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Kia developed its new Kia EV6 to appeal to a young but responsible audience that wants a sports car needs an SUV and loves going green.
The 2022 Kia EV6 boasts a wide appeal since it works well as a commuter car, a college road trip car, and a family car. This sporty crossover SUV looks jaunty, charges quickly, and accelerates like a gas-powered vehicle.
It enters the car market’s competitive new electric vehicle market with a price of about $40,000. Easily transport five passengers, including the driver in its roomy interior.
Its 58.0 kWh battery provides just 167 horsepower and 258-pound feet of torque, so you won’t be towing your boat with this SUV, but you can log a pretty decent road trip before needing to charge since it gets up to 232 miles according to EPA estimates.
You won’t have to sit out much of your day with its Ultra-Fast DC charging capability. You can pit stop for lunch and recover most of your vehicle’s mileage by plugging in as you enter the restaurant.
Safety-wise, Kia pours on the features. Its standard entry-level model offers a plethora of driver assistance features that help you navigate the open road more easily. These include:
- Auto Emergency Braking Technology,
- Highway Driving Assistant,
- Blind-Spot Detection Technology,
- Lane Keeping Assistant,
- Lane Following Assistant,
- Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assistant,
- Safe Exit Assistant,
- Navi-based Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go,
- Park Distance Warning – Reverse.
The emergency braking features tie into other features that help you spot pedestrians and bicyclists. Its Junction Turning and Cyclist Detection features help you keep others safer.
Although you may love the looks of the new EV6, you might need a little more cargo space or to seat more than five. Maybe you simply need more battery power, so you can go 400 to 500 miles without stopping.
We’ll provide a quick comparison of the top comparable vehicles to the EV6, so you can read how it stacks up against the other electric crossover SUVs. Perhaps you’d like a sportier look, such as a muscle car would provide.
You can find alternatives to Kia’s newly updated line. Let us help you get started with a quick list of our favorites, starting with our top three, then providing the runners-ups.
Although a competitive field, the small to mid-sized crossover SUV field remains a small one since not many manufacturers have entered it yet.
1. Tesla Model Y
The Model Y adds about $24K to the EV6 in price, starting at $64,190. The Model Y beats the EV6 on charge mileage, though, capably traveling a distance of about 330 miles on a single charge.
You won’t get much seating utility out of the third-row seat, which many refer to as tiny, but it makes an ideal spot for storing luggage and handbags.
Why It’s Similar to the EV6?
This American manufacturer puts forth a crossover SUV with similar sporty styling that also seats five. The Model Y offers the more convenient vehicle for long-distance trips, but the two prove equal as commuter cars.
The standard trim of the Y looks a lot like the EV6 except for its moon roof. It offers 76 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat folded, while the EV6 offers 50.2 cubic feet. You get 42.4 inches of front legroom in the EV6 but 40.5 inches in the Tesla Model Y.
It comes close to the EV6 in rear seat leg space with 40.5 inches to the EV6’s 39 inches. So, with the Model Y, you get a little extra space, and extra miles traveled.
Vehicle Design Observations
Nab a Model Y to land a vehicle like the Kia EV6, but with more oomph. You won’t even need to move up to the premium trim to do so. On the inside gain engine power.
The Model Y uses an engine that generates 346 horsepower and 388 pound-feet of torque. You can upgrade to a higher trim on the EV6 to get comparable engine performance.
Speed/Time for 0 to 60 miles per hour: 4.8 seconds
Horsepower: 450 hp
Torque: 471 lb. ft.
Base Model Cost: $64,190
Seating Capacity: Five to seven
Fuel Efficiency: 330 miles per charge
Towing Capacity: 3,500 pounds
2. Volkswagen ID.4
Volkswagen comes closest to the Kia EV6 in price, starting at about $41,000. While they match on price, the Volkswagen offers three trim choices and a more SUV-like design. With the rear seats folded down, you’ll get 64.2 cubic feet of cargo space.
Why It’s Similar to the EV6?
Besides the price and the seating – both accommodate five individuals, they also offer a similar range. You can travel 240 miles on a single charge of the ID.4. The two vehicles offer similar towing capabilities and a moonroof.
Vehicle Design Observations
The ID.4 offers a more traditional shape in a crossover SUV. Volkswagen offers similar safety features. You also get the little extras like leather seats.
Speed/Time for 0 to 60 miles per hour: 7.7 seconds
Horsepower: 295 hp
Torque: 339 lb. ft.
Base Model Cost: $41,000
Seating Capacity: Five
Fuel Efficiency: 240 miles per full charge
Towing capacity: 2,200 to 2,700 pounds
3. Hyundai IONIQ 5
Choose from three trim levels with the IONIQ 5 (pronounced eye-ah-nick) to choose either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. You’ll reduce your available mileage by choosing AWD on the SE, from 303 miles to 256 miles.
You’ll only add about $4,000 to the sticker price by choosing the IONIQ 5 over the Kia EV6. This vehicle uses a smaller battery than the other models and you can only travel about 170 miles on a single charge of its battery.
Why It’s Similar to the EV6?
Aside from the tiny logo on the front, the cars look like twins. They boast similar body styles and both seat five comfortably.
With respect to cargo space, when you fold down the rear seats, you gain 59.3 cubic feet of cargo space. With the seats up, you get 27.2 cubic feet in which to stash your stuff.
Vehicle Design Observations
The IONIQ typically comes in metallic colors like silver making it look a bit like it drove right out of a Jetson’s cartoon. Although you can’t go as far in the base model, you’ll look fabulous as you travel.
Its peppy motor also accelerates well, so you can come off of a red light like a drag racer on a quarter-mile stretch.
Speed/Time for 0 to 60 miles per hour: 4.4 seconds
Horsepower: 225 hp
Torque: 258 lb. ft.
Base Model Cost: $42,000
Seating Capacity: Five
Fuel Efficiency: 170 miles per full charge
Towing capacity: 2,000 pounds
Runners Up to the Top Three
If you didn’t find the next car of your dreams in the top three vehicle alternatives to the Kia EV6, keep reading. We located other Kia EV6 alternatives, too.
4. Volvo C40 Recharge
The boxy C40 Recharge tacks $19,000 onto the Kia’s price, starting at $59,845, but providing AWD with its base model. It matches the Kia in seating and safety features but outdoes it in the area of engine and transmission power.
Its all-electric engine provides a whopping 402 horsepower and 486-pound feet of torque. All that power provides a range comparable to the Kia though.
You can travel 226 miles on a full charge. It offers a much smaller trunk than any of the other options – 16 cubic feet. If you fold down the rear seats, you’ll nab a 46.9 cubic feet cargo area.
5. Ford Mustang Mach-E
Years ago did any of us think that Mustangs would someday come as an all-electric car? It’s here. For a sticker price of about $44,995, you can drive a Mustang you plug in to charge. It looks like the familiar sports car yet seats five.
Choose from four trim levels, including a GT AWD. That tacks $19,000 onto the American muscle car though. You can travel about 224 miles on a single charge with its base model.
Its engine provides 224 horsepower and torque of 317-pound feet of torque. Like the crossovers, you can fold down the rear seats to gain a larger cargo area of 59.7 cubic feet. With the seats up, you’ll get 29.7 cubic feet of storage.
6. Mazda MX-30
You can actually pay less for the Mazda MX-30, to get an SUV like the Kia, but for less. The Mazda is a little smaller than the Kia but still seats five. Choose from two trim levels. The cargo area offers a reasonable trunk of 20.2 cubic feet.
When you fold down the rear seats, the trunk space grows to 45.2 cubic feet. The little Mazda doesn’t focus on power or performance, so its electric engine provides just 143 horsepower and 200-pound feet of torque.
You cannot tow anything with it. This electric vehicle focuses more on giving you a terrific commute. You get the feel of the typical Mazda sports car from its well-appointed interior.