HAVE YOU HEARD THE ONE ABOUT the Frenchman walking his cat? Not the beginning of a crude joke that plays clumsily with national stereotypes, rather one way to fill the boredom of waiting for your electric car to charge. It’s a thoroughly 2020s problem and one our new Gallic mate (well, we’re on nodding terms) has solved in curious fashion. ‘Is that really the group of people we want to be a part of?’ asks photographer Matt Howell.
We’ve not brought a cat, but our car outpunches his Mégane. The Kia EV6 GT combines twin motors for all-wheel drive and a 577bhp peak, enough for a 3.5sec sprint to 62mph and 162mph top speed. Not just quick for an EV, but quick for a family-sized car full stop. A large 77.4kWh battery ekes out as much range as possible; a quoted 263 miles means around 200 in everyday use – or a mite less if you want a safety margin. Luckily the Kia can accept up to 350kW of charge, so finding the juiciest (if priciest) chargers will see the battery hit 80 per cent in under 20 minutes.
What’s more interesting is the way the GT differs from a regular EV6 beyond its bigger motors and matt paint. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential is fitted to the rear axle, there’s new suspension, a quicker steering rack, Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres
