Kia EV6 GT updated with 641bhp Hyundai Ioniq 5 N powertrain

The hot Kia EV6 GT has been updated with a powertrain from the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, bringing a significant increase in power. 

The twin-motor, four-wheel-drive set-up puts out 601bhp and 546lb ft of torque in normal operation, but this temporarily increases to 641bhp and 568lb ft when the car’s GT drive mode is selected.

Those outputs are an increase on the 576bhp and 545lb ft of the outgoing EV6 GT.

Nonetheless, straight-line performance remains the same, with the GT dispatching 0-62mph in 3.5sec.

The new EV6 GT also gets the simulated automatic gearbox used in the Ioniq 5 N and its bigger sibling, the Kia EV9 GT. This emulates the gearing and power delivery of a combustion-engined performance car, limiting torque and changing the sound played through the cabin's speakers according to the ‘engine’ revs and gear. It can be operated in a conventional automatic mode (and disabled entirely for a more typical EV driving experience), or it can be manually operated using paddles located behind the steering wheel.

As well as extra power and tactility, the new EV6 GT gets an 84kWh battery pack, up from 77kWh in the outgoing model. This yields a range of 221 miles between charges.

Visually, the new GT gets the same styling tweaks applied to milder variants of the EV6 earlier this year, including revised lights inspired by those on the EV3, EV5 and EV9. It also gets an updated interior with a new three-spoke steering wheel.

It’s expected to arrive in the UK early next year and prices are likely to represent a slight increase on the outgoing model's. For reference, that car started at £62,675.