Kia EV6 vs Zeekr 7X

What's the difference?

The Kia EV6 Air offers comfort, a good range of features and beautiful handling for a ‘base model’, but it is a little pricey considering its competition.

Having said that, if you’re looking for an EV that will fit the family and has a stellar safety list – this is one to consider.

My son reckons the EV6 looks 'really cool' and he loves the space in the back seat.

Not the most comprehensive of tests, I'm afraid. But early signs are good for the Zeekr 7X, which ticks plenty of on-paper boxes, looks sleek and fresh and feels sorted from behind the wheel.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The EV6 is cool and fun-looking, but being the base-model does mean you get plastic rather than body-coloured mouldings around the base of the car, which highlights its grade level.

The exterior hosts 19-inch alloy wheels and a full suite of LED lights but misses out on the upgraded Matrix headlights that the higher grades get.

The exterior's swoopy curves look aerodynamic and the chunkier rear balances out the sharper nose.

The interior looks well-made, and the mix of high-end cloth and synthetic-leather materials complement the futuristic exterior aesthetic.

The dashboard is headlined by a curved panel that houses the dual 12.3-inch tech screens and the floating centre console leans into that future vibe again.

There's a nice mix of touchscreen and physical buttons to satisfy a wide audience. Overall, while it’s not as flashy as its siblings, the cabin of the Air is very pleasant to look at.

It’s a sleek-looking SUV, the 7X, and is nowhere near as boundary-pushing as its stablemate sibling, the Polestar 4, which rides on the same platform. For one, the Zeekr has a rear windscreen.

Zeekr calls it 'hidden energy' design language, which I take to mean, at least partly, that you can’t immediately tell what’s powering it. It could pass as an internal-combustion car, a hybrid, PHEV or EV; at least until you look closely.

There are light bars front and back, but sadly we miss out on what the brand calls its 'Light Curtain' - a pixel-filled bar of light that spans the entire front end. Apparently it fell victim to the ANCAP crash-test requirements and has been replaced by a black cover.

Even without it, I dig the 7X’s athletic stance. It looks good in the metal, especially finished in deep green paint.

Inside, it’s a pretty plush-feeling cabin, without being revolutionary, and the big central screen and digital dash are bright and clear. The addition of a camera to monitor back seat passengers without having to turn around is a clever touch, too.

The space in the EV6 rivals much larger SUVs and tall families will rejoice with how much leg- and headroom you get in both rows.

The comfort for passengers is pretty good, with comfortable seats in both rows that feel well-cushioned. The floor in the rear is flat, which accommodates any middle-seaters.

Being the base grade, you don’t get electric front seats, which is a bit rough for its price point but the driver’s side does get powered lumbar support, which I appreciate on longer journeys.

Individual storage is fantastic for the class and the front gets two cupholders, a drink bottle holder in each door and glovebox and middle console. There are multiple storage nooks and a utility tray on the topside of the floating centre console (sized for items like keys, wallet, phone etc).

The large shelf underneath the centre console easily accommodates a handbag and snacks for any kids in the back (or adults, no judgement).

Individual storage in the back is as good as the front, with plenty of spots to tuck away all of the paraphernalia that kids seem to attract. There are also two cupholders in a fold-down armrest, a drink bottle holder in each door and map pockets.

On the whole, my seven-year-old really enjoys being in the back seat because of the amenities and space he has. He finds the EV6 to be an easy car to get out of but we all struggle with the flush door handles! They can be terribly annoying to use as they don’t pop out on approach or when you unlock the doors. If you have your hands full and have little T-Rex hands like me, it can be awkward to open.

What isn't awkward to use is the technology! The 12.3-inch touchscreen multimedia system is quick to respond and the system itself is easy to navigate once you spend some time with it.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is semi-customisable but not as pretty in its graphics as it could be. It has two styles to choose from - white or black, and the white is a little too sterile for my liking.

The multimedia system features wired Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and built-in satellite navigation with map updates for 10 years.

Charging options are solid with a single USB-A and and two USB-C ports up front, a wireless charging pad and a two 12-volt ports to choose from. The rear enjoy a three-pin standard house port and two USB-C ports as well.

The back seat has a 60/40 split and it's handy that you can lower them from the boot with manual levers. The boot itself is a good size with 490L when all seats are in use but you miss out on a powered tailgate in this model.

The frunk storage also offers an additional 52L, which is perfect to keep any charging cables or the tyre mobility kit stored away.

The 7X stretches 4787mm in length, 1930mm in width, 1650mm in height and rides on a 2900mm wheelbase.

As is pretty typical of electric SUVs, interior space is great, especially for backseat riders. I'm 175cm and have heaps of knee and headroom behind the driver's seat set to my position.

Storage space is good, too, with a deep bin between the front seats, a pull-down divider in the back row and pull-out draws beneath the back seat which mean you can hide laptops or valuables when you lock the car.

One key quirk, though, is the location of the USB charge ports in the back, which are accessed through the pulldown seat divider. It means that, should there be three passengers in the back, you won't be charging any devices.

The boot is 539 litres of flat, wide space – though that number grows when you drop the 60/40 split-folding back row. Rear-drive models also get a 62-litre 'frunk'.

There are three ways into the 7X, with two rear-drive models and one AWD Performance completing the trilogy.

That story begins with the 7X Rear-Drive, which gets the smallest battery and lists at $57,900, before on-road costs. Next is the Long-Range at $63,900, which is also a rear-drive model but nabs a bigger battery and a longer driving range.

Finally, the Performance is $72,900, and is the only twin-motor model. It scores the same 100kWh battery as the Long Range, but significantly ups the performance, which in turn dramatically lowers the zero to 100km/h time.

Standard kit is pretty impressive across the board, with the entry-level model scoring 19-inch alloys, LED lighting all around, a powered tailgate, a glass roof (with powered shade) and ambient interior lighting.

Tech is handled buy a 16-inch central touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and there are two 50W wireless charge pads. You also get a digital dash, tri-zone climate and a 10-speaker stereo.

The Long Range model adds a better 21-speaker stereo and a head-up display, while the flagship Performance gets trick auto-opening and closing doors (you just push a button in the pillar to open and step on the brake to close), as well as genuine Nappa leather trim, 21-inch alloys and very good adaptive air suspension.

The EV6 Air is a single-motor rear-wheel-drive that produces a maximum power output of 168kW and 350Nm of torque.

The Air has the slowest 0-100km/h sprint time in the EV6 range at 7.3 seconds, but that’s honestly enough for my little family. It still feels pretty damn zippy when you put your foot down.

The two rear-drive ZX models share the same rear motor producing 310kW and 440Nm. Not stratospheric numbers but the powertrain delivers plenty of useable, real-world grunt, with both variants reporting a zero to 100km/h time of 6.0 seconds.

The AWD Performance model really ups the grunt, though, adding a second electric motor at the front axle lifting total outputs to 475kW and 710Nm and dropping the 0-100km/h run to a crazy-brisk 3.8 seconds. It’s also the only model to ride on the very good adaptive air suspension as standard.

Officially, you get a driving range of up to 528km (WLTP) from the 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery. However, the longest range I ever saw was 480km, which admittedly is still very good.

The EV6 Air has a Type 2 CCS port, which means you can benefit from plugging into a fast charger and the accepted voltage is a whopping 800v.

On a 50kW system, you’ll get from 10-80 per cent charge in 73 minutes and on a 350kW system, which charge time drops to just 18 minutes.

Expect it to take longer on AC charging, though. To get from 10-100 per cent on an 11kW system, it will take approximately seven hours and 20 minutes. On a standard house plug ... expect it to be on charge for around 30 hours.

The Air also has a vehicle to load (V2L) capability – meaning, it has a standard house three-pin plug port available to charge larger appliances while on the go. 

The official combined energy consumption is 16.5kW/100km (WLTP), and my usage came out at 16.02kW after a mix of open-road and urban driving this week.

The cheapest 7X variant scores a 75kWh LFP battery, while the Long Range and Performance nab a 100kWh NCM unit. All have an 800V electronic architecture, allowing for mega charging speeds of up to 450kW DC charging (actually 420kW on the 100kW battery).

Now, I don’t think we have chargers capable of pushing that much juice in Australia, but even using our 350kW chargers Zeekr promises you’ll go from 10 to 80 percent charged in 16 minutes or less. AC charging is up to 22kW, too.

In terms of driving range, you can expect 480km in the rear-drive, 615km in the Long Range and 543km in the Performance, all on the WLTP cycle.

The EV6 Air handles itself really well, it's been hit by torrential rain and didn’t skip a beat.

The Air really grips the road and distributes the power through the rear wheels evenly. Even at higher speeds, there’s no wobble and it feels stable when you accelerate. 

Steering is on the right side of firm and makes the Air feel very zippy when navigating tight city streets.

There are three levels of regenerative braking available, as well as a one-pedal function called iPedal, which is probably the best I’ve sampled and I like how responsive it is in stop-start traffic. However, when using this function on hills, I still hover over the brakes as it can still roll forward a bit. 

The cabin can get really loud from road noise at higher speeds, but it seems to come from underneath the carriage, rather than through the windows. The suspension is well-cushioned but not spongy.

Parking the EV6 isn’t an issue once you get used to the rotary gear selector and the reversing camera is super clear. You get a 360-degree system on higher grades but the Air does come with front and rear parking sensors.

The 7X is very much the vehicle Zeekr has been waiting for in Australia, so expectation weighs heavy on its metallic shoulders. Happily, and not to spoil the ending, it largely lives up to those expectations with our taste test revealing an electric SUV that shines in most areas.

Our drive experience took place at one of Australia’s longest and fastest race circuits, The Bend outside Adelaide. And not in the AWD Performance version, but in the less-powerful Long Range model. Not exactly the natural environment of a circa 2.5-tonne electric SUV, then.

And while the rear-drive Zeekr is no out-and-out performance car, the 310kW and 440Nm served up from that rear-axle motor is plenty to get the 7X up and moving, with the power arriving in a steady and unbroken stream that saw us pretty easily push to 200km/h on one of the track’s lengthier straights.

I’d argue that’s more than enough grunt to satisfy most, if not all, Zeekr owners without them having to dig deep for the Performance model. But there’s no escaping the fact this is a heavy vehicle, and one inspired by efficiency, not the red mist of racing.

So, things start to drop away a bit when the lesser 7X is really pushed, with an off-putting kind of buffeting movement at speed and sometimes spongey-feeling dynamics a reminder that this is a vehicle more at home on public roads.

The AWD Performance, however, sharpens things up considerably, helped by its adaptive air suspension and all-paw grip. It feels far tighter, grippier and more composed through corners. Sadly, by the time I jumped in, my lead-footed colleagues had drained the battery to the point where I could only accelerate at 50 per cent capacity, which made the AWD slower on the straights than then RWD model, but it made up plenty of lost ground in the way it corners.

All of this is, of course, is likely to be of little relevance to any 7X customers, who are more likely to find themselves on the moon than they are the main straight of a race track, and so my opinion hasn’t changed — the AWD is faster and more technically advanced, but when you boil it down to the actual life a mid-size electric SUV will live, I think the smart money is on the Long Range AWD model.

Side note: We also did some pretty serious off-roading (again, something no owner is likely to do) in the AWD model, and I can report that the softest suspension, steering and accelerator settings add a cosseting comfort to the drive experience on rough roads, and that there is some genuine of-road capability on board.

How it drives on actual roads? For that, you’ll have to wait just a little longer. But early signs are good for Zeekr’s most important model.

The 7X wears a maximum five-star Euro NCAP assessment and I want to point out a pretty wild feature. Standard across all trims is a high-def camera in the B-pillar aimed at the rear seats. You can cover it, if you’d like, but the idea is that anyone up front can hit a button near the central screen that will pull up a high-def feed of what’s happening in the back seat. So, no more having to turn around to see what the kids are up to in the back seat.

Happily, all 7X models get the same safety suite, which includes a 360-degree camera, autonomous parking and 15 ADAS functions.

The EV6 comes with a leading seven-year/unlimited-km warranty. The battery covered by a separate seven-year/150,000km term, but this is a smidge shorter than some of its rivals.

You can pre-purchase either a three-, five-, or seven-year servicing program, priced at $721, $1382 and $2045, respectively. All of which are reasonable for the class.

The seven-year program runs up to a max 105,000km.

Servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.

The Zeekr 7X is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, while the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km. There’s five years' roadside assistance thrown in, too.

Servicing is recommended every two years or 40,000km, with what the brand describes as optional health checks in years one, three and five (the first one's on the house).

Go for all the services, including the optional ones, and you’re looking at $2415 over the first five years. Skip the optional ones, and it’s more like $1755.