02-07-2025
Kia EV6 GT is a ridiculously fast SUV that even boils your kettle – but can it beat a £158k Porsche 911 in a drag race?
YOU join us at Santa Pod drag strip for a little 'run what ya brung' showdown.
That's Sully in his box-fresh Golf R.
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Nosh with his dreamy 911 GT3 Touring.
Nice cars.
Very nice cars.
Except I'm going to smoke them in a Kia.
Then make a cup of tea with it afterwards.
Don't get me wrong, the Golf R is a lovely bit of kit. Nailed-on future classic.
Sully's got 333 horses to play with and sticky four-wheel drive to go round significant corners at considerable speeds.
But we're doing a quarter-mile drag race here, buddy.
Eat my rubber.
What can I say about Nosh's Porker? Dang.
Inside Kia's refreshed Sportage including comfy cabin, punchy new looks and driving mode young families will love
The noise — 510 horses, manual gearbox, red lines at 9,000rpm. No rear wing. Absolute weapon.
Just stay away from those concrete barriers, eh, Noshy lad. They look hungry.
Right, let's hit you with some times.
The Golf R's quickest run was 12.5 seconds, reaching 110mph.
The 911 edged it with 12.2 seconds and 119mph.
Then it was my turn in Kia's EV6 GT.
When electric cars accelerate — even the cheaper ones — they leave your head buried in the back of the headrest.
This one, with 641 horses and 770Nm of torques, scrambles your eggs.
Needless to say, we blitzed the £158k Porker by more than a second, flashing up 11.165 seconds and 124mph on the iconic Santa Pod gantry.
Wallop.
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With more road in front of us, like an unrestricted autobahn, we could have kept on pushing to a very un-Kia-like 161mph.
New virtual gearshift technology adds simulated gear changes and fake engine sounds if you want them.
Otherwise just pin it to win it.
My new friend Nosh, an architect from Manchester, was clearly impressed.
He said: 'It's amazing isn't it, ridiculously fast.
"Eventually, when we have to, I'll probably get one.
'But I'm going to enjoy a manual gearshift and loud engines for as long as I can.'
Fair play. He's owned some tasty motors over the years including a Ferrari 430 Scuderia and Porsche 930 Turbo 'Widowmaker'.
Right, back on topic.
Not only is the newly-updated EV6 GT faster than before, it goes further, recharges more quickerly — like 18 minutes — and the cabin's been given some love too.
OUT goes the glossy piano black, replaced by less smudgy brushed plastic.
IN comes lots of cool neon-green detailing.
The twin-screen dash carries all the latest tech.
You can use the car's power supply to boil a kettle or inflate an air bed on festival weekends.
Last observation. Price.
EV6 GT is actually £2,690 cheaper than before at £59,985. For a better car.
Kia is going to take some catching at this rate.
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