Kia Australia is in discussions to bring the EV6 to Australia and is preparing for the imminent release of the long awaited e-Niro for a late Q2/early Q3 release, a spokesperson has confirmed with The Driven.
The news comes after images of the EV6, Kia’s newest electric vehicle, were released on Monday, and although it is too early yet for a definite “yes” for the EV6 and possible timing for a local release, Kia Australia says there will a lot more discussion over coming months.
This is promising considering the delay that Kia’s Australian arm were forced to endure with the release of the e-Niro, which along with the e-Soul were originally slated to be released in Australia alongside the 2020 Australian Open tennis tournament, of which Kia is a sponsor.
That launch was delayed due to demand overseas as Kia put its efforts into serving markets where sales were more certain thanks to government vehicle emissions regulations, and it took until late 2020 to finally confirm a mid-2021 release in Australia of the e-Niro electric crossover.
The EV6 will be the South Korean automaker’s first EV built on the modular electric “E-GMP”, the same used by fellow carmaker Hyundai’s Ioniq 5, which is definitely coming to Australia.
Together, the two would likely draw solid consideration from drivers, although what local price point is finally determined will likely impact this.
Hyundai already has an all-electric crossover in Australia, the Kona EV, although it is essentially a petrol Kona with its combustion engine, fuel tank and drivetrain replaced with batteries and an electric motor.
The E-GMP platform, in which like other carmakers Kia and Hyundai are taking a modular approach, should drive down development costs. But first vehicles built on the platform will likely be priced to help absorb those initial development costs.
E-Niro pricing on the other will likely sit close to the $66,900 Kona EV (pricing before on-road costs), although whether it will (unlike the Kona EV which is only available locally with the larger 64kWh battery) be offered with a smaller 39kWh battery and shorter driving range – and thus cheaper sticker price – we are waiting to confirm.
More information about the EV6 electric crossover, which will likely inherit the same ultra-fast and two-way charging capabilities, and 58kWh or 72.6kWh battery options as the Ioniq 5, will be released globally in coming weeks.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.