Electric vehicles are steadily making their way into the Philippine market, a sign that local car brands are preparing for the electric shift. Kia is among the car brands in the Philippines that want to have a head start in the electric vehicle (EV) game. Kia PH has confirmed that the EV6 will be officially launched in the country on March 21.
Kia Philippines has already previewed its entry into the EV market, which is the EV6. It’s an all-electric crossover that was first shown in the metal at last year’s Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS).
After previewing the EV6 at PIMS, Ayala Corporation’s electronics manufacturing arm Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) started installing EV charging stations to support the rollout of Kia’s all-electric crossover vehicle.
You might be wondering what Ayala Corp. has to do with the Kia EV6, right? Well, Kia PH is part of the AC Motors Group, which is the vehicle distribution company of AC Industrials of the Ayala group.
Ayala Land rolled out the first batch of EV charging stations at key locations in Luzon last year. A total of 14 EV charging hubs have been launched last October 2022 in places such as Baguio Technohub, Tower 2 Ayala Triangle Gardens, One Ayala Avenue Carousel, Nuvali, Circuit Makati, and Seda Bonifacio Global City among others.
There are also EV charging stations located at select Ayala Malls such as Greenbelt, Glorietta, Alabang Town Center, and Trinoma. As of this writing, Ayala Land has already rolled out 21 charging stations in Luzon.
Kia PH will be offering a lone variant for the EV6, the GT-Line Long Range. It is the mid-spec trim in the global variant lineup of the said all-electric crossover vehicle.
The Kia EV6 GT-Line Long Range variant is equipped with a 77.4 kWh lithium-ion battery. The Korean car brand said the EV6 can travel over 500 km on a single charge. In case you’re wondering, the Kia EV6 has a claimed range of 528 km (combined city and highway).
The charging time from 10 to 100 percent when using an 11 kW AC Normal Charger takes around 7 hours. If using a 50 kW DC Charger, charging from 10 to 80 percent takes about more than an hour. On the other hand, a 350 kW DC Charger will take 18 minutes to charge the EV6 from 10 to 80 percent. However, as of this writing, Ayala Land has yet to install a charging station with a 350 kW charger.
The Kia EV6 GT-Line Long Range can generate 226 hp and 350 Nm of torque. It’s a rear-wheel drive car and comes with a single-speed automatic transmission. The EV6 also has three drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport.
Kia PH’s upcoming all-electric crossover features an Active Sound Design, a system that provides “engine” sound which is blasted through the 14-speaker Meridian speakers. It has three default sound options that include Stylish, Dynamic, and Cyber.
The PH-spec Kia EV6 GT-Line Long Range will come with the following: 20-inch two-tone alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED daytime running lights, LED taillights, a power tailgate, and a panoramic sunroof, among others.
It also has a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charger, a floating center console, a two-spoke steering wheel with paddle shifters, and black suede seats with white leather accent, among others.
Kia PH has yet to announce the EV6’s price tag as well as other perks included in the package such as warranty. Previously though, Kia said that the EV6 will be priced under Php 4 million. The Kia EV6 GT-Line Long Range will be making its Philippine debut on March 21.
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