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The Kia EV6 is stepping into a tradition, using each model year to refine itself from promising debutante into seasoned performer.
“I have had a 2022 GT-Line RWD since February 2022 and have really enjoyed it. (Having survived 12V and ICCU replacements.)
With the 9/30 deadline looming, I decided to drop by the Kia dealer to see what deals they might have on a 2025. With the tax credit, rebate, and loyalty rebate, it was discounted by around $11k. After running the numbers, I decided to make the trade for a 2025 that is essentially the same as my 2022, just a little lighter blue. Here are my reactions after two days:
Improvements/annoyances fixed:
Lane keeping is much improved. Less need for manual override.
Attentiveness monitoring is much better, with less of that irritating beeping to put your hands on the wheel.
Lane change is actually functional! It works!
Nice to have that bit of additional range.
The HUD is better organized and provides better navigation information.
Likewise, the instrument cluster is more informative. Again, more modern.
I like that the range is clearly given as an estimate between a minimum and a maximum.
The new head unit (setting, etc.) is a little nicer to navigate, but not dramatically improved.
Thumbwheels instead of rocker switches on the steering wheel (2 out of the 4) are nice, including for volume.
More options on the Favorites buttons (steering wheel and headunit), making them more functional.
Having built-in wireless CarPlay is great. No more fiddling with my CarLinkIt adapter.
You can set what the MODE button cycles through, including CarPlay.
The navigation system is not rerouting nearly as much.
If you start the Kia nav, then CarPlay maps, the HUD keeps showing the turn directions.
Power adjustment of the steering wheel lets you adjust it for optimal comfort and visibility of the instrument cluster.
Maybe I’m forgetting, but the seat adjustment controls seemed easier.
The heat ventilate/heat buttons are physical buttons; no more stray touches!
Having the charge port on the driver’s side seems more convenient to pull up to a charger.
Having a light in the charger port is nice. The charge port also easily opens without using the button inside the car.
I’m not sure if it’s an overall update to Kia Connect, but there seem to be more options than before… including opening/closing the charging door.
Supposedly quieter, I didn’t notice a big change to be honest.
I finally got the digital key to work. Having it on my Apple Watch is pretty cool.
The stitching of camera images (e.g., 3D view or side view) is much, much improved.
I haven’t tried the Plug/Play yet, but I really wouldn’t mind not hunting around for all the apps.
Nitpicks and questions:
Acceleration doesn’t seem quite as responsive in the Normal model as it was before.
In 2022, I had regen set at Auto/Level 3. In 2025, it seems to be one or the other? I am using just Level 3, no autro, which doesn’t feel quite equivalent to what I was using.
Level 2 charging is slower. I have ChargePoint and bought a Lectron adapter. Maybe I need to play with the settings, or maybe it’s the adapter???
I miss being told to turn at the fourth road on the right, and trying to figure out what counts as a road and what is just a driveway. (joke)
My conclusion:
The 2025 update addresses many of the little nagging issues from the first generation. I loved my 2022, and so far, I’m loving this even more as minor friction points have been resolved.
I am writing this now rather than waiting a little longer cuz… 9 days left! I really think it may be worth taking a look while the price is so low.”
That was Reddit user wgarym posting on r/KiaEV6. His words read like field notes from an engineer in the trenches rather than an owner swapping one hatchback for another. What he discovered in the new car wasn’t a revolution in styling or platform but a quiet accumulation of improvements, proof that Kia has been listening to the early adopters who shouldered the quirks of the first-generation models.
Kia EV6 Architecture
- The EV6’s 800-volt electrical architecture enables industry-leading charging speeds, replenishing from 10% to 80% in just 20 minutes, making it one of the fastest-charging consumer EVs available today.
- Built in West Point, Georgia, with 80% U.S. and Canadian content, the EV6 ranks sixth on the American-Made Index, containing more domestic parts than most traditionally “American” vehicles.
- The EV6 GT variant delivers 576 horsepower and 3.2-second 0-60 acceleration while maintaining practical crossover utility, proving electric vehicles can excel in both performance and practicality.
- Real-world owner experiences demonstrate exceptional durability, with documented cases of trouble-free operation exceeding 75,000 miles, establishing the EV6 as a dependable long-term ownership proposition.
The upgrades tell a clear story. Lane keeping now tracks true without begging for correction. Attentiveness monitoring has been dialed back to sanity. Lane change assist finally does what its name implies. The head-up display has grown into a proper navigator, and the instrument cluster looks modern rather than cobbled together. Wireless CarPlay is finally baked in, a simple quality-of-life feature that saves the fiddling with adapters.
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Physical climate controls have returned to banish accidental cold blasts from stray touches. Even the charging port moved to the driver’s side with its own light, subtle, but the kind of thing owners notice every day.
Naturally, the Reddit community pounced on the details. User Ozo42 pointed out that the new thumbwheels on the steering wheel can be slippery in dry winter air, suggesting the old rocker switches might have been better.
That observation underlines an eternal truth: what solves a problem for one driver can create a new wrinkle for another. But the consensus was clear. This 2025 feels like a more considered machine, shaped by the hands of owners who lived with the car long enough to know what worked and what didn’t.
Kia EV6 Charging Speeds
Charging speeds, however, became the most debated topic. wgarym noted his new EV6 charges at 7.5 kW on Level 2 compared to nearly 11 kW in his 2022. Ozo42 speculated this could be Kia’s way of protecting the ICCU from overheating. TubbaBotox agreed, while Jensen567 argued it might simply be the larger battery making the process appear slower. In the end, the original poster confirmed the numbers himself: 7.5 versus 11. Whether it is engineering prudence or a calibration quirk remains to be seen, but it sparked the kind of discussion that proves how closely this community watches its cars.
And yet the slower charging did not sour the experience. “The 2025 update addresses many of the little nagging issues from the first generation. I loved my 2022, and so far I’m loving this even more,” wrote wgarym. That sentiment echoes the very essence of automotive progress. Cars rarely leap forward in a single bound. They evolve by solving irritations, one button, one algorithm, one HUD layout at a time.
Kia EV6 Traction Management System
- The EV6’s sophisticated traction management and Snow Mode optimization allow it to maintain efficiency and control in challenging winter conditions, making it suitable for year-round driving in diverse climates.
- The 2025 model includes both CCS and NACS charging ports, providing access to over 40,000 charging stations, including Tesla’s Supercharger network, eliminating range anxiety for most drivers.
- The vehicle’s sophisticated power distribution system allows drivers to optimize efficiency through various driving modes, with real-world testing showing predictable energy consumption patterns for accurate trip planning.
- Starting at $42,900 with available federal tax credits reducing the price to $35,400, the EV6 offers luxury features and performance typically found in vehicles costing significantly more.
This has always been the formula for greatness. Mazda didn’t reinvent the Miata every cycle; it just made the steering sharper and the cabin friendlier. The same principle guided Porsche with the 911 and Honda with the Accord. Now Kia is proving that an EV can mature the same way. By 2025, the EV6 has already shed its teething pains and grown into a sharper, smoother, more satisfying machine.
From lane change assist that finally works to physical buttons that restore order to the cabin, the EV6 has shown how incremental improvements turn a good car into one worth keeping. It is a reminder that in automobiles, as in literature, the rewrites are often where the masterpiece emerges.
Image Sources: Kia Media Center
Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.
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Source: torquenews.com
