Kia is making every move to keep their sales figures up at the moment, and they are making sure to provide the right amount of balance between the price and value. The manufacturer recently revealed their 2024 Kia EV6 Light Long Range with boosted range at an affordable starting price, which is identical to the 2023 model year.
When launched back in 2022, Kia decided to drop the EV6 Light trims for 2023 but was restored earlier this year in March. The brand has now decided to add two new Long Range models to the trim ladder. Check out the video below by "Car Junkies" for a closer real-world look at the 2024 Kia EV6.
The only other change this year is the slight improvement in the range for the Kia EV6 GT model. The Kia EV6 range is up by 12 miles now and is now rated to offer 218 miles from the previously rated 206 miles in spite of GT trim's strong performance.
We are recently witnessing the same trend with Kia’s sister company Genesis, where they recently introduced a cheaper version of the GV60 electric SUV with a better range. Since the GV60 shares the same underpinnings as the EV6, we were expecting something similar to happen.
After reinstating the entry-level EV6 Light model, it left a huge gap of about $6,100 between it and the next 2023 Kia EV6 Wind trim. To fill that gaping hole, Kia has introduced the Light Long Range trims which replace the 58-kWh battery with a larger 77.4-kWh battery pack.
The 2024 EV6 Light Long Range is therefore positioned between the EV6’s Light and Wind trims. The base Kia EV6 starts at $42,600 and features the smaller battery pack and a single motor that produces 167 hp and gets an EPA-rated 232 miles of range.
The EV6 Light Long Range employs the larger battery which produces 225 hp & 258 lb-ft and offers an estimated range of 310 miles. All this for a price bump of $3,350 with a starting price of $45,950. The EV6 Light Long Range AWD on the other hand is pricier by $3,900 and gets a sticker price tag of $49,850.
As mentioned, there will be two cars under the Long Range, the second version adds an e-AWD suffix next to the badge and gets an all-wheel-drive drivetrain as standard. It shares this powertrain with the EV6 Wind trims which translates to 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of output and EPA-estimated range of 282 miles.
Apart from the powertrain, the Light Long Range models also get some added features to justify the higher price of the Wind model. The EV6 Light Long Range RWD is cheaper by $2,850 than the Wind RWD and misses out on 2 exterior colors and an interior upholstery color option.
Other than that, it also misses out on other safety features like blind spot monitor, remote smart parking assist, and parking collision avoidance assist. Powered front passenger seat and ventilated front seats also see a miss on the Light Long Range.
It is the EV6 GT that offers the quickest performance in the lineup, doing the 0-60 in just 3.2 seconds. That said base Kia EV6 0-60 is achieved in 8.2 seconds but the Long Range powertrain with more power does the same in 6.7 seconds and covers the quarter mile in 15.2 seconds with the top speed of 118 MPH.
Combining everything together, providing more range at a lower price with all-wheel drive is a very appealing deal for people looking to purchase EVs. Considering the EV6 Long Range is sandwiched between the Light and Wind, it seems a perfect balance of capability and value, which surely looks like a winning recipe for Kia.
