Earlier this year, Kia brought back the EV6 Light trim that the launch range included for the 2022 model year but that got dropped for the 2023 model year. The Light was the entry-level bait, priced at $42,695 in 2022, packing a 58-kWh battery juicing an electric motor making 167 horsepower, all output sent to the rear wheels for up to 232 miles of estimated range. When Kia restored the trim in March, the price has risen, but there remained a $6,730 gap to the next trim in the order, the EV6 Wind RWD. For 2024, Kia’s plugged the sizable MSRP hole with two more Light trims to get buyers closer to the specs of the Wind at a lower price.
As before, only the entry-level Light RWD comes with the 58-kWh battery. The trims above are the Light Long Range RWD and Light Long Range AWD. They both come with the 77.4-kWh battery pack that features throughout the rest of the EV6 range. The rear-driver makes 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and is good for an estimated 310 miles of range. Those are the same specs as the Wind RWD, but the Light Long Range RWD comes in at $2,750 below the Wind RWD.
The Light Long Range AWD again matches the specs of the Wind AWD, using its 77.4-kWh battery to power two motors making a combined 320 hp and 446 lb-ft to an EPA-estimated range of 282 miles. It is also less expensive than the Wind AWD by the same margin, $2,750.
What’s the difference? The features. The Wind trims offer two additional exterior colors, plus a second interior textile option in Charcoal and Misty Gray instead of just black. The Lights can’t be optioned with the blind spot monitor, remote smart parking assist, or parking collision avoidance assist. An eight-way passenger’s seat is standard on the Wind, a no-go on the Light, so too for ventilated front seats. And so on.
Otherwise, the only change is the 2024 EV6 GT extending its range estimate to 218 miles, which is 12 miles more than claimed for the 2023 EV6 GT.
Prices don’t change for any item in the lineup. MSRPs for 2024 after the $1,325 destination charge are:
- EV6 Light RWD: $43,925
- EV6 Light Long Range RWD: $47,275
- EV6 Light Long Range AWD: $51,175
- EV6 Wind RWD: $50,025
- EV6 Wind AWD: $53,925
- EV6 GT-Line RWD: $54,225
- EV6 GT-Line AWD: $58,925
- EV6 GT: $62,925
Read the full article here