The Kia EV6 GT, the fastest and most powerful version of the electric crossover with 577 hp, made its North American debut today at The Quail prior to its market launch in the US in the fourth quarter of 2022. The GT variant of the EV6 was originally introduced in March 2021 together with the rest of the lineup, but while the performance flagship is already available to order in Europe, it had yet to become available in the US.

Visually, the GT is distinguished by the 21-inch wheels, the pattern on the intake, the vertical chrome accents on the front bumper, and the vertical reflectors on the rear bumper, since the rest of the sporty bodykit is shared with the lesser GT-Line. Another special touch is the neon-colored brake calipers. Inside, the bucket seats with vegan suede upholstery are standard, with green piping matching the neon green details on the dashboard.

 

The EV6 GT is based on the E-GMP modular architecture, just like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 sibling which will soon get a similarly-powerful N-branded variant. Dual electric motors – one on each axle – produce a combined 577 hp and 740 Nm of torque, offering all-wheel-drive. Thus, Kia’s most powerful production model accelerates from 0-96 km/h in 3.4 seconds, leaving most sporstcars into the dust. The top speed is limited to 260 km/h, which is quite something for an EV, although slightly lower than the ICE-powered Kia Stinger GT. The EV6 GT gets the larger 77.4 kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese battery, which is good for an electric range of 332 km, slightly lower than less powerful versions. According to Kia, the 800V architecture means the battery pack can replenish 70 percent of its capacity in 18 minutes when plugged into a 350 kW charger.

The GT-specific chassis setup includes a sportier active suspension, an e-LSD, larger disc brakes (15-inches at the front and 14.2-inches at the rear), a quicker steering, and a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 tires. The driver also gets access to additional driving modes (GT and My are added to the standard Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow), the Drift Mode that sends all power to the rear axle, and two new sound options in the Active Sound Design menu.

Kia will announce US pricing for the EV6 GT closer to its market launch in the fourth quarter of the year. All buyers of the EV6 in the US receive a charging credit of 1,000 kWh at Electrify America stations, which is valid for three years. Currently, the most expensive trim of the EV6 in the US lineup is the GT-Line e-AWD priced at US$ 56,400. In Germany, where the regular Kia EV6 starts from € 46,990 (US$ 47,671), the EV6 GT costs € 69,990 (US$ 71,004).