I have been mourning the loss of the station wagon from many major carmaker lineups for years, replaced by cookie-cutter crossovers that look alike.

Sure, there’s a few still left. Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW and Volvo make some snazzy wagons. Heck, even Ferrari had a shooting brake – that’s station wagon in our lingo – in the 2016 GTC4Lusso.

But all of those cost $50,000 or more for the luxury of hauling four adults and a tall dog – until now.

Hot on the heels of the 2026 Dodge Charger – yes, it’s a full-size 6-cylinder fastback sedan with a hatchback – comes a very sexy shooting brake from Kia. And mine had Star Wars lightspeed animation on startup, then Darth Vader and his red lightsaber as part of the main display’s themed graphics.

Yes, the Force is with this golden rocket.

Kia’s Global Design Center Jazzes Things Up With K4 Hatchback

A year ago, Kia’s Global Design Center really spiced things up when it replaced its midsize Forte with the angular K4. Now comes what the South Korean company calls its K4 Hatchback – “the athletic counterpart to the K4 sedan, featuring a distinctive floating roof design and versatile cargo space.” 

Our long, sleek press car retains the 2025 K4’s redesign of the company’s trademark “Tiger Grille,” with its slim center section that flows outward, with inverted amber “Ls” framing vertically with LED projector headlights and smaller staggered double stacked elements at each end. The lower grille gets very aggressive with an air dam and gloss black side inlets. The glossy black air dam continues aft to frame the slightly flare wheel arches as well as the doors’ lower sill. Its visually long 107.1-inch wheelbase is capped with 10-spoke black alloy wheels shod in 18-inch Kumho Majesty rubber.

The hatchback’s design differs from the B-pillar aft, with a shapely long roof (with dark glass moonroof up front) whose horizontality tapers just a tad down to a more upright rear window under a shade/spoiler. The flared D-pillar gets mid-level black slashes for a semi-floating roof look over squared-shoulder rear fenders. The short tail gets a squared-off edge under the window, while angular rear light clusters have slim LED elements that echo the headlight design and help with a nice broad-shouldered look. The wide rubber underneath gives it a squat, sporty look. A bold lower black fascia gets aero finlets and a dual exhaust in one corner.

I like the fastback shape of the sedan, but I love the leaner, more aggressive look of this hatchback, which says continental tourer more than plain Jane station wagon. And I love the back door handles hidden in the black C-pillars. I wasn’t the only one. I took it to a Euro-centric cruise-in near me. It garnered some interest as the only golden (officially Sparkling Yellow) station wagon GT among a row of import hatchbacks, and a cool red Kei pickup truck. Some construction workers circled it, smiling as they looked it over.

Slide into the K4 Hatchback, and the black over off-white pleather bucket seats are low-slug like a sports sedan, comfortable and decently supportive.

There’s the sweeping digital infotainment display, 28 inches wide and about 5 inches tall. It’s inset into the padded gray dashtop. There’s a neat color-variable accent light strip splitting top and bottom on either side. The squircle (squared-circle) steering wheel gets simple function buttons in front, plus scrolling audio volume, a Sport/Normal drive mode button on the bottom spoke and small paddle shifters behind.

Dead ahead through the thick leather-clad wheel is a simple digital speedometer and tachometer display framing a center screen that can show trip info, navigation and more, with basic temp and gas level/distance-to-empty always there. A now-Kia standard – the tach or speedometer switch to that side’s blind-spot camera when the turn signal is flipped, while one center screen display shows icons of cars behind, in your blind spot and ahead..

That said, the steering wheel’s right rim pretty much eclipsed the central climate control screen and its touchscreen buttons for defrost, vent position and recirculate. There’s real buttons along the display’s base for Home screen, navigation, audio and the like, framing a thumbwheel for audio volume. And glory be – real buttons below center air vents for dual-mode fan, temperature and vent position.

The widescreen navigation map can be “Home Screen”-ed into segments you can swipe left or right for map, audio, phone. And the Force is with you – each of those menu items gets a Star Wars character as its icon – Darth Vader for Phone Projection, Gen. Grievous for Entertainment, or a lightning-firing Emperor for Voice Memo – go figure.

And as part of the overhead surround-view camera system, Kia gives us a simulated K4 Hatchback with live camera views all-round, which you can circle the view.

The 2-tone front seats get heat and cooling, plus dual memory presets and a bit of power lumbar for the driver. They are comfy and fairly supportive, a softly-embossed “GT-Line” in the upper seatbacks.

Again, like the sedan, the wide center console’s has size-adjustable cup holders, a wireless inductive phone charger slot in a padded below-dash nook, and USB ports. Digital Key 2.0 allows use of compatible Apple and Android smart devices as virtual vehicle keys. And the center armrest hides decent storage room.

The shooting brake’s sloping roofline means I had to duck a bit to get into a roomy rear bench seat with good head and leg room behind the hard-shelled front seatbacks. There’s vents and more USB ports. Then comes the added benefit of wagoning versus sedan-ing – 22.2-cu.-ft. of squared-off space (expands to 59.3-cu-ft.) behind the split and fold rear seatbacks inside a hatchback that opens high enough to clear my head, versus the sedan’s 14.6-cu. ft. trunk. A space-saving spare takes up most of the under-floor space, and the rear seats trio of head restraints does slim down rearward vision.

More Kia Coverage

2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid: Mix Of Minivan & Limousine

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Checks All The Boxes

2025 Kia Telluride: Comfortable, Capable Family Hauler

2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo: Stylish & Comfy

Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024

First Look: 2025 Kia EV6

Overall, this is a quiet, roomy space for four adults and more stuff – actually a tad more headroom than the sedan. There’s just a hint of tire noise at speed. And along with HD Radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, there’s decent Harmon Kardon sound, although it took a while to boot up audio.

Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Offers Good Gas Mileage

Under the bonnet of our GT-Line Turbo is a turbocharged aluminum 1.6-liter four. No serous GT here – it’s got 190-hp at 6,000 rpm, and 195 lb-ft or torque at 1,700-4,500 rpm. Its front-wheel-drive, with an 8-speed automatic transmission and small, but usable alloy paddle shifters. There’s a Normal and Sport drive mode, the latter juicing throttle response and tightening steering feel.

That said, the 3,338-lb. Hatchback K4 is just 73 pounds heavier than the sedan version I last tested, so was there any difference?

In Normal drive mode, we had a moderate launch before the turbo kicked in, a hint of wheelspin in the first-second shift en route to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. In Sport mode, a bit quicker launch, a nice exhaust snarl, and 60 mph in 6.7 – quicker upshifts and a bit more urge in passing. The paddle shifters gave us quick downshifts as we entered corners, but I didn’t use them much. Fuel mileage on our 2,200-mile-old hatchback was almost 30 mpg.

For comparison, the 3,265-lb. K4 Sedan we tested a year ago with the same drivetrain hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, while Sport mode saw a slight touch of torque steer and sharper shifts en route to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. It delivered about 26 mpg. And a 2024 201-hp Kia Forte I tested for a since-retired website, with a turbocharged 1.6-liter four, hit 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds.

Our golden wagon has MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear suspension, hydraulic twin tube shock absorbers all-round. The ride was just taut enough, absorbing bumps with minimal bounce after a speed bump. Handling was solid, a neutral and flat feel on expressway ramps under power. We had a tight steering feel in Sport mode that mixed well with near-neutral cornering in most corners. Push harder, and front wheel drive shows with some understeer, more evident in our skidpad, but easy to handle with throttle.

The power steering had a direct feel in Sport, tightening up nicely in a curve with some solid feedback, versus a bit artificially over-boosted feel in Normal Mode. With 2.4-turns lock-to-lock, we found a tight turning radius for U-turns. And with 11.3-inch ventilated front/10.3-inch solid rear disc brakes, there was a nice bite after depression, then straight stops and some nose dive on hard stops – no noticeable fade.

The K4 had safety gear like smart cruise and those great blind-spot cameras that display on the left or right side depending on what you signal for. Lane-keep assist works smoothly, if a bit firmly to keep you in lane.

The base Kia K4 EX Hatchback starts at $24,990. Our GT-Line Turbo starts at $28,790 with almost all we had standard except a $2,300 tech option with safety systems, ambient lighting, surround-view cameras, smartphone digital key, memory driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel; $395 golden paint; and $190 carpeted floor mats for a final price of $32,670.

Bottom line: Even more stylish and almost exotic in looks; roomy and comfy; and decent performance. A Kia K4 hatchback is the one I’d get to haul a dog, ladder and friends.

2025 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Specifications

Vehicle type – 4-door, front-wheel-drive compact station wagon

Base price – $28,790 ($32,670 as tested)

Engine type – Turbocharged aluminum DOHC, C-VVT in-line four-cylinder

Displacement – 1.6-liter

Horsepower (net) – 190 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 195 @ 1,700- 4,500 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic with manual and paddle shifting

Wheelbase – 107.1 inches

Overall length – 174.4 inches

Overall width- 72.8 inches

Height – 56.3 inches

Front headroom – 39 inches

Front legroom – 42.3 inches

Rear headroom – 38.3 inches

Rear legroom – 38 inches

Cargo capacity – 22.2/59.3 cu.ft.

Curb weight – – 3,338 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 12.4 gallons

Mileage rating – 26 mpg city/36 mpg highway

The post 2026 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Is Affordable Fun appeared first on EV Rider.

If I say “minivan,” some of you may say “soccer dad,” “mom-mobile,” or just “no way!”

What if I said Kia Carnival? You might say “Looks a bit like an SUV,” or “I might be seen driving that.” What if I said, “This Carnival SX Prestige Hybrid is a family limousine.” Hmmm? Just read on to find out why.

When Kia came out with its fourth-gen minivan in 2020 (it used to be called Sedona), then did a facelift in 2022, the aim was to make its 203-inch-long shape look more SUV-ish. It gave the classic one-box shape a more aggressive nose and squared-off roof – only side rails on back doors reveal a minivan. The nose edges close to the buff Telluride SUV with a smoked chrome grille that includes ingot-like facets in the latest version of Kia’s classic “tiger nose” design. Some are blocked off for aerodynamics in our hybrid. Stacked LED headlights are connected by slim lit amber DRL bars. The lower intake gets a faux brush guard and integrated LED fog lights. Cleaner flared fenders frame gloss black 10-spoke alloys wearing 20-inch Continental rubber.

The clamshell hood’s shutline flows into side design lines that become side door tracks, which slide into L-shaped LED rear lights that mimic DRL bars in front. There’s faceted alloy accents in the C-pillars and under rear side windows, plus silver spears in the lower sills.

The whole design stands 68.5-inches tall, not counting the black cargo rails. It’s a hint lower than both the Honda Odyssey, and PHEV Chrysler Pacifica. The Carnival looks more aggressive, with a more macho SUV hint than most MPVs. The Panthera Metal paint is cool. It appears metallic gray on cloudy days, with a hint of purple mist in the sun.

The 121.7-inch wheelbase helps give Carnival a longer, wider look, causing at least one person that saw it to think it was an SUV.

Kia Carnival’s Blue-Over-Tan Interior Features Smooth Design

The dashtop isn’t padded, but there’s stitched leatherette in front of the driver and front passenger. There’s a almost 25-inch wide infotainment screen in front of the driver, and audio/main menu panel for the co-pilot.

The gauge display gets a digital speedometer and real-time economy graph on the left, along with charge/eco/power use on the right. There are also audio, navigation, settings and trip information in between. Needed info like miles-to-empty, safety systems and mpg are always there. Tach and speedometer become blind spot video views down each side when you activate a turn signal.

The Bose sound system is good. It includes HD Radio, wireless Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

The touchscreen in the center offers a wide map display, or a slightly smaller one with weather, clock and more on the right. There’s even a back seat video monitor and Passenger Talk to check on the kids.

The thick, stitched leather steering wheel manually tilts and telescopes, with paddle shifters in back, and the usual audio/smart cruise/info display buttons in front. The front bucket seats were a bit flat, but comfy, with power adjustment and dual memory preset for the driver. They are also heated and cooled. A gloss black and silver band spans the dashboard with slim air vents and a warm ambient light accent. Then there’s a mini-touchscreen. It features a slim control panel used on other Kias that offers climate controls. Or tap the “arrow” button, and you get the main menu buttons for map, audio, phone, etc.

Unlike its first iteration, the main selection you tap here stays put, versus switching back to the climate control panel in seconds as in earlier iterations. But the icon buttons are small, and not too easy to use on the move. During the switch, temperature knobs become volume and tuning, the latter with handy steering wheel controls as well. There’s a color head-up display and digital rearview mirror.

The wide center console includes USB ports and a 12-volt plug, rubberized storage and a recessed inductive charging slot that puts a cellphone out of the way. The gearshift is a simple Drive/Neutral/Reverse knob with “Park” button. Nearby, there are auto-hold buttons along with a electronic parking brake and drive mode selector. Easy-to-use switches behind those control heated/cooled seats, surround-view parking camera, heated steering wheel and park sensors.

Kia Carnival Includes Limousine-Like Accomodations

Now comes the limousine part. Tap overhead buttons and the sliding side doors (with power windows) power open, accessing two Lounge Chairs that recline, or move in and back for real legroom under a separate moonroof. A button powers out footrests for a nice en-route snooze. Shoulder belts are part of the seat structure for safety. There are A/C vents overhead and video monitors in front. Controls allow the front passenger seat to be moved to free up more leg room when the front seat is unoccupied.

That center row chairs do not flip, fold or even drop seatbacks to expand cargo room in back. But you can easily slide between them to access the third row, where there’s acceptable adult room for two, or three kids. The third row does split, fold and drop into the rear floor, for lots of storage room with third row up or down. The rear hatch powers high enough to clear my head.

Looking at the stats, the Carnival gets almost 30 mpg and has over 500 miles of range on a full tank. It’s powered by a turbocharged 1.6 liter four with 241.7-hp and 270.5 lb.-ft. of torque combined. The 54 kW motor provides 74.4 hp of that from a 270-volt lithium-Ion battery. A 6-speed automatic powers the front wheels, with Eco, Normal and Sport driving modes.

Eco backs off the throttle to save fuel, tapping into a bit more EV propulsion as needed. Torque came quickly online in all modes at pedal tip-in. The motor was quickly followed by the gas engine to help as we had a touch of wheelspin at launch in Eco mode. This 3,400-mile-old minivan quickly upshifted en route to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds. It had sufficient urge in passing power, even in Eco.

Given this is a hybrid and not a full EV, another nice touch is the included three modes of regenerative braking. The highest level really acts like a gentle brake, turning the motor into a generator as soon as you lift off the gas, adding power back to the battery. At its highest setting you can almost 1-pedal drive, with serious regen kicking in as soon as you lift off the gas. It quickly brought the Carnival down to about 5 mph, at which time you have to brake.

Sport mode allows you to paddle shift up and down the gears, and funnels all power – EV and gas – to the front wheels. We had a bit more launch wheelspin en route to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, with clean upshifts to third gear and a bit sportier exhaust snarl. Passing power was more invigorating. Even when with more aggressive driving it averaged 27 mpg.

In a test a year ago in a less-luxurious Carnival hybrid, Eco mode saw it hit 60 mph in 8.2 seconds. Sport drive mode did it in 7.7 – and we averaged an overall 28 mpg.

Auto-engine off was smooth, never re-engaging abruptly when we launched from a stop. The Carnival transparently slides into full EV mode during sedate suburban driving, and on flat highway stretches. When it had given itself a decent battery charge you could travel in your neighborhood on pure EV power. Sport mode does not allow regen braking levels to be set by paddle shifters, because they become manual shifters. Regen levels are only accessible in Smart or Eco.

The Carnival lives on Kia’s third-generation “N3” platform, used in the Sorento crossover. It has good torsional stiffness with its MacPherson strut front, and a multi-link rear suspension with gas shocks. The result was a comfortably taut ride with bumps absorbed quickly. The impact control was refined at full rebound. It’s soft enough for minivan families, and there’s some body roll in turns. But it was stable and secure in everyday driving. Exit ramps were handled neutrally, while neighborhood corners just swept by.

The instant EV torque did see the inside front wheel spin a bit in turns under acceleration. On our skidpad were was some body roll and understeer when pushed. Stability and traction control quietly helped. I liked to use the full regen setting to help slow down for a corner, then power out – sort of like a downshift, but gentler.

More Kia Coverage

2026 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Is Affordable Fun

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Checks All The Boxes

2025 Kia Telluride: Comfortable, Capable Family Hauler

2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo: Stylish & Comfy

Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024

First Look: 2025 Kia EV6

Power steering firms up nicely in Sport mode, becoming very direct with OK feel. The 12.8-inch front and rear discs on our Carnival Hybrid had a quick, slightly abrupt bite up high due to the regen system, then delivered controllable stops with some nose dive and ABS chatter in simulated panic stops from 60 mph. We saw no fade after some repeated hard use.

Carnival also had forward collision-avoidance and rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist. Lane-keep assist works so well the minivan obediently tracks around turns almost hands-free – and warns you if you try. Smart cruise maintains speed and distance, and resumes with a button or pedal tap.

A base 2026 Carnival starts at $37,390 — our SX Prestige Hybrid starts at $53,090 with everything we had standard, even reclining second row, except rear video ($2,500); carpet mats ($285); and cargo mat ($120) – final price $57,490.

Bottom line: It has lots of room in a macho design with luxurious seating, a great digital dashboard, and hybrid boost that delivers solid gas mileage for a vehicle this large.

2026 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Hybrid

Vehicle type – 5-door, 7-seat front-wheel-drive minivan

Base price – $53,090 ($57,490as tested)

Engine type –aluminum 16-valve inline 4 w/electric motor and 64kWh Lithium-ion battery

Displacement – 1.6 liters

Combined horsepower (net) – 241.7

Combined  torque (lb-ft) – 270.5

Transmission – 6-speed automatic with paddle shifter in Sport mode

Wheelbase – 121.7 inches

Height – 69.9 inches

Overall length – 203 inches

Overall width – 89.2 inches w/mirrors

Ground clearance – 6.8 inches

Front headroom – 40.9 inches

Front legroom – 41.1 inches

Middle headroom – 39.5 inches

Middle legroom – 40.5 inches

Rear headroom – 38.6 inches

Rear legroom – 35.6 inches

Cargo capacity – 40.2 cu. ft./86.9 w/2nd row folded/145.1 w/both folded

Towing capacity: up to 3,500 lbs.

Curb weight – 4,555 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 19 gallons

Mileage rating – 34 mpg city/31 mpg highway

The post 2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid: Mix Of Minivan & Limousine appeared first on EV Rider.

EVs have become so engrained in our consciousness, so long a part of our automotive world, that they are familiar to us in all their configurations, from sporty compact crossovers to fairly large SUVs.

And from the roots of those first mass-market EVs like 2011’s Nissan LEAF and 2012’s Tesla Model S, rare in their day, we now have electric vehicles of some sort – EV, PHEV and hybrid – sold by almost every manufacturer.

Yet since my first drive in a 1996 GM EV1 – fast as a Vette, but under 100 miles of range – I have loved EVs, but wanted more bang for the buck – style, substance, plus urbane drivability – and lots of range.

Now the updated Kia EV-6 seems to have what I want.

Our 2025 EV-6 GT-Line lives atop a version of Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, which is also shared by that company’s Ioniq 5, 6 and 9, as well as Kia’s EV9. That means the long 114.2-inch wheelbase of an SUV, with short overhangs. After being introduced in 2021, the 2025 EV-6 has received a dramatic front-end facelift, a rear-end touch-up, and some major tech upgrades.

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Tech, Styling Upgrades

Up front is a streamlined nose with a more aggressive headlight design, a central LED light bar connecting angular J-shaped daylight running lights (DRLs) framing small-but-intense headlights. A wide black lower intake with active shutters is flanked with gloss black sides over a slim air dam that conveys sporty intent. Then come 20-inch Continental Cross Contact rubber at the four corners of this 60.8-inch-tall 5-door, neatly filling flared front, and curvaceous rear fenders.

A sweptback windshield flares off the rounded bonnet, then a tapering roofline dips aft to help slim the car’s height. Low down, gloss black sill accents rise at rear wheel openings, tapering to design lines that spear staccato taillights that frame the tail and wraparound rear spoiler at the rear of the raked fastback hatchback. And – of course – no exhaust tips.

Cartoon: Zappy Checks Out The EV6

The consensus: this sleek (.297 coefficient of drag), low, wide and metallic gray crossover is almost a hot hatch; with a distinct look and wide, long wheels-at-each corner stance. Most folks who saw it, liked it.

Trigger the remote’s unlock, and unique puddle lights glow from the outer edges of the rear hatchback shade/spoiler. Then you slide into black and dove gray pleather bucket seats with heat, cooling and power adjustments that are comfortable and fairly supportive. The driver gets dual memory presets and a heated steering wheel. The 2025 update sees a slightly squared-off  power-adjust steering wheel with handy controls up front, and regenerative brake level paddles (up to iPedal Max’s full regeneration when the “go” pedal is released) behind. There’s a drive mode button on the lower spoke; with Eco, Normal, Sport, Slippery or custom setting.

There’s a wider, more rectangular curved display, with updated software and (I think) a cleaner gauge display. A digital speedometer is joined by a EV range display, framing a configurable center screen with audio, navigation, EV range, all-wheel-drive split, and more. My favorite – left and right ends of the screen show blind spot camera views when you activate that turn signal.

There’s a wider navigation screen flowing off the gauge display, or you can tap in a home screen. Swiping or tapping brings up other menus, although some displays are buried up to six button taps deep, like drivetrain sound effect level or Sounds of Nature.

The screen floats atop a textured padded gray dashtop, another change from last year. There’s a wide ambient light strip over a main menu selection touchscreen flanked by volume and tuning knob. Tap the fan icon, and you get climate touch controls as the knobs become dual-zone temperature control. One appreciated change – whichever screen you select, menu buttons or climate, stays put instead of reverting back as in previous Kias. It can wash out in sunlight.

Another nifty interior aspect is no drimeline hump. That’s thanks to the battery pack parked low under the floor. There’s a storage bin with plenty of USB ports under the floating center console, with start/stop button, gear selector knob, plus inductive phone charging tray, cup holders and a deep armrest storage area. There’s hooks on either side of the console to hang small grocery bags. It’s all sleek and smart, even if there’s a bit of hard plasti, but there are some padded door tops and armrests as well.

That SUV-level wheelbase equates to rear seat space, a true 3-person bench with reclining seatbacks, superb head and leg room and a fold-down center armrest and dual USB ports. There’s a 120-volt plug near the floor. The tapering roof means I had to duck a bit to get into that back seat, and the high beltline and tapering roof made for limited outside visibility. The power rear hatch opens tall enough to clear my head, but liftover is a big high with slim storage underneath. The space is expandable via the 60/40 split rear seatbacks. There is a tiny frunk under the clamshell hood.

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Gets Native Supercharger Support

The charging port has been moved to the left rear and now has a Tesla Supercharger-compatible NACS port. That opens up access to thousands of V3 and newer Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. The older Superchargers don’t support non-Teslas.

Kia supplies a CCS-compatible charge port adapter so you’re fully covered at other DC fast chargers such as Ionna or ChargePoint. For Level 2 charging, you’ll need a second adapter if you’ll be using a J-1772 plug as opposed to a L2 NACS plug.

The Kia has increased our EV6’s top trim battery capacity to 84-kWh pack, up from 77.4. Under ideal conditions the EV-6 can go from 10 to 80 percent charged in about 20 minutes.

NACS charging plugs are lighter than CCS plugs. The cables are also often lighter, making Superchargers easier to handle and plug in.

I have a charging park near me with four versions of Level 3 chargers, including one with NACS. I plugged in with 25% charge and 66 miles of estimated range left. After three minutes, we were up to 31% charge, and an estimated 85-mile range. In 45 minutes we had 100% charge and an estimated 299-miles of range.

The Kia has a peak rated charging speed of 240 kW, although reaching that peak speed depends on which L3 DC charging station you’re using. Most Tesla Superchargers haven’t been upgraded yet to support the Kia’s peak charging speed, although many CCS stations operated by Electrify America, EVgo and others do. If you want to hit that peak speed, look for V4 Superchargers or CCS chargers that support 350 kW or higher charging.

I started my test drive with 95% charge, and 311-miles of estimated range, which are fine numbers to live with. The only negative is that the estimated range display is optimistic for my driving style. My actual miles driven was 44 miles less than the estimated range as displayed. Using iPedal Max did give back a mile or so of added range on my short commute.

With 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque, our 2025 Kia had a considerable performance advantage over lots of similar-size gas crossovers, and even some EVs, increasing its fun factor.

The optional front-mounted motor works in tandem with the rear motor. The rear does most of the work in normal driving, but the front joins in on acceleration, and cornering assist. Eco mode delivers less hp. EV torque is available quickly in all modes, while tapping Sport mode causes a noticeable surge. We used the EV6’s adjustable turbine sound effects that change tempo as you accelerate. They really help give the driver aural input during acceleration. At speed, all you hear is a bit of tire and a/c fan noise. If you don’t like the sound effects you can turn them off.

2025 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line Is Quick

We first sampled Eco, my daily mode to conserve battery. Foot to the floor acceleration in Eco mode is not spectacular, but quick enough and seamless in power application, with no upshifts of course. After a minute pause, we moved out quick enough to hit 60 mph in 6.7 seconds. Tapping in Sport mode frees up all the electrons. From full stop the EV-6 leaps out of the pocket, all wheels getting full power as we hit 60 mph in a quick 4.7 seconds. There’s no drama, no wheelspin, just traction to the limit as we were pushed back in our seats. The motors stayed strong and torquey, pulling hard all the way. Passing was “Think and it goes,” especially in Sport mode. Yes, Sport mode dropped battery range. But, EV-6’s EV screen routinely told us we could get up to 10 more miles of range if we shut off climate control.

2023 EV6 GT Road Test Video (story continues below)

Now time tunnel back to EV Rider’s 2023 test of the original EV6 GT with smaller battery. In Eco, we managed 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. Tap drive mode to Sport while driving, and we hit 60 mph in a quick 3.9 seconds. The GT edition is not being sold in the states this year.

The Continental rubber is hooked to MacPherson type front suspension and multi-link rear, with a controlled-yet-supple ride that tackled road ripples with a quick-yet-damped rebound and no harshness. Interstate trips were smooth and quiet. Being wide and low with batteries in the floor, it seemed to hug turns with just a bit of lean. It was agile and capable at any speed, and fun to push hard with no bite-back. With iPedal Max’s regenerative braking on full, motors act as generators and slow us down, so we could “downshift” into a turn, then power out. We could vary the “downshift” or “upshift” via regernative paddles. The result was neutral corner carving, with most of the power driving the rear wheels until the front power application was needed. Pushed in our skid pad, it stayed mostly neutral. We could push harder and feel a bit of understeer, but it was easy to control. And bumps in mid-turn caused no directional issues.

In daily driving, the EV-6 felt agile and compact, easy to place. The power steering was a bit artificial in feel sometimes, but feedback firmed up in Sport mode, although it still felt a bit augmented. And with 12.8-inch front and rear disc brakes and a responsive pedal that didn’t overreact, hard use saw some nose dive and ABS chattering, but stops were straight and fade-free, even after some repeated hard use. Then there’s Drift mode, with 100% power to the rear Continentals and no traction control. You could hang the tail out – cool.

For safety, lane-keep firmly nudges you to stay between the lines and helps steer through highway curves. It will even assist in a lane change if you signal. But it’s not a hands-off driving system. Removing hands from the squared-off wheel triggers alerts. There’s also an overhead 360-degree camera view, and Smart Park. You can use the key fob to remotely pull in or out of a parking spot while you stand outside. The head-up display offers lots of information, even icons showing cars ahead, behind and passing.

A base Kia EV6 Light RWD starts at $42,900. Our loaded AWD GT-Line starts at $58,900. Ours had carpet mats and cargo cover, the only options, for a final of $60,740.

Bottom line: Extremely quick and roomy, with a sporty shape that’s a delight to drive and live with. And Kia gave me what I wanted: an average 300 miles of range. This is the way to EV.

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Specifications

Base price – $58,900 ($60,740 as tested)
Motor type –Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motors with Lithium-ion Polymer batteryHorsepower (net) – 320
Torque (lb-ft) – 446Battery energy – 84kWh
Wheelbase – 114.2 inches
Overall length – 184.8 inches
Overall width – 74.4 inches
Height – 60.8 inches
Front headroom – 36.8 inches
Front legroom – 42.4 inches
Rear headroom – 39 inches
Rear legroom – 39.5 inches
Cargo capacity – 24.4 cu. ft./46.7 w/rear seat folded
Towing capacity – up to 2,700 lbs. w/brake
Curb weight – 4,630 lbs.
Range – 270 miles on full charge/97 combined MPGe

The post 2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Checks All The Boxes appeared first on EV Rider.

Telluride is a picturesque former mining town nestled among a box canyon in Colorado’s San Juan mountains, designed to carry the thousands of skiers who descend there every winter to enjoy snowy sports.

Kia’s Telluride is a box as well, designed at Kia’s California design studio for the U.S. market to carry six or seven people to those mountains, or a beach, high school soccer game, or just a diner date.

Along with the Hyundai Palisade, they are the South Korean corporate cousins first shot at a big SUV that share the same V-6 and wheelbase. Classified as a mid-size, and built just one state away from me in Georgia, the Telluride came out of the gate strong with about 75,000 sold its first year. It’s done very well, with 115,500 sold last year, and 85,000-plus so far this year.

Kia Telluride Updated For 2025

The Telluride gets a facelift atop a 114.2-inch wheelbase that leaves its original 196.9-inch length unchanged, five years after its introduction. The grille retains its pinched “tiger grille” shape akin to most Kias, but with faceted gloss black accents inside. The lower grille also goes gloss black with inset LED fog lights, an aggressive chin that juts out to look SUV-macho. The large outer corner LED headlights retain dual rows of stacked projector LED units with amber strips at the corners, each under clear plastic over faux lower corner slit intakes that join black lower cladding that carries around sills and wheel openings.

To accentuate its off-road image, the deeper treaded rubber wraps around faceted 10-spoke gloss black alloy wheels. The combo neatly fills those black-rimmed wheel wells. The Telluride’s flanks remain the same as in 2020’s intro model, gently carved in lower down with front fender lines sliding aft to intersect 90-degree curved LED taillights that slide into the tailgate.

The roofline is gently rounded with black cargo rails and a small spoiler/shade over the big rear window atop a wide tailgate. The bumper also has all-black accents for 2025 with quad exhaust tips in silver.

All in all it has a nice balanced stance with enough hints of serious SUV. It doesn’t look overly long for a 3-row crossover. There’s not a lot of difference in looks for its fifth year makeover. Its Midnight Lake Blue paint job makes its nuances fade. A metallic paint might make this SUV stand out more.

2025 Kia Telluride’s Interior Offers Plenty of Tech

Step inside, and there’s change aplenty, starting with the sweeping 30-inch-wide digital display that includes gauges and infotainment cluster, joining previously separate driver and central screens. The screen lives atop some nice buff gray wood-like plastic in front of the neatly stitched gray padded vinyl on the dash top, and accent lighting on doors and passenger dash-front.

That buff gray wood is joined by satin silver dashboard accents, last year’s climate control panel remaining below with real volume and tuning knobs under main screen menu buttons for map, navigation, radio and media. But in the daylight, their incised labelling is hard to see.

The gauge screen now blends into the center display, but keeps last year’s font design with clean, concise 160-mph speedometer and 8,000-rpm tach, color digital info screen in between. It shows drive mode, trip meter, navigation, stereo – and side camera images of the left or right blind spots when turn signals are activated via the tach or speedo. Changing drive modes also changes dashboard color accents on our 4,600-mile-old test SUV.

The dash center has a smooth color touchscreen that offers wide-screen navigation, with the ability to slide in a view of audio, weather or other functions into its right side, or move those to the main display with a side of navigation. It also shows a rear view and 360-degree parking camera. It also accesses a very nice 630-watt, 10-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system. I liked the “Passenger talk” feature to speak to the back seat kids via headliner-mounted speakers, and a wide head-up display shows speed and navigation turns, plus animated icons displaying cars ahead or passing alongside.

Seating accommodations are very nice – Nappa leather bucket seats with quilted detailing, plus heating and cooling. They were firmly comfortable and very supportive, with dual memory presets for the driver. A fat stitched leather rim (heated) lives on a manual tilt/telescoping wheel with stereo, smart cruise, phone and voice command buttons.

A hint that this Telluride wants you to hit the hills are grab handles over each door, and more on the wide center console, with seat heat/cool switches neatly integrated into their design. An inductive phone charger is up front, with twin USB ports and a 12-volt plug. The gearshift shares space with drive mode knob, parking brake, parking sensors, 360- degree camera and auto-stop and auto-engine off buttons. A wide center armrest has lots of space underneath, plus a 12-volt port. Overhead there’s a nice faux suede and a long moonroof.

Back seat access is easy, with two heated/cooled second-row captain’s chairs that recline and slide, offering great head and leg room as well as manual side sunshades and 12-volt and 115-volt AC outlets. USB ports and hooks are on the backs of the front buckets. There’s ceiling-mounted climate control and overhead vents. You can slip between the second row seats to access a third- row bench that actually handle adult head and leg space for short trips, especially if the second row slides an inch or so forward. There’s room for two – three would be a squeeze. They also recline, with USB ports in cabin walls.

There’s decent storage room behind the third row, with storage underneath and second-row seat fold controls to expand cargo space.

There’s HD radio, which is nice to use to hear additional stations not available on the old analog FM dial, plus multi-Bluetooth wireless connectivity for two phones to connect simultaneously for audio streaming. But Apple CarPlay and Android Auto offer no wireless hookup.

Power to the people comes from a 3.8-liter direct-injection V-6 with a decent 291 hp and 262 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,200 rpm, hooked to an 8-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability. There’s also Eco, Smart, Comfort, Sport and Snow modes. The X-Pro also gets a 5,500-pound towing capacity, up from 5,000 pounds.

2025 Kia Telluride Offers 4-Inches Of Lift When Going Gets Rough

The all-wheel-drive system is mostly front-biased, but will send torque aft depending on conditions and driver input, as we witnessed via a gauge panel display. Using electro-hydraulic AWD coupling to activate a multi-plate clutch plate, we had 50/50 power distribution on heavier acceleration as well as in corners. Eco and Comfort modes sent 20 to 35 percent power to aft as needed, while Sport, Smart and Snow modes sent up to 50 percent back there.

Set in Eco, the 2-ton Kia got off the line moderately to hit 60 mph in 7 seconds. Passing power was OK, a bit slow to respond, but then there’s decent oomph. In Sport, the Telluride moved off the line quicker en route to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, downshifting quicker with a nice exhaust note as it went. It also passed faster, with fast downshifts. Overall, we saw as high was an indicated 22 mpg after driving in Eco and Smart modes with some fun zips in Sport.

Although it doesn’t habe paddle shifters, the auto-box can still be manually shifted, and responds quickly as well. The auto-engine off did restart the V-6 noticeably at a stop sign. The transmission held onto gears longer to let the engine sing, but the snarl wasn’t obtrusive.

Compare that to a 13,000-mile-old version we tested in 2022 for a now defunct website, hitting 60 mph in 7.3 seconds in Eco mode, and 6.9 seconds in Sport, averaging 24 mpg.

Under that steel body lies a four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs up front and a full multi-link rear axle, self-leveling in the rear, ride height calibrated depending on vehicle load. The ride over asphalt is very comfortable, absorbing bumps quickly with buffered rebound and a feel of solidity. Wrinkled pavement and potholes saw the Kia SUV just roll unruffled with no shudder. The body rigid and tight with only a slight noise from the passenger-side B-pillar over bumps.

For its size, the Telluride was tidy in corners. All four tires grabbed with a hint of understeer when we pushed, with just a bit of body roll. Push it hard on our skidpad and there was gradual understeer that was easy to rein in with the throttle, a 50/50 front/rear power split.

The steering is nice and direct, with lesser assistance in Eco mode and a bit more feel in Sport, loading up nicely in a turn. Our 4,482-lb. SUV had 13.4-inch front/12-inch rear disc brakes had a decent bite high on the pedal, and progressive control with solid stopping power. There was minimal nose dive at full halt and no real fade after repeated hard use.

The X-Pro has some goodies needed for off-road, including all-wheel-drive, locking center differential, knobby P245/60R18-inch Continental TerrainContact A/T tires, hill-descent control and a .4-inch lift to 8.4 inches. With heavy rains, we didn’t go too deep, limiting our rides to sandy, wet grass fields, pockmarked dirt and some gravel. It easily handled light off-roading, and could probably do more, the suspension comfortable and not harsh, traction just fine over slippery stuff. And for fun, the all-wheel-drive does let you power slide the tail a bit in dirt, but stay in control.

I liked the auto-hold brake at stoplights. But the auto-engine off system was a bit abrupt when it refired as I was beginning to hit the gas pedal from a stop.

For safety, downhill brake control, hill-start assist control, blind spot and rear cross-traffic collision-avoidance assist, and a serious lane following assist that gently but firmly keeps this Kia between the lines. It’s almost autonomous, but demands hands on wheel if you take them away after a few seconds. There’s also blind spot collision-avoidance assist, and new for 2025 – second-row side airbags and Highway Driving Assist 1.5.

Smart cruise control maintains speed and distance to a stop, holds it, then resumes with a pedal or button tap.

A base front-wheel-drive Kia Telluride LX starts at $38,390; our top-line Telluride SX Prestige X-Pro started at $53,685 with everything standard bar $495 blue paint job, $295 interior colors, $and $350 for some carpet goodies – total was $56,240.

Bottom line – Looks and drives very nicely, with plenty of power, poise and precision for a big crossover/SUV. And FYI – the all-new 2027 Telluride debuts on Nov. 20 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

2025 Kia Telluride SX-Prestige X-Pro V-6 AWD Specifications

Vehicle type – mid-size 6-passenger all-wheel-drive SUV

Base price – $53,685 ($56,240as tested)

Engine type – DOHC Dual CVVT direct-injected

aluminum V-6

Displacement – 3.8-liter

Horsepower (net) – 291 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 262 @ 5,200 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic with manual shift

Wheelbase – 114.2 inches

Overall length – 196.9 inches

Overall width – 78.3 inches

Height – 68.9 inches w/out roof rails

Front headroom – 40.9 inches

Front legroom – 41.4 inches

Middle headroom – 40.2 inches

Middle legroom – 42.4 inches

Rear headroom – 38.1 inches

Rear legroom – 31.4 inches

Cargo capacity 21 cu. ft./46 w/3rd row folded/87

w/all rows folded

Towing capacity – up to 5,500 lbs.

Curb weight – 4,927 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 18.8 gallons

Mileage rating – 18 mpg city/ 23 mpg highway

The post 2025 Kia Telluride: Comfortable, Capable Family Hauler appeared first on EV Rider.

Kia Motors America was born in 1992. Its first models: the rather bland Sportage and Sephia.

Now 33 years later, no one can call a Kia bland, after it established its Global Design Center led by Chief Design Officer Luc Donckerwolke. He previously worked with Lamborghini and Audi. There’s ex-BMW and Mercedes-Benz folks at Kia now as well. That’s why you can usually pick out a Kia Telluride, Niro or EV6 in a big parking lot, because their design differs from the masses.

Now comes the replacement for the Forte, a compact Kia whose first-gen in 2008 birthed two more before the design door shut on it, and the K4 was born.

At first glance, the new Kia K4 looks like an average import hatchback sedan – but it’s not. It has a traditional turnk.

The nose continues to evolve the decade-old trademark Kia “Tiger Grille,” which is a slim center section with taller outer pieces, flowing into sweeping T-shaped LED daytime running lights. It’s quite dramatic. The inverted amber “Ls” framing vertically with stacked LED headlights at each end. The lower grille below it is aggressive, with an air dam and gloss black side inlets.

The hood gets some nice sculpting, while gloss black, thin-spoked alloy wheels wear 18-inch Kumho tires, somewhat small-looking disc brakes visible inside the spokes, all four wheels framed in black edging that includes flared center sills.

The roof is coupe-like, flowing down to the “looks-like-a-hatchback” fastback as side windows get neat alloy accents next to door handles nicely hidden in gloss black panels at the rear taper points. There’s a trunk lid that gets a black accent where the rear window ends, over a black and chrome strip that joins angular rear light clusters with slim LED elements and brakes. Rear fenders give a nice broad-shouldered look. A bold lower black fascia gets aero finlets and a dual exhaust in one corner.

More Kia Coverage

2026 Kia K4 Hatchback GT-Line Turbo Is Affordable Fun

2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid: Mix Of Minivan & Limousine

2025 Kia EV6 GT-Line Checks All The Boxes

2025 Kia Telluride: Comfortable, Capable Family Hauler

Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024

First Look: 2025 Kia EV6

More than one person said it looks like Kia’s now-departed Stinger, which was a really nice rear-wheel-drive performance sedan. I liked the way the windshield sweeps into our gray sedan’s long, black moonroof for a bit of contrast. The K4 is about three inches longer, on a wheelbase that’s less than an inch longer than the old Forte. The K4’s looks benefit from the stretch, and at 55.9-inches-tall, it’s half-inch drop in height gives it a leaner, more aggressive look aided by those black wheels and sportier rubber.

One nice moment – I parked at an event, only to return and find my test car’s near twin – a base K4 in the same grayish Morning Haze color, even – parked behind me, only lacking the cool rear aero valance of my sportier-looking version.

2025 Kia K4 Interior

The onyx over off-white interior is dominated by a sweeping digital infotainment display that’s just over 28 inches wide and about 5 inches tall, neatly integrated into the dashtop and not free-standing as in some cars. There’s an interestingly squoval (squared-oval) steering wheel with the usual buttons on it, plus scrolling audio volume and a Sport/Normal drive mode button.

That display places a simple digital speedometer and tachometer display athwart a center display that can show trip info, navigation and more, with basic temp and gas level/distance-to-empty always shown. My favorite – the tach or speedometer converts to that side’s blind-spot camera when the turn signal is flipped. My not-so-fave, the right rim of the leather-padded steering wheel pretty much eclipsed the central climate control screen and its touchscreen buttons for defrost, vent position and recirculate. There are real buttons nearby for dual-mode fan, temperature and vent position.

Then comes a widescreen navigation map that also converts to segments you can swipe left or right for map, audio, phone. Sounds of Nature like “On a Sailing Ship” and “Experience the Universe” are also available, although I still do not know why someone wants those soothing sounds as they drive. Main menu buttons line the bottom with big air vents, while accent lighting glows between smooth padded dashtop and textured center trim.

The seats are done in 2-tone leather-like pleather with heat and cooling, plus dual memory presets and a bit of power lumbar for the driver. They are comfy and fairly supportive, a softly-embossed “GT-Line” in the upper seatbacks, and dual memory presets for the driver.

The wide center console’s got size-adjustable cup holders, a wireless inductive phone charger slot in a padded below-dash nook, and USB ports. And moving up in the world, Kia gives us hands-free voice command. You can say “Hey Kia” and access climate control and audio, while Digital Key 2.0 allows use of compatible Apple and Android smart devices as virtual vehicle keys. A list of compatible devices is available on Kia’s webiste.

The back seats have good head and leg room, plus vents and more USB ports. But the sloped rear roof means you have to duck a bit to get in. Rear seatbacks split and fold to add to a decent-sized 14.6-cu. ft. trunk, which has a wide opening but is a bit smaller than the Forte’s. A space-saving spare takes up most of the under-floor space. And the rear window’s a bit slim due to the high deck inside, so rear three-quarter vision is a bit tight.

Overall, it’s a very comfy and roomy interior with solid audio. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes standard.

2025 Kia K4 Performance, Handling

There’s a Forte carryover 2-liter engine under the hood with 147-hp in the base K4; while our GT-Line Turbo gets the turbocharged aluminum 1.6-liter four with 190-hp at 6,000 rpm, and 195 lb-ft or torque at 1,700-4,500 rpm. The GT-Line Turbo also gets an 8-speed automatic transmission vs. the base model’s CVT.

Called a GT-Line, this K4 is sporty, but not a true sports sedan. There’s a Normal and Sport drive mode, the latter juicing throttle response and tightening steering feel. In Normal mode, the K4 rolls of sedately, then the turbocharger joins in to see 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. We got about the same sprint time in Sport mode, a slight touch of torque street and sharper shifts as it moves out en route to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. There’s a nice exhaust snarl, and smooth upshifts and fluid kickdown, and a bit more urge in passing – my favorite mode for daily running. The paddle shifters gave us quick downshifts as we entered corners, but I didn’t use them much.

For comparison, the 201-hp Kia Forte I tested a year ago for a since-retired website, with a familiar turbocharged 1.6-liter four, hit 60 mph in about 6.8 seconds. Fuel mileage for the K4 averaged between 24 and 27 mpg.

The K4 GT-Line gets MacPherson strut front and model-exclusive multi-link rear suspension, hydraulic twin tube shock absorbers all-round. The ride in Normal and Sport modes was comfortable, easily absorbing road bumps and lumps, although there was a bit of bounce (single one) after a speed bump. And whether it is the tires or suspension, there’s a harsh thump when hitting a highway tar strip. But the handling was a pleasant surprise, with a tight steering feel in Sport mode that mixed well with near-neutral cornering in most corners. You can power in, then out with a minimum of understeer. There’s not much evident body roll either, the only understeer noise from the front rubber appearing in a skidpad, but easy to handle with throttle.

The power steering had a tight feel in Sport, with more feel in cornering, versus a bit artificially over-boosted feel in Normal Mode. With 2.4-turns lock-to-lock, this family sedan had a tight turning radius. The 7,000-mile-old test sedan showed no sign of brake fade after repeated hard use of the 11.3-inch ventilated front/10.3-inch solid rear disc brakes. They had a nice bite after initial foot tap, then the K4 stopped straight, with minimal nose dive.

The K4 GT-Line Turbo had some safety gear, like smart cruise which maintains speed and distance to a stop, then stays there until you ask for it to start again. Then there’s those great blind-spot cameras mentioned earlier that display on the gauge panel, along with alerts that blink in side mirrors, and parking and collision assist. The lane-keep assist works smoothly if a bit firmly to keep you in lane, a bit too much for those who want to steer.

The base Kia K4 LX starts at $21,990 with the 2-liter four while our GT-Line Turbo starts at $28,090 with almost all we had standard, including 8-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio, sunroof and faux-leather seat trim. Our car included the $2,200 tech option with smartphone digital key, memory driver’s seat, ventilated front seats, safety systems and ambient lighting, carrying a final MSRP price of $31,445.

Bottom line: Very stylish, very roomy and comfy, and decent performance. But some competition is sharper in road feel and handling. FYI, a Kia K4 hatchback is coming soon. It’s probably the one I’d get to haul a dog, ladder and friends. And while gas/front-wheel-drive is the only drivetrains for now, a hybrid might be coming.

2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo Specifications

Vehicle type – 4-door, front-wheel-drive compact sedan

Base price – $28,090 ($31,445 as tested)

Engine type – Turbocharged aluminum DOHC, C-VVT in-line four-cylinder

Displacement – 1.6-liter

Horsepower (net) – 190 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque (lb-ft) – 195 @ 1,700- 4,500 rpm

Transmission – 8-speed automatic with manual and paddle shifting

Wheelbase – 107.1 inches

Overall length – 185.4 inches

Overall width- 72.8 inches

Height – 55.9 inches

Front headroom – 37.1 inches

Front legroom – 42.3 inches

Rear headroom – 37 inches

Rear legroom – 38 inches

Cargo capacity – 14.6 cu.ft.

Curb weight – – 2,944 lbs.

Fuel capacity – 12.4 gallons

Mileage rating – 26 mpg city/36 mpg highway

The post 2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo: Stylish & Comfy appeared first on EV Rider.

It’s always fun to see what EVs attract the most viewers so we’ll end the year with a roundup of the Top 10 videos produced this year on EV Rider, based on viewership. 

Number 10: Kia EV6

Coming in at number ten, Kia enthusiasts were obviously excited that the EV6 was getting a mid-cycle refresh for the 2025 model year.  

Among the improvements: A jump in range to more than 330 miles per charge for the rear-wheel drive version and a new front end that includes daytime running lights and an LED light bar. 

Number 9: Model 3

Tesla’s Model 3 also got a mild-overhaul, which generated lots of interest as the ninth most watched video. Commonly referred to as the Highland edition, the latest Model 3 includes an upgraded interior, quieter cabin, and revised exterior styling. 

Number 8: Karma Kaveya & Gyesera

Karma is finally showing off new EVs after being reincarnated from the ashes of the first Fisker car company to go out of business. EV Rider was possibly the first media outlet to post video of the unveiling of the Kaveya and Gyesera EVs at the 2024 Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, along with design summaries from former GM design chief Ed Welburn and Karma President Marques McCammon. Neither car has made it onto the production line yet. 

Number 7: Eli Zero Micro EV

Coming in at number 7, EV Rider viewers were obviously excited about the possibility of a $12,000 micro EV called the Eli Zero. When we interviewed  U.S. head of operations James Seargent  II, he predicted this tiny EV that’s meant for neighborhoods, urban cores and campuses would be on sale in the U.S. by the end of 2024. 

Although the Eli is on sale overseas, so far there’s no indication that the Zero will make it to American shores as soon as originally forecast. 

Number 6: Vinfast VF8

 A new entry that has made it to the U.S. is coming on strong if EV Rider video views are any indication of interest. The Vinfast VF8 road test that debuted several weeks ago is quickly climbing the viewership ladder. 

And why not? The car company from Vietnam could well end up being the next Kia when it comes to success stories. Formed in 2017, Vinfast already has a full model line-up, including the VF8 SUV EV. 

It appears Vinfast also appeals to high-tech viewers. The 3D spatial version of the VF8 road test was the number one EV Rider video for immersive virtual reality headsets like Meta Quests and Apple Vision Pros. 

Number 5: MINI Countryman All4 EV

MINI fans have something to cheer about with the arrival of the all-new Countryman ALL4 EV. It’s a huge step forward over the last-gen Cooper SE EV and given Americans tend to like bigger vehicles, it’s likely to sell better than MINI’s last EV to be imported to the U.S. 

Number 4: Fisker Ocean

Coming in at number four is an EV manufacturer that flamed out in 2024 after appearing to have a bright future in 2023. 

The second incarnation of Fisker declared bankruptcy in 2024, but not before delivering thousands of Oceans that thrilled many owners before the bad news hit. It’s a shame. Fisker’s Ocean was a nicely styled entry. 

Number 3: 2025 Zero Motorcycles Lineup

EV Rider’s motorcycling audience paid a lot of attention to Zero Motorcycle’s expanded 2025 lineup. The California-based company debuted two new models in the low end of the market: the XB and XE. Both are lightweight, off-road dirt bikes, although they are street legal in some parts of the world.  

Zero also showed off it’s Neutrino concept, which could shake up the market currently dominated by Honda’s Grom. 

Number 2: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe

The number two video produced in 2024 shows just how popular Jeep is despite stumbles by its parent company Stellantis this year. Our long-term road test of a 2021 Wrangler Rubicon 4xe plug-in hybrid was the most watched video produced during 2024. 

Number 1: Canoo

And the number one video with more than 40,000 video views at last check was EV startup Canoo’s first quarter earnings call. Canoo actually had two videos produced in 2024 hit the top 10, likely driven by investor interest.

Canoo has been burning through cash and still hasn’t managed to reach any sort of meaningful production numbers despite having a multi-billion dollar order book that includes high-profile customers like Walmart. 

At the time of this post Canoo had idled it’s Oklahoma factory and had furloughed more than 80 employees to conserve cash, saying it is “in talks with various capital sources.”  

In an effort to to get back into NASDAQ compliance and prop its stock price back up, it announced a 1-for-20 reverse stock split effective December 24. 

2025 will likely be the sink or swim year for Canoo. 

Happy New Year to all of you. Here’s hoping 2025 will be the best year yet. 

The post Top 10 EV Rider Videos Of 2024 appeared first on EV Rider.

If you’ve had your eye on a Kia EV6, you might just want to hold-off a few months. 

This week Kia started selling the mid-cycle refresh of its EV hot hatch in the United Kingdom. So what’s new? 

Perhaps most importantly the refreshed 2025 model gets a larger battery, upping the capacity from 77.4 kWh to 84 kWh.  

EV Rider highly praised the current generation EV6 GT with the only gripe being its modest range. The current GT is rated at just 206 miles. I would guess the new GT should see at 250 miles per charger and more than 330 miles per charge for the tamer real-wheel drive version. But we’ll have to wait for EPA estimates and actual road tests to find out what the real range bump will be.

Outside of range, Kia has redesigned the EV6’s front end, which features new daytime running lights, LED lighting bar and bumper.  

Inside the interior gets a revamp with added ambient lighting, a redesigned steering wheel, freshened graphics and updated charge pad. 

The latest EV6 is already available in the United Kingdom so we’ll likely we’ll see it arrive stateside by the end of 2024. In the meantime, here’s a full road test of the outgoing EV6 GT:

The post First Look: 2025 Kia EV6 appeared first on EV Rider.

As we all focus on 2024, here’s a quick look back at the top 10 EV Rider videos from 2023 and a brief look at some of what we’ll be doing in 2024. 

This list is comprised of the 10 most watched videos on the EV Rider YouTube channel that were produced 2023, with the most popular video coming in at number one. Shorts and videos from previous years were not eligble for inclusion.

#10 | Ford Mustang Mach-E Towing Test

Coming in at number ten was a Mustang Mach-E towing test. Plenty of you wanted to know how much the Mach-E can tow. The short answer is more than 3,300 pounds. The longer answer: Ford doesn’t want you towing in the U.S. but is happy to sell you an OEM hitch in Europe. 

#9 | Showdown: Ford F-150 Lightning Vs. Rivian R1T

There’s a ton of interest in EV pickup trucks right now which quickly became apparent as EV Rider pitted two local owners with a Rivian R1T and Ford F-150 Lightning against one another. 

8# | 2023 Kia EV6 GT Blows Away Many Performance Cars

Economical performance is also on the minds of EV Riders. Our road test of Kia’s EV6 GT checked in at number 8. It screams to 60 miles per hour in just 3.4 seconds. 

#7 | Tesla Owner Ditches Model X Plaid For Rivian R1S SUV

SUVs make up the hottest EV segment out there with thousands upon thousands of you wanting to know more about Rivian’s R1S SUV and why a Tesla owner dumped his Model X for the R1S. 

#6 | Owner Review: Cadillac Lyriq Debut Edition

Although Cadillac struggled with production volume for its Lyriq in 2023, our EV Rider review of Caddy’s first pure EV proved there’s plenty of interest as it checked in as our sixth-most watched video of the year. 

#5 | Energica Experia Delivers Top Notch EV Motorcycle Touring Experience

EV Rider’s fan base includes a lot of motorcyclists so it’s no surprise that so many of you couldn’t wait to learn more about Energica’s Experia, which at the time of its debut had the EV motorcycle industry’s largest battery pack. We called it a top-notch EV motorcycle touring experience. 

#4 | Long-Term Review: ’22 Mustang Mach-E

While some traditional ICE Mustang fans are still upset that Ford used the storied nameplate on its Mach-E EV, that didn’t stop more than 10 thousand of you from wanting to know about how EV Rider’s personal electric pony is holding up. In a word: great. So far I’ve put about 35,000 miles on it. 

#3 | Owner Review: Tesla Model 3 Vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5

While one YouTube channels video views certainly aren’t scientific when it comes to automotive trends the more than 10 thousand of you that watched EV Rider’s Tesla Model 3 vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5 comparison anecdotally illustrates there seems to be quite a bit of cross shopping interest between the two brands. 

#2 | Canoo EV Startup: Factory Update, Other News

EV startup Canoo is just now gearing up for volume production at its new Oklahoma City plant and EV Rider’s audience is obviously very interested in this brand. Canoo videos produced this year would have dominated five of the top ten spots if I had broken them out one by one. Altogether, Canoo videos and shorts accounted for more than 348,000 EV Rider video views in 2023.

#1 | Why Tesla Model Y Owner Switched To BMW iX

The number one individual video EV Rider produced in 2023 was a look at why one EV Rider dumped his Tesla Model Y for a BMW iX. More than 38,000 of you had watched the iX video at last check.

The Road Ahead

So what’s ahead for EV Rider in 2024? Given the high-interest level, we’ll continue to follow Canoo as it looks to ramp up its production in 2024. 

EVs Assembled In Jacksonville, FL

Cenntro, an EV fleet maker with an assembly plant right here in Jacksonville, Florida has promised us a factory tour. So watch for that video, probably sometime in mid-to-late February. 

EV Motorcycle Industry’s 1st Heavyweight Cruiser Arrives In 2024

Evoke Motorcycles is preparing to rollout the industry’s first high-volume electric cruiser 6061-GT with a massive 29.8 kWh battery. Evoke plans to let EV Rider take one for a spin during a visit to Florida in June and we expect to get to experience its Urban Classic sometime in March.

Automotive EV manufacturer and owner reviews will continue to play a big part on the channel. We’ll also continue to occasionally feature product reviews, including a review of a universal LED-lit  topbox for motorcycles.   

To everyone that’s watched EV Rider in 2023, thank you, and here’s hoping we all have a safe, prosperous and happy 2024. Enjoy the ride. 

The post EV Rider’s 2023 Top 10; What’s Ahead In 2024 appeared first on EV Rider.

If you’re into top tier performance but still need a family hauler the 2023 Kia EV6 GT EV just might be for you.

Kia’s top of the line EV6 GT is classified as an SUV but it’s really an AWD hot hatch on steroids that will run rings around many of its gas-powered counterparts with 21-inch wheels, electronically controlled adaptive suspension and large 15-inch brake rotors up front with 4-piston monoblock neon-colored calipers.

Post your EV6 GT questions or comments here

Perhaps best of all is the 545 lb-ft of torque that shoves you back in your seat in the GT driving mode.

Consider for a minute that the EV6 beat a 2021 Ferrari Roma and 2020 RWD Lamborghini Huracan Evo Spyder in an AMCI-certified 0-60 race at 3.4 seconds. Car and Driver managed to do even better, clocking a 3.2 second 0-60 run with the EV6 GT. 

Automotive Addicts publisher Malcolm Hogan was impressed during his week with the EV6 GT. 

“I think it rides good and it handles well for as much performance as it has,” said Hogan. “Out of all the EVs I’ve driven, this is one of the ones that are more of a cohesive package. It handles well, drives well, it’s easily adaptable to imperfections in the road and on top of that, you got 576 horsepower as well to work with.” Malcolm has driven plenty of EVs, including a BMW i4 M50, Volvo C40 Recharge and Genesis GV60.

EV6 GT-exclusive trim touches adorn the cabin, including neon accents, lightweight front bucket seats, and a striped motif on the upper dashboard and front center armrest. Ambient lighting runs across the door panels, center console and dashboard.

Driving the EV6 GT is a refined experience, starting with the adaptive suspension, which firms up for flat cornering in sport and GT modes.

For those that want many of the GT’s features and a good bit of its performance, Kia also offers the EV6 in a GT-Line trim which drops the 0-60 acceleration to 4.5 seconds but increases range.

The steering wheel regeneration paddles add to the sports car-like experience, allowing the driver to constantly increase or decrease the amount of regen, which results in a more engaging experience that is similar in feel to using paddle shifters in a gasoline car.

One of the interior’s most unusual features is its media/climate control dual-function haptic feedback and knobs. They handle the climate controls but with a touch will change to instead control the radio, volume and media. I found the system a little confusing in my limited time with the GT but I can see how after a few days it would probably feel intuitive.

Malcolm summed up the EV6’s controls this way: “Things are laid out very well. We’ve got the same Kia/Hyundai branding as far as the infotainment system goes. That’s always been one of my favorite systems out in the automotive market right now. It’s very straightforward, user friendly and once you live with it for a while, it becomes even more straightforward.” 

I agree with Malcolm’s assessment, although one thing I do miss as compared to its Genesis GV60 corporate cousin are the redundant physical controls provided by the GV60’s jog wheel and physical buttons. 

One area where the Kia does fall short is its lack of wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple Car Play. You’ll need to keep a cable handy when using your smartphone’s automotive features.

The EV6 GT’s upgraded interior includes heavier seat bolstering, which suits me just fine. I found the seats to be very comfortable and that extra bolstering helps when you’re going around corners. However, seats are highly personal. For example, seats that I find comfortable, my wife often finds uncomfortable.

If the seats will be a deciding factor for you, you’ll definitely would want to compare the GT’s seats with the seats in the other trims.

The seats in the other trim levels will be a different experience and depending on what your body type is, you may find the bolstering in GT’s seats to be uncomfortable. Power seats are unavailable in the GT but standard in other trims.

From a utility standpoint the EV6 does include a very small frunk that can hold a charger or a laptop, but that’s about it. In back there’s plenty of storage space with fold down rear seats. 

The EV6 GT has one of the fastest advertised charging times of any electric vehicle, thanks to its 800V architecture. With a 250 kW or higher DC CCS fast charger, Kia says the EV6 GT can go from 10% to 80% charge in just 18 minutes.

During my day with the EV6 GT I saw a peak charging speed of 195 kW, however it was slow to ramp up to that speed. The first 15% of charge hovered around 38 kW before it jumped up into the 190s. It then started ramping down as it approached 80%. By the time it reached 80% it has dropped to 122 kW, at which point I unplugged.

The EV6 GT’s biggest flaw is its lack of range. With a 77.4 kWh battery pack, most drivers that like to use the Sport and GT modes will see less than 200 miles per charge. In Eco mode you might just squeak past 200 miles in gentle driving. The EPA rates the EV6 GT at 206 miles.

During my day driving around Jacksonville the GT indicated it had 106 miles of range in GT mode with 59% of charge. For people that love the EV6’s style but don’t need AWD or the GT’s extra performance, the EV6 GT-Line RWD gets an EPA estimated range of 310 miles.

The EV6 is loaded with safety features that range from a comprehensive heads-up display to side mirror cameras that automatically activate in the gauge cluster when a turn signal is used.

Steering assist and adaptive cruise control are included, although the system isn’t fully hands free on interstates. Unlike some other automakers, Kia’s system will prompt you to put your hands back on the wheel occasionally, regardless of whether you’re on an interstate.

The EV6 GT includes a vehicle to load adapter, which turns the car’s battery into a big electric outlet to power things like a refrigerator, window unit air conditioner, or even charge another EV at Level 1 speed.

Think of it as the modern-day equivalent of being able to bring a stranded friend a gallon of gas or as a backup generator during a power outage. 

The EV6 GT has a tow rating of 2,300 pounds so you’ll be able to bring along things like a jet ski, small boat or motorcycle if you spring for the optional tow package. But with its limited range, its towing will be best suited for trips of under 90 miles.

At the time of this story’s posting the EV6 had a base price of $48,700 while the GT trim, which in addition to its extra performance components includes such niceties as a sunroof and heated steering wheel, started at $61,600.

If you’ve enjoyed the video in this post please give it a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel.

The post 2023 Kia EV6 GT Blows Away Many Performance Cars appeared first on EV Rider.