2025 Kia EV6 Review

Kia’s 2024 EV6 is a tough act to follow with several awards, which include but aren’t limited to winning Best Car for Families and Best Car for Dog Owners at Autotrader’s 2024 New Car Awards. However, Kia has stepped up to the plate by redesigning the EV6 inside and out for 2025. Our review will help you decide whether this revamp aligns with your driving needs and preferences by evaluating its exterior and interior design, performance, technology, safety, and various trim levels.

MotoPickers Rating: 9.7/10

The 2025 EV6 aims to provide a joyful driving experience that’s simultaneously practical. This compact SUV, which seats up to five passengers, will feature starting prices of around $44,000 to $63,000. 

New additions to the exterior include fresh wheels, a redesigned front bumper, and different headlamps. Interior changes consist of a new panoramic infotainment display, steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging pad, and a new fingerprint authentication system, which we’ll highlight during our review’s technology section. A new battery pack also provides slightly more range. 

These updates help form a unique design, robust performance, and a calm cabin environment. During our review, we’ll highlight how it compares to its rivals, which include Tesla’s Model Y, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen’s  ID.4, and Nissan’s Ariya. Kia has yet to publish its official page for the 2025 EV6, so read our review below to get ahead of the curve.

Exterior design spotlight

The 2025 Kia EV6’s exterior is different, but the changes aren’t as radical as expected for a redesign. Its headlights, with their sleek, angular, and sharp-edged appearance, are a defining feature of the model’s revamping. Available star map signature lighting within the 2025 EV6’s GT-Line connects the model’s front headlights via a light bar for a more cohesive and aggressive design.

The front grille’s design resembles the Kia EV 3, reflecting the automaker’s effort to establish a throughline with its electric lineup’s grilles. Lifting the hood reveals a small frunk for smaller items like cables and motors. Conversely, models like Kia’s Niro EV don’t show motor configurations. We believe the three most eye-catching exterior colors for the 2025 EV6 are snow white pearl and blue in a matte or gloss finish.

Wheel options measure 19” to 20” and contain abstract, rectangular designs that quickly stand out on the road. The 2025 EV6’s wheel arches now include a more aerodynamic-friendly configuration. Look toward the middle of this vehicle’s exterior, and you’ll find a reinforced and thicker B-pillar. Opening the rear doors reveals additional reinforcement in the door jambs not previously present. 

Swing to the 2025 EV6’s rear, and you’ll find angular taillights with arrow end shapes and a one-touch power-open trunk. The charge port is under the rear left taillight, with its cover seamlessly fitting into the rear. A metal trim strip runs between each taillight for increased exterior harmony, and you’ll also find body-colored trim on the lower sides of the rear bumper, mirroring the front’s design philosophy.

Interior design and comfort 

The 2025 EV6’s second row doesn’t contain a lot of headroom, as the roof slopes down relatively quickly. This Kia’s second row is smaller than its EV3 sibling, but this was a purposeful choice to achieve a sleek look, which is also present on the exterior toward the C-pillar. While the second row is smaller than the EV6, its legroom is exceptional and overshadows the lessened footroom rear passengers have under the front seat compared to the EV3. 

This 2025 EV6 contains an extra quarter-glass window area adjacent to the primary pane that seems a bit unnecessary with its tiny configuration. However, unlike some of its rivals, the rear windows roll down all the way, which we’ll highlight later in our review. 

Second-row seats can recline as a row to create a lounge-like atmosphere. This relaxing ambiance is complemented by ambient lighting in the door panels, but the amount of lighting is limited compared to the front seating area. The front row contains ambient lighting in the center console area, door panels, and across the dashboard. Place your hands on this Kia’s steering wheel, and you’ll notice how comfortable it feels while remaining visually appealing with two-tone color configurations. 

Drivers also receive a sizable left footrest and solid center console storage. Front-row windows are slightly slanted, but the ginormous panoramic sunroof helps compensate for this minor drawback. Similar to the rear row, the front seating area has generous legroom. Adjusting your seat belt is easy with the 2025 EV6’s vertical seat belt slide feature, and the front seat has control panels in the traditional lower side position in addition to the seats’ other side toward their tops.

Performance and driving dynamics 

Kia’s 2025 EV6 is available with a single electric motor mounted on the rear axle, forming a rear-wheel drive (RWD) configuration, or dual electric motors on the front and rear axles for all-wheel drive (AWD). Horsepower for AWD variants is 320 or 576, while its RWD counterpart offers 167 or 225 horsepower. 

Thrilling acceleration, athletic handling, and adjustable regenerative braking settings help the 2025 EV6’s performance shine. For the first time, Kia has implemented a feature allowing you to control the new EV6’s regenerative braking with the steering wheel’s left paddle shifter. In other words, you can bring this vehicle to a stop using the left paddle shifter, which reduces foot fatigue during extended journeys and smoothens the ride feel.

Opting for a 576-horsepower 2025 EV6 includes performance enhancements like an electronic limited-slip differential, firmer chassis tuning, an adaptive suspension, and brakes with improved stopping power. A 320-horsepower 2025 EV6 jumps from 0-60 MPH in 4.5 seconds, while the base RWD reduces this to 6.7 seconds. The overall ride sound is quieter due to more sound absorbing underneath in areas like the floor panels.

Separate performance-related components receiving upgrades include:

• Bushings (more precise control)
• Lower arm (improved handling)
• Stabilizers (rear is now thicker)
• Smart frequency dampers (softer ride) 

An entry-level Light rear-wheel drive 2025 EV6 comes with a 58.0-kWh battery pack, while others receive an 84.0-kWh version. Official range estimates aren’t out yet, but you can expect some RWD grades to deliver over 310 miles per charge and over 282 miles for some AWD trims. Kia notes that you can charge the 2025 EV6’s battery from 0-80% in 18 minutes with a 350-kW fast charger or 70 miles in five minutes. Level 2 charging via the 11-kW onboard charger will yield a 10-100% charge time of seven hours.

Technology and infotainment 

The 2025 EV6 features a fingerprint recognition system, allowing you to drive the vehicle without its key fob. This recognition technology is a small circular button near the ignition for optimal convenience. Another of our favorite technology features within this Kia is its new key fob, which allows you to pull your car in and out of parking spots or other areas remotely. If the Kia senses an obstacle while you’re using the fob to reverse or pull the vehicle forward remotely, it’ll automatically stop. 

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and pair well with the available Meridian premium sound system. A newly designed vertical wireless charging pad further reduces cabin clutter. When driving last year’s EV6, drivers would have to intermittently shake or grip the steering wheel to let the SUV’s technology know their hands were on the wheel. Now, it’ll sense one or two hands instead of requiring movement or gripping. 

The 2025 EV6 utilizes a digital rearview mirror for greater driver visibility. When navigation is active, it’ll also display on the windshield via the model’s head-up display (HUD). The 2024 EV6 contained touch controls for activating heated and ventilated seats. Kia’s 2025 EV6 similarly contains touch controls for seat heat and ventilation, but the buttons require more force to activate, which helps reduce accidental operation. 

Regarding the infotainment system, drivers receive dual-connected 12.3” panoramic curved displays with slightly rounded outer edges. Suppose you need to adjust your steering wheel’s positioning. In that case, the control for this action is automatic instead of manual, adding to the interior’s convenience alongside ergonomic features like the shift-by-wire gear selector. 

While many drivers enjoy the feel of switching gears with a rotary dial, the 2025 EV6’s shift-by-wire design reduces the center console room for features like a sliding tray, which is present within the EV3. The second row includes a 12V charge plug to power items like laptops on the go.

Safety features

Kia roots the 2025 EV6’s safety in the available HDA2 (Highway Driving Assist 2) package, which includes:

• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Lane Change Assist 
• Navigation-Based Speed Adjustment 
• Hands-On Detection
• Emergency Maneuver Support

Adaptive Cruise Control automatically accelerates or slows the 2025 EV6 based on traffic flow to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle you’re following. Lane Keeping Assist, which best displays its capabilities on freeway and highway drives, provides gentle steering inputs if the system senses you’re drifting from your lane without a turn signal. 

Lane Change Assist checks your blind spots to ensure the coast is clear for a safe maneuver, while Navigation-Based Speed Adjustment monitors changing road conditions along your route to prepare for situations like curves, speed changes, or junctions. If a vehicle cuts into your lane, Emergency Maneuver Support initiates automatic steering to help you avoid a collision.

Standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, which warns you of other vehicles approaching from your sides while reverse driving. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded Kia’s 2024 EV6 its highest crash protection rating of five stars, so expect the 2025 EV6 to achieve similar marks. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has not yet released a crash protection report for the 2024 EV6.

Ownership experience 

The 2025 Kia EV6 will be available in four trim levels. These grades, from least to most expensive, include:

• Light 
• Wind
• GT
• GT-Line

We recommend that performance enthusiasts opt for a GT or GT-Line, as this SUV’s 576 horsepower is thrilling, to say the least. Separately, Kia’s warranty program is one of the best. A 2025 EV6 customer will receive a limited warranty for five years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first, and a powertrain warranty for 10 years or 100,000 miles, but no complimentary maintenance.

Competition

It’s worth evaluating the little details when comparing the 2025 Kia EV6 to its competition. Tesla’s Model Y, Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen’s ID.4, and Nissan’s Ariya all contain window designs that don’t entirely go down. While not-fully closing windows are often for aesthetic and structural purposes, having the 2025 EV6’s configuration is still ideal.

A GT variant’s 0-60 MPH time of 3.5 seconds also equals the Tesla Model Y’s time, the world’s best-selling vehicle in 2023. Other areas where the 2025 EV6 excels over competitors include charging times, interior space, comprehensive warranty coverage, and an exceptionally harmonious facelifted design.

Drivers may experience less satisfaction with a 2025 Kia EV6 compared to its comparable competitors in areas such as rear cargo space, rear visibility due to the sloping roofline, no third-row seating, and a less prevalent charging network. However, if these potential drawbacks don’t sound like they’ll compromise the quality of your daily drives, this is one of the best compact electric SUVs that the automotive industry has to offer.

Final verdict 

Kia’s 2025 EV6 presents one of the most exciting facelifts in recent years—especially within the electric vehicle segment that’s becoming increasingly competitive. The redesigned EV6 boasts an interior with far more flair than Tesla’s hot-selling Model Y, with performance to match. This Kia’s interior is also highly ergonomic, sleek, and high-tech, with standout features like the fingerprint authentication system and regenerative braking adjustments via the left paddle shifter. 

The 2025 EV6 has all the usual must-have performance features like multiple drive modes but builds on its previous version by refining suspension for an ultra-smooth ride. A choice between RWD and AWD increases versatility, and its price range is competitive for a vehicle of its caliber. MotoPickers gives Kia’s 2025 EV6 a 9.7/10.