Kia is updating the look of the 2026 EV6, and the GT is getting even more power.
The LA Auto Show is back for another run, and Kia is storming the scene with updated versions of its Sportage SUV as well as a hot EV9 and a facelifted, more powerful EV6. This time around, the company’s sleekest EV is getting a new front end with funkier headlights, and in light of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s power advantage, the EV6 GT is getting a boost to its output too.
On the design front, the changes largely come in at the front. Those headlights are obviously the biggest part of the update, though you also get an LED light strip connecting the long, jagged daytime running lights. Like so many of the Korean automaker’s other models, this new light signature means you definitely won’t mistake the EV6 for something else at night. The rear bumper has been updated as well, as have the wheel designs in either 19- or 21-inch sizes.
In changing the front clip, Kia also extended the overhang (and overall length, as a result) by 0.6 inches. From the A-pillar back, the car has the same profile as before, but the automaker says it lengthened the front to give the car a “sportier stance”.
The interior is broadly the same as before, though the 2025 Kia EV6 does get a slightly larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. This smaller sibling has also taken the EV9’s steering wheel design, dropping a two-spoke look for a more conventional three-spoke wheel, with the drive mode button positioned on the lower spoke.
Other changes to the Kia EV6 are mainly based around usability. The infotainment system should be more responsive, you get a Digital Key (which allows you to use your smartphone to unlock and start the car), driver assistance tech like automatic emergency braking has been improved, and there’s an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot with a 4G LTE modem. Kia has also added power adjustments for the steering column.
The 2025 Kia EV6 (thankfully) gets a larger battery.
If you’re looking to shop for the updated EV6, then the experience will be fairly familiar to 2024 and earlier model years. The “Light” trim kicks off the range, followed by the Wind, GT-Line and high-performance GT. Within most of those trims except the GT, you’ll get the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive, while the Light offers a Long Range variant with the bigger battery pack.
Speaking of battery packs, there are still two options for the EV6, but they’ve both been enlarged. The base Light now gets a 63-kWh unit instead of a 58.0-kWh pack. Light Long Range and above models get an 84.0-kWh battery pack, which extends the EV6’s maximum driving range by nine miles to 319 miles.
Power outputs largely remain the same across most of the lineup. The base Light gets a single rear motor, putting out 167 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. The rear-wheel drive versions of the Light Long Range and above get a horsepower bump to 225 horsepower, while the torque output remains the same. All-wheel drive versions naturally add a second motor to the mix, bumping the power again to 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque.
The real change comes with the 2025 Kia EV6 GT. Not to be outdone by its Hyundai Ioniq 5 N cousin, the hottest EV6 now gets the same level of punch. In Normal and Sport drive modes, you now get 601 horsepower at your disposal, up from 460 hp before. Torque, on the other hand, stays the same at 545 lb-ft. Put it in GT mode, and that output increases again to 641 horsepower and 568 lb-ft of torque. Like the Ioniq 5 N, the EV6 GT also gets a “virtual shift” feature, which makes this direct-drive EV mimic your typical 8-speed dual-clutch setup. And yes, you can get the fake engine sounds as well.
No word on how the extra power impacts the GT’s range, but at least it does get a bigger battery. The Hyundai, for its part, manages 221 miles with the same 84-kWh pack, so expect it to land in that ball park.
When is the 2025 Kia EV6 available and how much will it cost?
Kia says the 2025 EV6 lineup will go on sale in the first half of 2025. Pricing is not available yet, but the goalposts shouldn’t move too much from what they currently are — between $43,975 and $62,975.
While the automaker builds the EV6 at its West Point, Georgia plant, it does not currently qualify for a federal EV tax credit. It’s unlikely that will change for 2025, so don’t expect as much money on the hood as some of its alternatives if you’re shopping for a new electric car.
