2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line Long Term Update: Seats look sporty, but aren't
Our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-Line is positioned as nearly the sportiest version of an already sporty-looking EV. Compared with its Hyundai Ioniq 5 twin, the EV6 looks lower and wider, and the GT-Line has the styling of the EV6 GT with more than 500 horsepower. The EV6 feels sportier than the Hyundai, too, with stiffer suspension tuning and weightier, more responsive steering. The interior looks sporty, too, but weirdly, the seats don’t really live up to the looks, and it’s a small disappointment in an otherwise very likable car.
We’ll start off with the good, and that’s the looks. Our GT-Line has the faux suede interior, and the bright white accents look great around the edges. They help emphasize the bolsters. The white contrast stitching down the middle of the black back and base also kind of look like thin little racing stripes. The suede itself feels soft and it offers a little extra grip.
Those bolsters may pop with the white trim, but they’re quickly crushed by our backs and backsides. In fact, all the cushioning in the EV6’s seats are incredibly squishy. The softness can be alright for commuting, but it means that there’s not much support in, well, any direction. So the bolsters don’t hold you much at all, made worse by the relative narrowness and short depth of the base. And when you’re hustling this fairly playful EV, you find yourself supporting yourself more with the wheel than you’d want, and praying that the friction of the suede keeps you in place. They don’t provide much support in the back either, which could be detrimental on longer trips. At least there is a fair bit of that soft cushion, so long trips could be all right. Stay tuned for thoughts from Road Test Editor Zac Palmer who just recently completed a serious road trip.
There’s one other thing that bothers us about the EV6’s seats. They’re mounted a bit high for such a low-roof model. As such, you sit higher, which is a little odd in a sporty car, and for taller drivers, it feels like your head is atypically close to the ceiling and windshield header.
Although the EV6’s seats are a bit disappointing, they still aren’t dealbreakers. Everything looks great, the interior, even with the low roof, is roomy, and it’s fun to drive. Maybe with a mid-cycle refresh, Kia could do a little more work on the seats is all.
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