Spacious and sustainable: Kia EV6 shows amazing cabin space trickery

With first deliveries of the Kia EV6 expected across Europe in the fourth quarter of 2021, the Korean carmaker showed off the electric car's "usability." 

Based on its dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), Kia said the EV6’s cabin is a roomy one.

Front passengers face a minimalist dashboard that emphasizes the cabin’s sense of space. Without the need for a transmission tunnel, the car has a flat floor that provides rear seat passengers with 990 millimeters of legroom. 

A new heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system further improves passenger comfort and interior space, Kia said. 

The HVAC architecture is said to split between the inside and outside of the cabin, which results in a 55 percent size reduction of the HVAC system. This layout slims down the cockpit design to create even more room. 

"Relaxation" seats enable the driver and front passenger to relax when the EV6 is parked or charging. At the touch of a button, the seats will lift and recline, allowing occupants to stretch out, read a book, or get some sleep. The lightweight and slim seats are another space-saving solution. 

Premium, durable, and sustainable materials are used throughout the EV6 cabin. The sustainable claim comes from the vegan leather trims to seat fabrics, and floor carpet which were made using recycled plastics, equivalent to 100 plastic 500ml water bottles. 

A center storage tray provides a space for items such as small bags and tablets, while a wireless charging pad feeds juice to smartphones. The glovebox benefits from the split-HVAC and delivers 10.5 liters of space, while drinks holders are located fore and aft the cabin. 

The EV6 cargo hold has benefitted from the E-GMP architecture, providing 520 liters of trunk space with the second-row seats in place. With the 60:40 second-row seats folded, stowage capacity increases to approximately 1,300 liters.

The EV6 also features a front trunk, or ‘frunk’, providing an additional 52 liters of storage space for rear-wheel drive (RWD) models and 20 liters for all-wheel drive (AWD) models. The charging cable for the vehicle is intended to go in the frunk. 

The usability continues to the EV6's vehicle-to-load (V2L) function. V2L generates up to 3.6kW of power from the vehicle’s battery, which turns the exterior charging plug into a power socket. 

The adapter plug will be market-specific, enabling the EV6 to help charge anything, from external domestic appliances to other EVs. Inside the cabin, devices can be charged from a port under the rear seats, which is directly connected to the car's battery. 

The EV6 is powered by two battery options, a 58.0kWh and 77.4kWh. Both will use an energy-dense nickel-cobalt-manganese battery pack.

RWD cars will be fitted with a 58.0kWh battery and a 160kW rear motor to net 167hp, while a 77.4 kWh battery with a the same rear motor will produce the 218hp. 

On the other hand, AWD EV6s will have a 70kW and an 160kW motor front and back, respectively, that combines a 77.4kWh battery to yield 313hp.

An upcoming GT version will run on a 77.4kWh battery, a 160kW front motor, and a 270kW rear one, that all work together for a 576hp output.

 

Photos from Kia

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