It seems twee to start a review of any length with, “WOW”, but here it is, WOW! Kia’s 2026 EV6 GT got some tasty goodies, and finally the front end it should have had to begin with. EV6’s front end never suited the body, and it still doesn’t, but it is a vast improvement.
If only the badge didn’t read “KN”.
by Charlie
The good bits:
The upgrades at a glance:
- Dual-motor AWD system pumping out 448kW
- Peak power up to 478kW and 770Nm in GT Mode
- Upgraded 84kWh battery capacity for extended driving range
- Virtual gear-shift mode mimicking a dual-clutch transmission (why?)
- Stiffer rear sway bars and softer front suspension
- Revised steering for better grip and natural feel
- Redesigned front end with angular ‘Star Map’ headlights
- Specific 21-inch alloy wheels with Neon Green brake calipers (Yes, please)
- Upgraded ccNC infotainment system (See notes below)
- Standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Refreshed, sportier three-spoke steering wheel
- Built-in fingerprint recognition for driver settings (not a lockout)
- Redesigned, more secure wireless charging pad
- Power-operated tilt and reach adjustable steering column (Saves with seat/mirror positions)
800V architecture allows fast charging, but even at the fastest mega-blitzers, your peak DC rate is unlikely to pass 170kW.
Above: 2026 EV6 GT Superfast 3.5 second to 100 GT EV Review
#KiaEV6GT #EV6GT #KiaAustralia #ElectricCars #EVReview
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ABOVE: 2026 Kia EV6 GT
The Star Map moniker for the lighting is confusing. What constellation is it? The Milky Woe? Orion’s Seatbelt? The Big Dripper? Whatever you call it, it is theatrically striking and adds the jewellery the little black racing suit lacked, and is very much Coco-approved. It is just enough without overcooking the pudd.
The 478kW/770Nm upgrade can only be described as thrilling. It pumps adrenalin throughout the cabin in a way few other cars can. The exotics are fast, sure, but they are almost always horrifically uncomfortable, diabolically expensive, and atrociously pompous, but the Kia doesn’t have to be shouty-pants. EV6 GT is certainly noticed in a crowd, especially as the bum streaks away at the lights. Unlike the exotics, it won’t be belching noxious planet-killing poison whilst much catapulting is in progress. Charge at home, babes. Use your solar, babes! Imagine that Clarkson wannabe imploding when he tries to mansplain EV electricity pollution to you at the pub quiz and you hit him with, “I make my own, babes”.
For me, the idea of fake gears is naff. All this synth piped nonsense completely ruins the spectre of “extreme experience”. The allure of a hyper-quick EV is the silent, seamless smack in the head of all-you-can-eat power delivered instantly and brutally. Ah dinnae need yer patter, laddie.
How it doesn’t torque the wheels off the hubs is the work of an evil genius.
I felt the need to set the cabin lighting to “Ghostbusters Slime” to match the lime GT highlights, because much campness was needed to counter all this butchness. This needs no further labouring of the point, much as I’d like to.
The seats are fabulous, handsome, and supportive. They come sans massage, which is naughty considering the Chinese cars do it for 30k.
Ride and handling are utterly nad-tingling. Although EV6 is a leading-edge tech weapon, the steering, ride, and handling feel deliciously analogue. If you ever see Graham Gambold down the local boozer, buy the man a beer. He is Kia’s local tuner and does the steery-bouncy bits, but he is a damper-whisperer whose ability can’t be overstated.
EV6 sales have slowed and it now looks like the odd one out on the boxy-Kia-EV forecourt, but make no mistake, it is a beast more capable than ever of flogging the opposition.
Finally, and this gladdens my heart, once your radio station favourites are programmed and you set the source to “favourites” in the media menu, the steering wheel toggles between favourites. Without this feature you’d need to open the centre stack menu, search for favourites, open the menu, and select the required station. Trying to do this with voice control is a non-starter and will only cause the pulling out of large tufts of hair. Don’t even bother.
Then come the so-so bits
EV6 has one or two niggles to make its excellence all the more piquant.
The awful tap-tap touch panel for climate and audio is still there. The controls change depending on which menu is selected. Newer Kias with the twin-screen panel have an additional pad between the 12.3” screens for climate. That leaves the audio controls on their own, with no guessing which menu is active required.
The rear paddles are for regenerative braking and 1-pedal driving and 1-pedal needs activating each time the car starts. Likewise the silencing of the overspeed warning which is now a long press of the steering wheel mute button. We are often asked why reviewers always silence such beeps, but anyone who has lived with this Brussels edict knows that the well-intended warning is a furphy. The speed sign recognition is almost always wrong, so the gong is sounding constantly.
Fake gears have already been covered, and the less said the better.
The big change is not the power, nor the lights, nor the trim. It is the Android-based ccNC operating system that now infects an ever-increasing number of cockpits worldwide. Regardless of the proprietary name, be it ccNC, Android Automotive OS, MG i-Smart, the underlying software is little more than a churlish child champing and chafing.
I’ll leave you to Google the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) issues. If I list the trouble and strife here, I shall lose the will to live.
Something you’ll eventually need to do is reset or restart the infotainment system. For most brands, holding the power button or both steering wheel toggles will reboot, even while driving. Thankfully the vital systems operate independently of the infotainment even if their settings can only be fettled via the screen.
Not so with the sexy EV6. If the screens freeze, become unstable, fail to respond, fails to connect (and it surely will fail), or otherwise becomes irritating, the Kia needs a paper clip or iPhone SIM pin shoved into a tiny hole.
Instructions follow:
1. The Pinhole Hard Reset (Fixes Sudden Freezes)
If the screen locks up, Bluetooth fails, or the cameras won’t load, use a paperclip or a standard SIM card tray removal tool.
The Location: Look for a tiny, recessed physical button right next to the climate/media toggle panel or the volume dial below the screen.
The Action: Poke it and hold it down for 3-5 seconds. The dual screens will go completely black and reboot the underlying Android layer without wiping your saved profiles. You can cross-reference the detailed layout instructions on the official Kia Owners Portal Head Unit Reset Guide: Kia Head Unit Reset Guide.
2. The Fuse Pull (Fixes Kia Connect Modem Hang-ups)
If the app stops talking to the car, or the built-in GPS/cellular signal shows zero bars, a simple screen reset won’t fix it because the vehicle communication modem is stuck.
You can locate the interior electrical layout by reviewing the digital Kia EV6 Owner’s Manual: Kia EV6 Owner’s Manual (Australia).
The Action: Open the fuse panel cover by your left knee under the dashboard. Locate the “Multimedia” or “DCU” fuse. Pull it out, wait 60 seconds to completely drain the power to the communication stack, and pop it back in.
3. Clear the Cache via Profile Toggling
Sometimes the profile system data itself gets corrupted, causing the dashboard to stutter right as you start the car. Go to your profile settings, temporarily switch to a “Guest” profile, turn the car off and back on, and then log back into your main profile to force the software stack to reload its local cache database.
If bugs continue to corrupt your profile data, you can download a clean firmware build directly from the official Kia Navigation Updates Website: Kia Navigation Updates Website.
Finally:
The superlatives abound. EV6 GT is a gorgeous example of modern motoring design execution, but at $105,000 on the road, she is a pricey princess. Even at that, EV6 GT is worth every penny, because there is an indefinable x-factor that only a drive can genuinely start the juices flowing.
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