2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD Long-Term Update | Sizing things up
Autoblog’s long-term 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line has made its way to my driveway, where it will spend the next month or so being pampered by my at-home Level 2 charging setup. While there are several things I’m looking forward to doing with this all-electric hatch-wagon thing, those all took a back seat the instant I parked it next to my personal cars and realized just how small the EV6 actually is. Take a look at that photo up top; your eyes don’t deceive you. Our EV6 sits lower than my (stock, mind you) 2003 Toyota Matrix XRS. Here’s a view of each, side-by-side, with the camera held at the same height. The Kia disappears behind the Matrix, but the latter’s roof is still visible over the EV6’s.
Just to be sure, I pulled some numbers. Toyota’s specs for the Matrix listed its overall height at 60.6 inches in 2003. The Kia? 60.8. On paper, the EV6 should be taller. So what’s going on here? It’s not an issue of laden vs. unladen ride height; the Matrix actually had items in its cargo area when this photo was taken, so if anything, it’s riding lower than its specs suggest it should. What I suspect is going on here is that the published figures for both reflect the specs of their respective base models, and in this case the Matrix XRS is just a bit taller (odd, for a sporty model) and the EV6 GT Line a bit shorter than their respective zero-option derivations.
I also can’t help but point out the fact that the EV6 weighs almost exactly twice as much as the Toyota — 5,500 pounds vs. 2,800, approximately. I should also note that while the Kia’s roof line may sit lower than the Toyota’s, that’s not the whole story. The EV6 is more than a foot longer than the Matrix overall, has more than a foot of additional wheelbase and spans five inches wider (which is quite obvious from the photo up top there). Those will all lean heavily in the EV6’s favor when it comes to cabin space and cargo volume — two items I plan to revisit in future updates. Stay tuned!
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