’s destination.
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We’re not talking deep-cut potholes, just the sort of weathered, cambered surface that never lets the dampers catch their breath. To its credit, the GT puts up a valiant fight, its mass and low CoG helping the primary ride maintain its composure. But even when the dampers are fully slackened off, there’s still a bite to sudden inputs. It never becomes uncomfortable and to be fair, the Bentley Bentayga rides with more edge, especially when specified with 22-inch wheels. Existing owners will discover a ride that’s improved rather than transformed.
A custom GT-mode is promptly tailored with soft damping, intermediate throttle and the more aggressive e-diff setting, accessed by a second prod of the acid-green ‘GT’ button - now relocated to the left of the new (and much improved) three-spoke steering wheel. The wheel also introduces a toggle for cycling between Eco, Normal, Sport and a new setting called Snow.
The B9077 soon feeds into the A957 – better known, somewhat unflatteringly, as Slug Road. It’s a name rooted not in slowness, but in the Gaelic “sloc”, meaning hollow – a reference to the high pass once used by drovers and toll-keepers as one of the historic Mounth crossings between Angus and Deeside. Today, the road carves through a broad valley before climbing into Durris Forest via a string of rhythmical sweepers. It’s a fine place to stretch the GT’s legs.
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The damping settles with the increased pace and less agitated surface, and despite the large dimensions and not inconsiderable mass, the GT puts its torque vectoring and rearward bias to good use, displaying impressive agility in the tighter turns of the valley. In this initial foray, there is never any danger of exceeding the purchase of the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, but you’re aware of the GT’s willingness to rotate with enthusiasm.
The brakes also establish their proficiency early. Stopping power comes from substantial 20-inch front and 19-inch rear monoblock calipers. Combined with paddle-adjustable regen, they rein in over 2.2 tonnes with minimal fuss or protest. Crank up the harvesting and time things right, and all you’ll need is a measured dab of the pedal to scrub excess speed before turning in. Keeping some regen dialled in also helps soften the sense of runaway inertia this much mass and performance might otherwise serve up.
Ah yes, the performance. Initially, overtakes are dispatched at maximum warp before settling into a more restrained rhythm, gliding past other traffic with a brush of throttle in a very GT-like manner. Despite the additional 64bhp of the facelift, Kia isn’t claiming any improvement in acceleration – at least not from 0–62mph, which still takes 3.5 seconds. Beyond that, there’s little doubt the facelifted car is stronger. The top speed is unchanged too, at 161mph.
“A broadsword, not a katana – discreet, composed, and quietly devastating when it wants to be.”
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Nevertheless, we’re quickly past the three B’s of Ballater, Balmoral and Braemar as the A93 finds its teeth and morphs into the OMR proper. On the fast, open sweepers beside Clunie Water, the EV6 GT really starts to find its stride.
The full 641bhp is only available in GT-mode, but when hastily activated, the throttle response turns hair-trigger, so it’s best any passengers are forewarned. It also sets the steering and damping to battle stations and slackens off the stability control.
Creating the aforementioned custom GT mode is therefore a high priority. But the menus take a bit of negotiating, meaning on the fly adjustments are out of the question. Thankfully the UX is responsive so hopefully the stream of traffic you’ve overtaken won’t have time to come back past, but you do rue the lost sense of nuance in-motion tweaks bring.
One feature you can toggle on the move is the much-heralded Virtual Gear Shift, or VGS. It’s activated via the star button on the steering wheel, commandeering the regen peddles. You might expect the technology to be lifted straight from the Ioniq 5 N, but Kia has made one crucial tweak: instead of eight simulated ratios, the EV6 GT gets six.
Kia has integrated the stability control system directly into the motor control unit for faster intervention. The GT’s electronic limited-slip differential also now responds more quickly thanks to updated motor mapping.
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It’s a wise call that suits EV6's demeanour. In the 5 N, the number of gears can feel excessive, and the Kia’s wider spacing suits the power delivery better. Short-shifting becomes a worthy pursuit – it gives a sense of perspective to, and influence over, the performance. Each shift lands with a snappy, dual-clutch-style jolt. It’s not ZF-smooth, but it’s all the more characterful for it. There’s even an automatic ‘Drive’ mode that does a spookily convincing impression of said torque converter.
While the VGS is clearly worthy in terms of driver engagement, it isn’t entirely flawless. The specific fly in the ointment is the mock rev counter – rather than a dial, you get a sort of reverse ‘L’ graphic tucked into the corner of the display, scaling up in acid green. It’s not especially intuitive, and in direct sunlight becomes difficult to read. It's far too easy to clatter into the rather abrupt artificial limiter.
You'd hope the otherwise excellent head-up display might echo the revs and gear position, but no such luck – and it’s not available as a configurable option either. In Autocar parlance, that’s a job for the facelift. Or less impishly, the next software update.
Despite the revisions and faster rack, the steering is still a fraction too light, even in its heaviest setting. It’s leagues ahead of the regular EV6, and once again an improvement over before, but push harder and the feedback doesn’t deepen much. There’s little meaningful information through the wheel, and combined with the strong resistance to roll, pitch and dive, your first real warning signs are audible rather than tactile – the protest of the tyres or a flicker of the traction control light.
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That said, the car never loses its composure. There’s a genuine sense of hustle that puts a smile on your face, but it stops short of being truly involving. Strike up a rhythm at eight tenths and it’s just as rewarding – arguably more – than trying to extract everything it’s got. And if you really want the GT to lose its inhibitions, there’s always Drift mode – providing you can find it.
It's only when the going gets truly tough, such as encountering the Waltzer-like twisting undulations at the bottom of Glenshee does the body control run out of ideas. But that’s an extreme stretch that will tie even the best chassis in the business in knots.
As we begin the final leg of the journey along tighter B-roads, the GT starts to find its limitations, although it's mainly a question of dimensions rather than agility. It’s important to remember where the EV6 GT is being pitched - as the successor to the Stinger GT. In that sense, by focusing its priorities on making rapid, discreet and unruffled progress, the EV6 is exactly what it should be – a broadsword not a katana. It does know how to enjoy itself, but it requires more than a little cajoling to get there.
Take the launch control system as an example: unleashing it introduces a secure drama to a rapid getaway with a little shimmy from the back axle and makes the quoted 0-62mph time look conservative. But once again, it's a feature only accessed via the menu maze. There should be a cheat code – GT on, pull back on both paddles, foot hard down on both pedals, and release to go. If you’re curious, the car will even let you record your own performance figures.
Recalibrated front suspension geometry enhances stability and steering linearity at high speeds.
Improved motor cooling and revised thermal management help maintain performance under sustained load.
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996.1 Porsche 911 GT2 Stats, Performance and RUSH Rating
Engine
Twin-turbocharged 'Mezger' flat-six
Displacement: 3.6 litres (3600 cc)
Bore x Stroke: 100 mm x 76.4 mm
Compression Ratio: 9.4:1
Power Output: 462 PS (456 BHP) at 5700 rpm
Torque: 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) at 3500-4500 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Gear Ratios:
1st: 3.818
2nd: 2.150
3rd: 1.560
4th: 1.240
5th: 1.020
6th: 0.840
Final Drive Ratio: 3.44:1
Limited-slip differential (LSD)
Brakes
Front Brakes: 350 mm ventilated and cross-drilled discs with 6-piston calipers
Rear Brakes: 330 mm ventilated and cross-drilled discs with 4-piston calipers
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Tyres
Front Tyres: 235/40 ZR 18
Rear Tyres: 315/30 ZR 18
OEM Tyre Brand: Michelin Pilot Sport
Tyres fitted: Michelin Pilot Sport 2
Chassis
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive (RR)
Wheelbase: 2350 mm
Length: 4430 mm
Width: 1830 mm
Height: 1275 mm
Track Width:
Front: 1460 mm
Rear: 1490 mm
Front Suspension: MacPherson strut with coil springs and anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Multi-link with coil springs and anti-roll bar
Weight
DIN Curb Weight: 1,440 kg
Power-to-Weight: 316 BHP per ton
Torque-to-Weight: 317 lb-ft per ton
Performance
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h): 4.1 seconds
0-100 mph (0-160 km/h): 8.5 seconds
0-124 mph (0-200 km/h): 12.9 seconds
Standing Quarter-Mile Time: 11.9 seconds
Terminal Speed (Quarter-Mile): 122 mph (est.)
Top Speed: 196 mph (315 km/h)
In-Gear Acceleration Times:
30-50 mph in 2nd gear: 1.7 seconds
50-70 mph in 3rd gear: 2.0 seconds
RUSH RADAR
Steering - feedback & responses
Drivetrain - throttle response, power delivery
Performance
Value - running costs & residuals
Chassis & Handling Balance
Ride & damping
Engine
Twin-turbocharged 'Mezger' flat-six
Displacement: 3.6 litres (3600 cc)
Bore x Stroke: 100 mm x 76.4 mm
Compression Ratio: 9.4:1
Power Output: 462 PS (456 BHP) at 5700 rpm
Torque: 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) at 3500-4500 rpm
Transmission
6-speed manual
Gear Ratios:
1st: 3.818
2nd: 2.150
3rd: 1.560
4th: 1.240
5th: 1.020
6th: 0.840
Final Drive Ratio: 3.44:1
Limited-slip differential (LSD)
Brakes
Front Brakes: 350 mm ventilated and cross-drilled discs with 6-piston calipers
Rear Brakes: 330 mm ventilated and cross-drilled discs with 4-piston calipers
Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
Tyres
Front Tyres: 235/40 ZR 18
Rear Tyres: 315/30 ZR 18
OEM Tyre Brand: Michelin Pilot Sport
Tyres fitted: Michelin Pilot Sport 2
RUSH RADAR
Steering - feedback & responses
Drivetrain - throttle response, power delivery
Performance
Value - running costs & residuals
Chassis & Handling Balance
Ride & damping
Chassis
Layout: Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive
Wheelbase: 2350 mm
Length: 4430 mm
Width: 1830 mm
Height: 1275 mm
Track Width:
Front: 1460 mm
Rear: 1490 mm
Front Suspension: MacPherson strut with coil springs and anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Multi-link with coil springs and anti-roll bar
Weight
DIN Curb Weight: 1,440 kg
Power-to-Weight: 316 BHP per ton
Torque-to-Weight: 317 lb-ft per ton
Performance
0-62 mph (0-100 km/h): 4.1 seconds
0-100 mph (0-160 km/h): 8.5 seconds
0-124 mph (0-200 km/h): 12.9 seconds
Standing Quarter-Mile Time: 11.9 seconds
Terminal Speed (Quarter-Mile): 122 mph (est.)
Top Speed: 196 mph (315 km/h)
In-Gear Acceleration Times:
30-50 mph in 2nd gear: 1.7 seconds
50-70 mph in 3rd gear: 2.0 seconds
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We reach Pitlochry on the opposite end of the national park relaxed, entertained and impressed. Returning to our earlier question – can you combine elements of grand touring on mixed roads, with constant elevation changes and the demands of spirited driving, without inducing range anxiety? The answer is easily, the battery has enough in it for three hours of such travel, after which point it would be wise to stop for a break anyway.
And the car? The EV6 GT played a central role, making the journey more engaging, not less. Even the Virtual Sound Generator has merit – especially in its more futuristic settings. There’s a hint of Tron Legacy to the digital tones, adding cyberpunk character without dominating proceedings. Another song of praise must also go to Scottish drivers, who know how to make progress in a timely and safe manner, yet still – provided you’re respectful – display great etiquette by pulling over at the first opportunity.
As a sole ownership proposition, the RUSH reader is probably better off leaning toward the more flamboyant 5 N. Despite being being more expensive and riding firmer, there is a sense of mischief to it the GT suppresses. But in a two-car garage, with something more focused for weekends, the Kia’s broader talents and greater discretion could well tip the balance. There is a quiet satisfaction to the EV6 GT. Think of it as the Alpina alternative to a BMW M car.
2025 KIA EV6 GT FACELIFT
Power
641bhp (GT mode only)
Dual-motor AWD, rear-biased
Torque
740Nm combined
Instantaneous delivery via e-AWD
Battery
84kWh lithium-ion
10–80% in 18min (258kW DC)
Performance
0–62mph: 3.5s
Top speed: 161mph
Weight
2,195kg (DIN)
–1kg vs outgoing model
Range
Up to 279 miles (WLTP)
+16 miles vs pre-facelift
Chassis
Retuned spring/damper rates
Revised geometry & e-diff mapping
Brakes
4-piston front calipers
380mm front discs
Wheels
21-inch alloys
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres
Drive Modes
Eco / Normal / Sport / Snow
GT Mode & Drift Mode
Virtual Gear Shift (VGS)
6 simulated ratios
Paddle-controlled regen
