A journey to the end of the earth in the new Kia EV6 GT
► CAR tests the hot Kia EV6 GTThis content was part of CAR magazine’s 60anniversary celebrations, split over three editions. Want to read more from those editions, as well as get access to more amazing content from CAR?The silence out here is overwhelming. No background noise, no human activity. Just the faint sploshing of water lapping at the boat’s sides, and the hulking glacier silently standing sentinel in front of us.
The planet is in trouble. We know that. Perhaps the shift to electric cars will help us hurt it less; perhaps it won’t; perhaps it’s too late; perhaps there’s still hope. This adventure can’t provide answers to the biggest questions but it does allow us to explore some smaller ones.
The GT version’s lost none of the EV6’s practicality; it takes our equipment with more space to spare than a Volvo V90 estate hire car we used briefly earlier in transit. With the best part of three metres between its front and rear wheels, it’s a truly roomy car. We’re making swift progress north up the Kystriksveien coast route, ever more idyllic with every passing mile. Tarmac runs parallel to looking-glass lakes and fjords, mirroring the horizon. Do people here get used to waking up to this scenery every morning, or does the novelty eventually wear off?
We charge three times between Mo i Rana and Tromsø, one rapid top-up and two overnight trickles. Two go swimmingly; one won’t play ball initially and needs a call to the charging company to reset. It’s mid-afternoon when we gingerly edge the EV6 onto a shipping container at Tromsø’s docks, ready to be craned onto the Norbjørn cargo vessel. The sun won’t go down until well past midnight and even then it won’t set entirely. We’ve reached the extreme north, and 24-hour daylight.
There’s a temporary traffic jam in the town centre while snow geese cross the road, and as we head out of town wheeled dog sleds pass the other way. Life is different here. The Seed Vault, founded in 2008, is one of the world’s iconic buildings, yet only its entrance is visible. It extends deep into the mountain, its contents kept at a regulated -18ºC, helped by the permafrost. There’s a faint roar of cooling devices inside the adjacent prep station building but the site is deserted – there are no full-time staff on site and journalists are no longer allowed inside.
The kettle’s barely touched the still-plenty-full battery but we want to charge the car here. After all, aside from the world’s most northerly chocolate factory, brewery, graveyard and Toyota dealership, Longyearbyen can also boast the northernmost public electric car charge point. It’s next to a wood-panelled shopping complex and in front of a backdrop of jaggedly ridged, cloud-hugged mountains. It looks somehow nondescript and epic at the same time.
The Seed Vault is an intrinsically hopeful endeavour – evidence of mankind’s instinct to create and preserve rather than to destroy, with disparate countries and governments co-operating as one. A future based on battery transport cannot be a cure-all solution, and perhaps it will take behavioural changes deeper than the power source for cars alone to slow the environmental damage evident here.
‘We’ve even added a secret drift mode,’ he grins. ‘Start with it parked, press the GT button, push and hold ESC until it’s fully off, pull and hold both steering wheel paddles and you’re away!’ Duly noted, Mr Biermann…It absolutely decimates the senses as Biermann stamps on the throttle, launching out of an on-ramp onto the Autobahn. He’s so focused as he carves up through the lanes, taking advantage of the GT’s deep power reserves; you can really feel that 3.5sec 0-62mph sprint time.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
2023 Kia EV6 GT first drive review | Car Reviews | Auto123Auto123 gets in a first drive of the 2023 Kia EV6 GT, a new variant of the EV that sets out to show just how far the E-GMP platform can take things.
Leer más »
Kia EV6 GT 2023 premier essai | Essais routiers | Auto123Auto123 a effectué un premier essai du Kia EV6 GT 2023, une nouvelle variante du VÉ qui vise à montrer jusqu'où la plateforme E-GMP peut aller.
Leer más »
Trim Pickings: 2023 Nissan Rogue vs. 2023 Toyota RAV4The base models of the Nissan Rogue S and Toyota RAV4 LE are priced within $255 of each other, making for very close competition. Both of these models are well equipped with feature highlights that include LED headlights, tinted rear windows, cloth upholstery, satellite radio, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. On the safety front, both SUVs include a forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking system and automatic high-beam headlights.
Leer más »
Your Questions About The 576 HP Kia EV6 GT Answered | CarscoopsIt sounds like most of you are about to be impressed by some of the answers
Leer más »
CES 2023 Will Feature a Ram EV Truck, a Sony/Honda Car, and MoreThe Consumer Electronics Show is January 5–8 in Las Vegas, and here are the announcements from automakers that we know about so far.
Leer más »
Stranded holiday travelers resort to Greyhound and car rentals, hoping to get home by 2023Proactive travelers with canceled flights are searching for one-way car rentals.
Leer más »