The Kia EV GT is gearing up for its Australian launch in the fourth quarter of this year and is currently in the midst of adjusting its ride and handling to make it ready for local roads in Australia.
The EV6 GT suspension tuning started in Europe where the Australian product and tuning team traveled to Germany and looked for ‘class B’ roads to emulate the local roads in Australia. Testing also involved the EV6 GT being steered at the Nurburgring before hydraulic adjustment of the shock absorbers and the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) system locked.
Recently, the finishing touches to the suspension have been made during testing on roads around Canberra and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). “Given the opportunity to add new dynamism to our lineup, it was important for us to develop within Australian specifications and not just adopt specifications from other markets,” said General Manager of Product at Kia Australia, Ronald Rivero.
“The importance of our requirements for local and custom tuning was supported by headquarters and allowed Kia Australia to be one of the four global tuning specifications available for the EV6 GT. Despite the obstacles that confronted us, from the lack of availability of test cars in Namyang to the impracticality of the Covid-19 restrictions. 19 in Korea who required 7 days of isolation, we negotiated an unprecedented new initial setup process in Germany and then an adjustment in Australia.”
While the EV6 GT will launch in Australia in the fourth quarter, Kia has yet to announce any technical specifications or pricing details about it. The engine will likely be the same as in other markets, however, where a pair of electric motors combine to produce 577 hp and 546 lb-ft (740 Nm) of torque, enabling it to reach 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 3.5 seconds.
