Well, this was bound to happen. If you were looking to wait out the crowd for the 2022 Kia EV6 First Edition, you won’t get a chance to buy one anymore. Kia sold out all 1,500 units of the First Edition model on the same day it made preorders available. Those that put their name down for one will be able to choose between three perks: a home charger, 1,000 kWh DC charging credit, or an Apple Watch that can link to the EV6’s connected service. As expected over 81 percent chose the home charger option, since most EV owners charge at home, and having a home charger means you can start out every morning will a “full tank” of usable range.
The 2022 Kia EV6 First Edition is unique because it’ll be the only way to get specific colors and interiors. You’ll be able to choose between Urban Yellow with black upholstery, Glacier (white) with dark green upholstery, or Steel Gray Matte with black upholstery. The Urban Yellow exterior and dark green interior are exclusive to the EV6 First Edition. Other unique features include illuminated door sills with First Edition badges, a numbered interior badge, an augmented reality head-up display, a 14-speaker Meridian surround sound system, 20-inch alloy wheels, remote parking capability, and a sunroof.
Based on the dual-motor variant, the 2022 Kia EV6 First Edition is equipped with a 77.4-kWh battery and AWD standard. Between the two electric motors, the combined power output is 313 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. On a single charge, the dual-motor EV6 should be able to travel up to 265 miles. The single-motor long-range version is expected to get a 300-mile rating from the EPA on a charge.
When the EV6 lineup goes on sale, it’ll be available in a 168-hp single-motor version with a 58-kWh battery. This version is the entry-level variant and will likely not be a high-volume model. We expect the 225-hp single-motor long-range EV6 to be the most popular example followed by the dual-motor long range. At the top of the range is the EV6 GT, the most potent flavor. It makes 576 hp and 545 lb-ft from its two electric motors and the 77.4-kWh battery. Kia says the EV6 GT can hit 60 mph in under 3.5 seconds. That comes at the cost of range because Kia is only targeting 235 miles on the EV6 GT.
Thanks to the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, the 2022 Kia EV6 can support 400- and 800-volt charging. This allows the car to take advantage of 350-kW DC chargers, allowing it to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes or add 70 miles in five minutes. An onboard 11-kW charger can fully charge the car in just over 7 hours via a level 2 or 240-volt AC charger. Like all new battery-electric vehicles from Hyundai Motor Group, the Kia EV6 has vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability, allowing you to use the car to power home appliances.
The 2022 Kia EV6 goes on sale in early 2022. Standard and long-range models will arrive first. Those looking to buy the hottest version will need to wait until the end of next year because the EV6 GT isn’t expected to arrive until the fourth quarter of 2022.
