Kia EV6 - Boot space, comfort & practicality

​The Kia EV6 shares the same E-GMP architecture as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, but it offers a sportier edge to its design and driving setup. 

There are practical touches that help to make family life a little easier; there are plenty of useful cubbies, including a deep recess underneath the floating centre console. Other kit, such as auto headlights and wipers, is standard.

There’s a Vehicle to Load function (V2L) which is a neat idea that allows the EV6 to power or charge devices via a three-pin plug. We think that’s an especially neat idea if you are on a camping trip away from mains electricity because it allows you to keep your phone topped up, or even power items, such as a laptop. A V2L dock is located under the rear seat, while an adaptor can also be used to connect to the main external charging port.

Dimensions and size

As with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the EV6 is a surprisingly big car in the metal. At 4,680mm long, 1,550mm tall and 1,880mm wide, the EV6 is 31mm longer than a Skoda Enyaq, although the width is virtually identical. It’s also 66mm lower than the Enyaq, which helps give the Kia its sporty, dynamic look. The 2,900mm wheelbase is actually longer than the Audi A8, meaning there’s plenty of room inside.

How practical is the Kia EV6?

Seats & space in the front

Both a six-foot driver and front passenger should have no issue getting comfortable in the front of an EV6. While the Ioniq 5 chooses to emphasise the amount of space it offers, the EV6 separates the driver and front passenger with a centre console, but it’s not so wide that you’ll be clanging your knee into it all the time or tall enough to make you feel entombed within the cabin. You won’t sit as low as you do in some electric saloons, like a Tesla Model 3, for instance, but the driving position seems more enclosed because of its steeply raked windscreen and high centre console, giving the EV6 a sportier feel than the Ioniq 5.

GT-Line cars and above include Kia’s Premium Relaxation Seats, which can recline when the vehicle is charging to provide the driver with a more comfortable position to take a nap if they feel tired.

Seats & space in the back

Swing open the rear doors and you can marvel at the acres of legroom on offer, thanks partly to the EV6’s enormous wheelbase. The completely flat floor also helps in this department, and if you need to carry three adults across the back, they wouldn’t be forced to play footsie for the entire journey. 

The EV6’s sleek, sporty profile and lower roofline affect headroom only slightly. Taller passengers might find it a little tight in the back, but anyone under six feet shouldn’t have anything to complain about. Parents with children who need child seats can utilise the two ISOFIX points on the outer positions of the second row. 

There are USB-C charging ports are built into the sides of both front seats, so there should be no squabbling between those in the rear about who gets to charge their devices.

Boot space

The EV6’s 490-litre boot provides a useful amount of space, while a variable-height floor allows you to decide whether to maximise space or create a flat loading lip. Examples equipped with the Meridian audio system have a slightly reduced boot capacity of 10 litres. The rear seats include a ski hatch for loading longer items, along with a 60:40 split-folding rear seat that lays down almost flat, expanding luggage capacity to 1,300 litres. 

Rear-drive cars benefit from a 52-litre storage compartment under the bonnet, while this space is reduced to 20 litres in all-wheel-drive versions. Either way, the EV6’s ‘frunk’ is good for keeping your charging cables out of sight and in an area away from your luggage. Rivals like the Renault Scenic and Volkswagen ID.4 provide underfloor stowage, which might be an issue if you have stuff in the boot that needs to be removed in order to access the cables.

Towing

The maximum braked trailer towing weight for the EV6 has been increased from a decent 1,600kg to 1,800kg, which is far more impressive than the disappointing 1,200kg of the VW ID.4 GTX or the 1,400kg of the four-wheel-drive 85x Skoda Enyaq. 

The EV6 should be more than capable of pulling a decent-sized trailer or a small- to medium-sized caravan. However, we'd always advise double-checking your trailer’s weight before hitting the road.