Hani Joudi 
Ten years ago, it would have been unimaginable that in 2023, Kia would be selling an all-electric SUV in Australia with a starting price of AU$99,590 ($64,491) before on-road costs but that’s the day and age we’re living in.
In 2013, Kia’s SUV range in Australia consisted of the Sportage and the Sorento. The Sportage topped out at AU$39,490 ($25,572) while the flagship Sorento could be picked up from AU$50,390 ($32,631). Even accounting for inflation, those prices only rise by roughly AU$9,000 (~$5,800) and AU$12,000 (~$7,770) respectively and for many consumers, the idea of spending over AU$70,000 (~$45,000) or AU$80,000 (~$51,800) for a Kia still sounds absurd in 2023. So, can Kia justify selling its latest and greatest crossover/SUV, the Kia EV6 GT, for over $100,000?
A Kia that makes little logical sense
CarScoops’ own Stephen Rivers first experienced the EV6 GT at its North American launch in December 2022, driving it both on public roads, at a race track, and on a drag strip. However, Aussies have had to wait a little longer for it to arrive on local shores and while it only recently touched down, it’s definitely been worth the wait.
The specs of the Kia EV6 GT are something that could be marveled at for hours. The car manufacturer has fitted it with a permanent magnet synchronous motor at the front axle with 160 kW (214 hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) while a beefier motor at the rear axle provides an extra 270 kW (362 hp) and 390 Nm (288 lb-ft). Combined, the EV6 GT delivers a stupendous 430 kW (576 hp) and 740 Nm (546 lb-ft) of torque. To put those figures into perspective, a flagship Kia Sorento from 2013 had a 3.5-liter V6 with 204 kW (274 hp) and 335 Nm (247 lb-ft). The EV6 GT is double the price but it does have double the power.
Providing these motors with their juice is the same 77.4 kWh battery pack found across a host of other Hyundai Motor Group models, including all other EV6 variants as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The E-GMP platform is an advanced 800-volt architecture and supports 350 kW charging, meaning the EV6 GT’s battery can be topped up from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. In theory, that is. More on that a little later.
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