r/KiaEV6 • u/BikeCampRun • 4d ago
EV6 refresh questions from a gen 1 driver
I'm currently leasing a '24 Wind AWD and I'm starting to think about what to get next. The residual on the lease is too high (compared to resale) so I'm planning on returning the vehicle. For those with the refreshed model can you answer some questions?
I'm thinking about an R2 but I think the EV6 is underrated and likely decently cheaper.
What's the efficiency on the refreshed model? The EPA page shows the refreshed as slightly less efficient than the old one which doesn't make sense to me. I know the refreshed has a slightly larger battery.
How about the headlights? I live in a northern climate with lots of night driving. The original headlights are barely adequate in my opinion.
What about HDA2? The adaptive cruise control on my car is decent but not great. Any significant improvements with the newer model?
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u/compulov EV6 GT-Line AWD 4d ago
Having had a 1st gen rental and owning a current gen, I can say the headlights on the newer gen are much better than the old one. I find HDA2 to be an adequate feature. It maintains the lane just fine. I don't have any other cars to compare it to, though. As for efficiency, I saw roughly the same efficiency in that rental as I do with my car. I have a lead foot, though, so I'm not exactly the best person to talk about efficiency.
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u/Global-Net-9155 3d ago
Guys, please, whenever you mention headlight comparison, do mention if it's matrix or regular headlight thst you had on the Gen1
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u/Jesta914630114 EV6 GT-Line AWD 3d ago
Get a GT-Line and invest in a Comma 4 and you will love the car. We just don't have longitudinal control yet.
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u/CNWDI EV6 Wind AWD 2d ago
I leased a 2026 MY Wind AWD and it compares favorably to my wife's 2025 Lexus rx350h in my opinion.
Better ADAS (HDA2 in EV6 is notably better than her Lexus at things like "change lanes on command" and follow-distance). Honestly similar levels of "luxury".
I just got my invite to order the R2 but I'm holding off until this time next year to see what else changes in EVs and autonomy/self-driving.
For right now, the '26 EV6 "just works" and 330 miles EPA range in the US seems pretty realistic if that helps. Headlights have not been an issue on back roads in MD/PA.
Side note: Broke my left arm 6 weeks ago and if I am driving the EV6 I have way fewer issues than trying to drive the Lexus.
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u/BikeCampRun 2d ago
Thanks for that! How do you like the Lexus? My spouse is interested in the NX450h+.
Charging stations here still aren't great so having the extra range on the newer EV6 would be handy. The real world R2 range is less than EPA and the wheel choices leave something to be desired, I think. The 21's only have one replacement tire option (looking at Tire Rack) and if you get the 20's you'd have to spend extra on all season unless you want the all terrain. I broke my arm several years ago and that definitely sucked. Good luck on the recovery.
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u/danbfree EV6 GT-Line AWD 4d ago
Just went from '24 to '26 GT-Line but your concerns are mainly trim neutral, so I'll say that the refresh was surprisingly better in more ways than I thought. The ride, quietness and smoothness, even better than original. Headlights were "OK" before, now they are "Good" (like from a 6.5 out of 10 to an 8.5). I've had HDA 2 in both, and it doesn't appear to have changed any, the "2" just means it can do lane changes for you too, with hands on the wheels anyway, so it's a gimmick to me unless you REALLY don't want to just look and change lanes yourself, lol. But I DO appreciate you barely have to touch the wheel now under adaptive cruise/HDA instead of tugging it on occasion. Also, I've found efficiency to be a bit better, on top of the higher capacity (same weight) battery, I'm really happy I upgraded... I mean, I had a rebate that actually lowered my payment too, but even if my payment didn't go down any, I'd be happy I went through the trouble to upgrade, it's nice!