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Car and Driver
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
2025 Chevrolet Blazer SS vs. Kia EV6 GT Comparison Test
If you like the '70s aesthetic but not necessarily in your living room, check out the Kia EV6 GT and the Chevrolet Blazer EV SS. With more than 600 horsepower each and wild colors (such as Habanero Orange for the Blazer), they've got that vibe. We compare these two electric muscle SUVs side by side and figure out the pros and cons of each. As recent first-time homeowners, my wife and I have spent months arguing over everything from paint colors to faucet finishes. We usually want a similar outcome, but it's the "how" that has led us to butt heads. That tension reminds me of two electric SUVs we've recently tested: the Kia EV6 GT and the Chevy Blazer EV SS. Both pack big horsepower—615 ponies for the Chevy and 641 for the Kia—and both represent their lineup's highest trim level. But each takes a slightly different road in creating a modern, battery-powered version of the muscle-car idea. We pitted them head-to-head to figure out which one truly gets it right. One thing my wife and I agree on: Neither the EV6 GT's Yacht Blue Matte paint nor the Blazer EV SS's Habanero Orange hue would work in our upstairs bathroom. There's something unmistakably 1970s about both shades, which, in the case of our house, is exactly the vibe we're trying to toss out (along with the old shag carpet). But for these quick-accelerating all-wheel-drive EVs, both colors work. The as-tested $65,970 Kia, which recently underwent a minor renovation of its own, borrows performance upgrades from the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and cements its position as the most fun Kia we've ever driven. The $64,280 Blazer EV SS, meanwhile, carries heavier expectations. Is the "Super Sport" SS badge, with decades of Camaro and Chevelle legacy to live up to, stolen valor? It's really not that deep. The reality is, the Blazer EV SS is easily the quickest-ever SS model to 60 mph. view interior Photos Marc Urbano | Car and Driver Blazer EV SS view interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Kia EV6 GT Interior and Exterior Both vehicles feature plenty of piano-black plastic, which at this point is essentially the OSB of the car-interior world. But these EVs attempt to spice things up with colorful stitching, and both have synthetic-leather seats with fabric inserts. The Blazer's front seats have all the bolstering of an Adirondack chair. Meanwhile, the EV6 GT's buckets could have been plucked from a Porsche Cayman. The Kia's steering wheel is nearly as thick as a modern BMW M car's, and its neon-green hash mark at the 12-o'clock position fuels its sports-car persona. The Chevy's wheel skips this detail in favor of an inlaid status bar for its standard Super Cruise hands-free tech. On paper, the two have identical rear passenger volume at 48 cubic feet, and you'd have to be wearing a stovepipe hat to use up the generous rear headroom of either SUV. However, the Blazer's rear seats don't recline, and they have a strange lump between the bottom and back cushion that aggravates the tailbone. You can recline in the EV6. view interior Photos Marc Urbano | Car and Driver Blazer EV SS view interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Kia EV6 GT We don't love how screen-dependent car interiors have become, but the trend is inescapable at this point. In the Blazer, even the headlights are toggled via the 17.7-inch Google-based touchscreen. Yet despite all of that screen, there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, as it uses Google Built-In instead. Worse, the design of the icons is ambiguous. The "settings" icon, for example, resembles an overinflated tire, while the icon for the camera looks more like a Kodak Brownie than anything I've taken pictures with in the past 30 years. The EV6 GT has similar pitfalls. A funky touchscreen panel operates climate controls, or you can swap to media-player functions, but we wish we could have both without the back-and-forth. Unlike the Blazer, the Kia does have wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, but in an EV, that means there's inevitably that awkward juggling between Waze and the vehicle's built-in navigation to find a compatible charger on road trips. The Kia's move to an NACS plug improves compatibility with Tesla Superchargers, but most of those are 500-volt units, limiting the EV6's 800-volt system to lower peak charging speeds. At least Kia moved the charge port to the driver's-side rear (where it is on the Tesla Model S, 3, X, and Y), so you won't block the charger like a jerk. The charging port on the Blazer EV, which can also be used at a Tesla Supercharger, is just behind the driver's-side front wheel, and it can require you to nose in uncomfortably close to get the cord to reach. view exterior photos Marc Urbano | Car and Driver Blazer EV SS view exterior photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Kia EV6 GT Powertrain and Performance The Blazer EV SS we tested weighed 5737 pounds—a whopping 831 more than the EV6 GT. But thanks to its 650 pound-feet of torque, it still lunges to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds. That's just ever so slightly behind the Kia, which hits the mark in 3.2 seconds. By the quarter-mile, however, the EV6 pulls further ahead: 11.2 seconds at 125 mph versus the Blazer's 11.8 at 117. Don't tell your Chevelle-loving uncle. Chevrolet Blazer EV SS Highs: Plenty quick enough to earn its storied badge, strong braking performance, solid EPA range. Lows: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are AWOL, shapeless seats, chassis can't match Kia's sharpness. Verdict: The SS badge enters the electric age. The performance advantage of the EV6 GT is less decisive during passing maneuvers. The Kia rockets from 30 to 50 mph in just 1.8 seconds and from 50 to 70 mph in 2.1 seconds. In some give-and-take, the Blazer EV SS's times came out at 1.7 and 2.2 seconds, respectively. Minor differences aside, the Kia's acceleration manifests more urgently on the road. The Blazer's power is equally impressive, but it feels less immediate despite the Chevy's torque advantage. Both of these hot rods have robust brake equipment to slow their roll, and stopping is where the Blazer shines. The Blazer EV SS's binders are highlighted by standard six-piston Brembo calipers clamping 15.3-inch front rotors. That hardware, along with the optional Performance package's summer tires and higher-friction brake pads and rotors, hauled the SS to a stop from 70 mph in 157 feet and from 100 mph in 309 feet. The EV6 GT, with 15.0-inch front rotors and 14.2-inch rears, took a slightly longer 163 feet to stop from 70 mph and 331 feet from 100, despite its lower mass. view exterior photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Driving Performance The EV6 GT is simply a pleasure to drive. It's super agile, especially when you've got the pedal down—so much so that you start wondering, "Who should I call when they arrest me?" Its steering is precise, its body control firm, and the electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle allows for sharper turn-in. We prefer driving it with the goofy Virtual Gear Shift turned off—it's charming in the Ioniq 5 N, but the Kia's low redline and the fact that it's simulating a six-speed automatic make it feel like a gimmick here. view exterior photos Marc Urbano | Car and Driver The Blazer's Wide Open Watts (WOW) mode unleashes full power, and it's not as jarring to the senses as the video-game theatrics of the EV6. You can drive the SS like a madman, but it has its limits, and Chevy admits the vehicle is not designed for track days. Understeer arrives early, and skidpad grip was limited to 0.89 g, slightly less than the EV6 GT's 0.90 g. Still, that's considerably more than the last Blazer EV RS we tested (which wore all-season rubber), and the SS receives stiffer springs, beefier anti-roll bars, and updated dampers, all of which help it corner much better than lesser electric Blazers. Kia EV6 GT Highs: Righteously quick, plenty of fun to drive, speedy charging. Lows: Limited EPA range, uninspiring Virtual Gear Shift mode, some ergonomic oddities. Verdict: Performance and personality. One clear advantage of the Kia is charging speed. Its 84-kWh battery supports up to 240 kilowatts of peak DC fast-charging—faster than the Blazer's 190-kW rate for its 102-kWh pack. While we didn't test the Kia's fast-charge claim, the mechanically similar Ioniq 5 N charged from 10 to 90 percent in just 35 minutes, and we'd expect a similar performance from the Kia. The Blazer took 57 minutes to do the same. We weren't able to run these two through our 75-mph highway range test, but EPA estimates put the Blazer well ahead of the EV6. According to the Feds, the Chevy can travel up to 303 miles per charge, while the Kia does 231. view interior Photos Marc Urbano | Car and Driver Blazer EV SS view interior Photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver Kia EV6 GT And the Winner Is . . . During our two weeks with both vehicles, it was clear that our staffers favored the Kia over the Chevy. But why? view exterior photos Michael Simari | Car and Driver When it comes to driving dynamics, charging speed, and ergonomics, the EV6 GT is enjoyably more fierce. While the Blazer EV SS packs gobs of torque and practical driving range for daily use, it doesn't engender the same emotional connection. And making us giggle is of the utmost importance from any performance model. The Blazer EV SS is a great Blazer EV, but the EV6 GT is the more engaging performance machine. Want to see these vehicles' specs side-by-side? Check out the Chevrolet Blazer EV & Kia EV6 on our new compare tool. Compare Cars Specifications Specifications 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE Base/As Tested: $62,095/$64,280 Options: panoramic sunroof, $1495; Performance package (performance-oriented brake rotors and pads, summer tires), $395; dual-level charging cord, $295 POWERTRAIN Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power: 615 hp Combined Torque: 650 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 102 kWh Onboard Charger: 11.5 kW Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 190 kW Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink Brakes, F/R: 15.3-in vented disc/13.6-in vented disc Tires: Continental Premium Contact 6 275/40R-22 107V TPC Spec 3204 ContiSeal DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 121.8 in Length: 192.6 in Width: 78.0 in Height: 64.8 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 59/48 ft3 Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 60/26 ft3 Curb Weight: 5737 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 3.3 sec 100 mph: 8.3 sec 1/4-Mile: 11.8 sec @ 117 mph 130 mph: 15.6 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.5 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.7 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.2 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 131 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 157 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 309 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.89 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING Observed: 69 MPGe 75-mph Highway Range: 250 mi Average DC Fast-Charge Rate, 10–90%: 101 kW DC Fast-Charge Time, 10–90%: 57 min EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 85/92/77 MPGe Range: 303 mi -- Specifications 2025 Kia EV6 GT Vehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon PRICE Base/As Tested: $65,275/$65,970 Options: Yacht Blue Matte paint, $695 POWERTRAIN Front Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Rear Motor: permanent-magnet synchronous AC Combined Power: 641 hp Combined Torque: 568 lb-ft Battery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 84 kWh Onboard Charger: 10.9 kW Peak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 240 kW Transmissions, F/R: direct-drive CHASSIS Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink Brakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/14.2-in vented disc Tires: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 SUV 255/40R-21 102Y Sound Comfort DIMENSIONS Wheelbase: 114.2 in Length: 184.8 in Width: 74.4 in Height: 60.8 in Passenger Volume, F/R: 52/48 ft3 Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 48/24 ft3 Curb Weight: 4906 lb C/D TEST RESULTS 60 mph: 3.2 sec 100 mph: 6.9 sec 1/4-Mile: 11.2 sec @ 125 mph 130 mph: 12.4 sec 150 mph: 19.3 sec Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec. Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.4 sec Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.8 sec Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.1 sec Top Speed (gov ltd): 166 mph Braking, 70–0 mph: 163 ft Braking, 100–0 mph: 331 ft Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.90 g C/D FUEL ECONOMY AND CHARGING Observed: 77 MPGe EPA FUEL ECONOMY Combined/City/Highway: 83/87/79 MPGe Range: 231 mi C/D TESTING EXPLAINED Reviewed by Austin Irwin Technical Editor Austin Irwin has worked for Car and Driver for over 10 years in various roles. He's steadily worked his way from an entry-level data entry position into driving vehicles for photography and video, and is now reviewing and testing cars. What will he do next? Who knows, but he better be fast.
ArabGT
01-06-2025
- Automotive
- ArabGT
The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Is Still Going Strong in 2026
What began as a one-year special edition has turned into a lasting chapter in Dodge's muscle SUV saga. Initially launched as a 2021 limited-run model, the Durango SRT Hellcat was supposed to be a rare beast — a three-row family hauler with the heart of a drag racer. But its overwhelming popularity changed everything. After a brief pause, Dodge brought it back in 2023, and now, against all odds (and some owner complaints), the 2026 Durango SRT Hellcat is entering its fourth consecutive year of production — and fifth year overall. How a 'One-Year Only' Icon Became a Staple When Dodge, under the Stellantis umbrella, introduced the Durango SRT Hellcat in 2021, it was marketed as the ultimate SUV — packing a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that delivered 710 horsepower and 875 Nm of torque. All that power was sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, turning the Durango into one of the fiercest utility vehicles on the market. At the time, customers rushed to own what they thought would be a true collector's item. However, with demand far exceeding expectations, Dodge couldn't resist bringing it back. The return in 2023 reignited excitement, but also stirred frustration among early adopters who believed they had something rare. Regardless, the Durango Hellcat's blend of performance, practicality, and sheer audacity made it impossible to shelve. 2026: Same Heart, Same Spirit While Dodge has yet to disclose every detail about the 2026 Durango SRT Hellcat, it has confirmed the model will remain in the lineup. So far, the essentials remain unchanged: Engine : Supercharged 6.2-liter V8, 710 hp, 875 Nm of torque Transmission : 8-speed automatic Chassis tuning : Performance-tuned suspension and steering for handling agility despite its hefty 2,600 kg curb weight Exterior : Aggressive front grille, bold air vents, signature Hellcat emblems, and 20-inch wheels Interior: 12.3-inch Uconnect 5 touchscreen, digital instrument cluster, Nappa leather sport seats with red stitching, and subtle engine acoustics 2026 Pricing Remains Steady Despite being 15 years into the current-generation Durango's lifespan, Dodge is holding base prices steady for 2026. The Durango GT, powered by a V6, starts at $40,490. The R/T trim remains at $51,990, with new 'Blacktop Redline' appearance options adding $3,495. Optional upgrades include the $5,990 Tow N Go Package — bringing many of the SRT 392's chassis enhancements minus the engine — and a $1,195 Tow Package with features like a trailer brake controller. Why the Durango Hellcat Isn't Going Anywhere Though initially billed as a short-lived experiment, it's clear Dodge used the 'limited edition' label to gauge market interest. Once it became obvious that buyers were hungry for a muscle-bound SUV with a traditional roar, the brand doubled down. Now, the Durango SRT Hellcat serves as a modern muscle icon that refuses to bow out. Looking Beyond 2026 More details on the 2026 model are expected later in 2025, potentially including new color choices, minor tweaks to the exhaust, or upgrades to the AWD system's electronics. But the real question looms: When will the Durango SRT Hellcat finally end? And with so many iterations, could it lose the special status it once had? For now, the Durango Hellcat remains a living legend — an unapologetic celebration of power in an SUV world increasingly leaning toward quiet electrification.
