Kia America is excited to share that the Kia EV6 GT has been awarded the title of Road & Track’s 2024 Performance EV of the Year. It won in the category for EVs priced under $100,000. The EV6 GT was selected after a thorough evaluation of all eligible EVs by Road & Track. It outperformed its competitors in challenging road tests.
“We are deeply honored the EV6 GT has garnered the enthusiastic attention of the esteemed editors at Road & Track, who are passionate auto enthusiasts at heart,” said Steven Center, COO and EVP, Kia America. “We are thrilled they recognized our core objective to redefine the notion that EVs don’t have to be silent boxes on wheels, and that our high-horsepower EV6 GT can evoke the same level of excitement as some of the most fun-to-drive gasoline-powered cars.”
To determine the winner, Road & Track closed off a four-mile stretch of Angeles Crest Highway. They drove six qualifying EVs along the twisty roads and assessed their raw speed, cornering, braking, endurance, comfort, and how much they each emoted as a sports car. Important EV factors like charging times and energy usage were also considered. There were two groups of winners: one for EVs with as-tested prices under $100,000, and one for those above that mark.
“Kia has nailed the EV transition,” said Mike Guy, Editor-in-Chief of Road & Track. “They’ve been able to pull off the impossible alchemy of combining unparalleled design, tech, software, and performance in a way no other carmaker has – at any price point.”
The GT is an electric performance vehicle that is built on the E-GMP modular EV platform. It has a dual-motor e-AWD powertrain with a 77.4-kWh battery pack. The front-mounted motor produces 160kW, while the rear-mounted motor produces 270kW. This combination results in a total power output of 576 hp and 546 lb.-ft. of torque. Some of the notable upgrades for the EV6 GT include a dedicated sport suspension, larger ventilated disc brakes, Z-rated Goodyear Eagle F1 tires with 21-inch alloy wheels, and a “Drift Mode” that allows for more oversteer.
The EV6 GT can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 161 mph. It also has the ability to charge quickly, going from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes using a DC fast charger. Additionally, it has a Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature that allows it to power other devices.