Tesla’s domination of Australia’s electric car market makes it something of a one-stop shop for EV buyers, but is Kia’s take on the electric SUV better, worse, or a quick copy of Tesla’s homework?
Tesla’s momentum in Australia’s emerging and fast-growing electric vehicle market is unmatched. The Model 3 sedan became Australia’s top-selling sedan in 2022, and the brand outsold longer-running marques in Australia, including Volvo, Renault, Audi and Honda. All of this with just two models.
Kia, on the other hand, is arguably a brand better known to Aussies, with a long history here, from starting out as a budget brand to pushing its way up to third place on the sales podium in 2022. While Kia isn’t new to the market, its range of electric cars doesn’t quite match Tesla’s track record.
While Kia might be a Goliath in overall sales, it’s David in this battle. Last year saw 8717 Tesla Model Y SUVs delivered to customers here, while Kia’s supply-limited EV6 racked up a paltry 564 deliveries. That’s despite an on-sale head start of a few months.
Ongoing supply issues continue to hold back new car deliveries in Australia, but the question has to be asked. Should you jump into a Tesla just because you can, or is the wait for a Kia worth it? That’s what we’re about to explore.
How much does the Kia EV6 cost in Australia?
The Kia EV6 is a five-seat hatchback with pseudo-sporty pretensions. It’s the brother to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 large hatchback.
Under Australian sales classifications, the EV6 is categorised as a Large SUV, while the Model Y occupies the Medium SUV class, despite it being longer, taller and wider. The system here is a little flawed.
The EV6 we have here is the Air, which is the cheapest of the three EV6 models. Post-launch the EV6 has seen its price pushed upwards slightly, with a starting point of $72,590 plus on-road costs – or $78,571 drive-away in Melbourne (final costs may vary by state).
Kia Australia’s supply of EV6s from the factory is severely limited – initially set at just 500 per year – upgraded supply has seen that number risen, with the brand now suggesting as many as 2500 EV6s should land in Australia during 2023. Still, given the popularity of the model (not to mention ongoing port delays), the delay between buying one and driving away in your EV6 could be many months, if not years.
The Kia EV6 Air has the same 77kWh battery feeding 168kW to the rear wheels as the GT-Line RWD ($79,590 plus on-road costs). It can do 0–100km/h in 7.3 seconds, which is not bad for a car weighing two tonnes. Claimed WLTP driving range is an impressive 528km.
There’s also a more powerful Kia EV6 GT-Line AWD from $87,590 plus on-road costs. For that money you also get all-wheel drive, 20-inch alloy wheels, 360-degree surround-view cameras, parking assistant, privacy glass, sunroof, electrically adjustable front seats that are heated and ventilated, a heated steering wheel, an electric tailgate, a 14-speaker premium sound system and driver’s head-up display, among other things.
The most recent addition to the range is the performance-positioned EV6 GT, with a 430kW/740Nm dual-motor powertrain, all-wheel drive, a range of styling and handling upgrades, and a lick-off point from $99,590 plus on-road costs.
How much does the Tesla Model Y cost in Australia?
When the Tesla Model Y arrived in Australia in 2022, it hit the market as one of the most hotly anticipated electric cars in the country.
It’s the first electric medium SUV from the US-based brand, and is similar to its Tesla Model 3 sedan. In fact, the front half of the car is so similar it is easy to mistake the two, with mainly the roof line, tens of millimetres across its key dimensions, and elements of the interior that actually differ.
The Model Y range comprises just two variants, the entry-level Model Y RWD which has been available from launch, and a range-topping Model Y Performance with added equipment and uprated performance. After initial delays, this model is finally set to begin deliveries to customers.
Like the EV6, the Tesla Model Y has seen its price adjusted since launch. At the time of writing, a new Model Y RWD was priced from $69,300 plus on-road costs, or $75,103 drive-away before options.
Although not ‘official’, the brand has submitted data to the Government stating the 2022 Tesla Model Y features 220kW of power. But what’s for sure is a 62.3kWh-sized battery pack with lithium-ion cells, a 0–100km/h time of 6.9 seconds, and a WLTP-certified driving range of 455km.
The only other model in the range is the Tesla Model Y Performance, which is a dual-motor and all-wheel-drive powerhouse. It costs around $95,300 plus on-road costs and offers a greater driving range of 514km, 393kW, and a feisty 0–100km/h time of 3.7 seconds.
| Key details | 2023 Kia EV6 Air | 2023 Tesla Model Y RWD |
| Price (MSRP) | $72,590 plus on-road costs | $69,300 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Snow White Pearl | Deep Blue Metallic |
| Options | Premium paint – $520 | Metallic paint – $1500 |
| Price as tested | $73,110 plus on-road costs | $70,800 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $79,113 (Melbourne) | $76,662 (Melbourne) |
How much space does the Kia EV6 have inside?
The EV6 Air’s exterior design looks futuristic right down to its flush door handles and 19-inch funky-spoked alloy wheels. Viewed in isolation, the EV6 looks small, but it’s not until you get up close that you realise it’s longer and wider than a Kia Sportage mid-size SUV, but its roof line is much lower.
The EV6’s long 2900mm wheelbase (the Sportage sits on a 2755mm wheelbase) makes for plenty of room inside. In fact, this is one incredibly spacious vehicle, length-wise at least (but I’ll get to that).
Up front, the Kia EV6 Air looks anything but a base model. It’s a very impressive interior, but then it would want to be for $79K on the road. The cabin exudes a futuristic vibe that is functional and well executed. There are plenty of storage options for life’s clutter too.
The Kia EV6’s back doors open nice and wide, which would normally make it easy to get into the back seats, except for the low roof line that will challenge human beanpoles.
Once inside, the EV6’s rear seat is generous with its legroom and underseat foot room, though again headroom is limited for occupants over 180cm. The seat base is also quite low and close to the floor, so it doesn’t naturally support your thighs.
There are no climate controls accessible from the back seat, but there are USB ports built into the sides of the front seats, and air vents for outboard passengers in the B-pillars at the vehicle’s sides. The front seatbacks also have hard-cover expandable magazine pockets.
There is a fold-down armrest in the middle of the back seat that includes two cupholders.
There’s room in the door for water bottles, and under the leading edge of the back seat base is a domestic powerpoint for charging laptops and the like. There are ISOFIX mounts in both outer back seats.
The EV6 Air’s boot opens manually, not electrically like on the EV6 GT-Line. Inside, cargo space is a claimed 490L (10L more than GT-Line EV6s), although the high floor weirdly makes it look less than that. There are a couple of latches that remotely fold the rear seats, increasing boot space to 1270L.
Under the floor is a cavity for charging cables, which can also be used as a wet storage area, and there’s another 52L plastic storage bin under the bonnet up front.
The interior design of the Tesla Model Y comes across as artful, minimalist, and quite beautiful. Other than some ergonomic faux pas, like a lack of traditional speedo or instrument cluster, it’s pretty special for the money.
There’s a smart upward-facing wireless charging station for two phones that works first time, every time, a large central storage area with two USB ports, and beautiful timber cladding to its dashboard.
The standard-fit premium audio system – with 13 speakers, one subwoofer, and two amplifiers – is a nice get over the standard system found in the cheaper entry-level Tesla Model 3, but we’ll talk about its sound system later in the infotainment section.
The only other thing you may notice is that you sit slightly higher. Aside from the seat bases being mounted higher, the roof has been lifted, too, which means headroom with the epic and standard-fit panoramic glass roof is improved over the Model 3.
My biggest and most genuine gripe with the interior are those flatter-than-usual A-pillars that can make visibility trivial at certain intersections. I’m sure you’ll learn to drive around it in time, but there’s no denying other similar-sized vehicles have better visibility.
It’s honestly clutching at straws, though. The simple touch-to-open interior door action, singular air vent on the dash that both looks invisible and flows decently, and overall quality of its build, are top-shelf for the money.
Before we get to the back row, it’s worth noting that all Tesla Model Ys feature a HEPA air filter, or as the brand likes to attempt to market, “Bioweapon Defense Mode”.
In the second row, space is decent for the type of vehicle. I’m 183cm tall and with a rather lanky frame – meaning I sit quite far back in the driver’s seat – found that sitting behind my own seating position in the back yielded good results.
My knees were 3–4cm from the seat backs, feet able to kick out a little in front, shoulders well supported by the upper section of the seat base, and felt genuinely comfortable in the back.
The smart design of the front centre console means the middle passenger not only has a flat floor to indulge in, but can almost stretch their legs out further than the two people in the outbound seats.
Speaking of which, they’re decently bolstered and supportive under your thighs, and the higher hip point will suit those with frail joints, or those who simply prefer better ergonomics. I also fitted a Britax Graphene convertible child seat, and found it easy to load children into given the height of the seat base.
The space offered by the Model Y’s cabin is also good for kids in both forward-facing and rearward-facing child support seats. In either position, both front occupants need not worry about adjusting their seat to allow room for bub’s seat – given there’s now an abundance of space in the back.
Three adults can fit across the back seat, but it’ll be a bit squashy if they’re average-sized. Other niceties in the back include rear air vents, two more USB-C ports, large flocked bottle holders in the doors, a fold-down armrest with two cupholders, and that massive glass roof to gaze out of.
Officially, and measuring the whole space including the underfloor storage, the Tesla Model Y’s boot space is a claimed 854L. Although far greater than other brands on paper, those other brands only measure to the parcel shelf and with proper foam blocks (VDA), so factor that into your comparison.
Either way, it’s large and wide, with a precisely one-metre-wide load aperture enabling an easy fitment of a mid-sized Redsbaby stroller alongside groceries and a handbag. Alternatively, you could easily leave a compact stroller inside the boot permanently, as you’ll never fill the thing alongside it on the day-to-day.
Or you can put it in the underfloor storage, as the most foldable of foldable strollers would fit down there I reckon. If I were to take a guess, I’d say there’s about 550L of storage above the boot floor, and around 300L in the storage tubs underneath the boot floor.
It does make the space feel genuinely massive, and the boot floor partition is a handy thing to have. Another improvement versus older Tesla vehicles is how the seats now fold completely flat, making it handy for moving bulky objects.
Tesla claims 2158L in total with the second row folded, which is plenty of space for whatever flat-pack thingo you want from the furniture store famous for its meatballs.
A final note is that you can fold the seats remotely from the boot, and there’s sadly no spare wheel under the boot floor.
| 2023 Kia EV6 Air | 2023 Tesla Model Y RWD | |
| Seats | Five | Five |
| Boot volume | 490L seats up 1260L seats folded 52L under bonnet |
854L seats up 2158L seats folded 117L under bonnet |
| Length | 4695mm | 4751mm |
| Width | 1890mm | 2129mm |
| Height | 1550mm | 1624mm |
| Wheelbase | 2900mm | 2890mm |
Does the Kia EV6 have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
The Kia EV6 Air’s dashboard is dominated by two 12.3-inch digital screens – one is the infotainment system and the other the driver’s instrument binnacle. The infotainment operating systems will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s sat in a current-generation Kia Sorento or Sportage, right down to the digital radio, satellite navigation and smartphone integration.
The graphics in the driver’s digital instrument binnacle do not look like the Sportage’s or the Sorento’s. They’re unique to the electric EV6 and therefore tailored to maximise the driver’s understanding of vehicle efficiency and range.
Below the central infotainment screen is a slimline dual-function touchscreen that houses climate controls and audio controls.
The Kia EV6 Air has all the usual media systems, including digital radio, Apple and Android smartphone mirroring via a cable, or media playback and call functions via Bluetooth. It also has a wireless phone charging mat, but this method of charging is not particularly powerful.
The Tesla Model Y has one single 15.0-inch display in the centre of the car.
No gauge cluster, no head-up display, nothing, this screen does everything from making the blinkers play farting noises to telling you how fast you’re going, and even where you are going.
It’s powered by solid hardware, and the touchscreen ‘swipe-y’ tactility and general user-friendliness are up there with the likes of Apple. I love the simple things, like touching the blinker arrow when it’s on to reveal vision of where you’re going.
There are no prompts to do such a thing, but you feel compelled, or at least I did, to tap the blinking icon and see. Another is a simple tap of the battery percentage to turn it into range instead.
That same trick works when you’re buried anywhere in the submenu, too, meaning if you have the range or consumption chart open, the data in there will also adjust as you flick from battery percentage to range remaining.
It’s properly intuitive and clearly had hours of scrutiny to get to this point. Although overwhelming at the start, you learn the simple commands and tricks to make navigation easy enough.
Another reason to opt for the Tesla Model Y could be its sound system, as it receives the 14-speaker, single subwoofer and dual-amplifier premium system that’s unavailable in the entry-level Model 3.
It’s pretty fantastic, with a soundbar-style array of speakers across its dash providing a big and bright sound stage.
It has a pretty good EQ to play with natively, too, in the Spotify app, so bonus points there. Speaking of which, there’s no Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but everything you want on your phone works natively here, so there’s genuinely no need for it.
Is the Kia EV6 a safe car?
The Kia EV6 earned a five-star safety rating from ANCAP in 2022.
It performed well for adult occupant protection (90 per cent) and child occupant protection (87 per cent). The vulnerable road user protection score was lower at 64 per cent, but safety assistance systems rated highly with 88 per cent.
The Tesla Model Y received a five-star ANCAP rating based on 2022 testing protocols.
ANCAP’s analysis revealed a 97 per cent adult occupant protection rating, 89 per cent for child occupants, 82 per cent vulnerable road user (pedestrian) protection, and a strong 98 per cent for safety assist systems.
| At a glance | 2023 Kia EV6 Air | 2023 Tesla Model Y RWD |
| ANCAP rating & year tested | Five stars (tested 2022) | Five stars (tested 2022) |
| Safety report | ANCAP report | ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Kia EV6 have?
The EV6 range comes standard with autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian, cyclist, and junction turning intervention, lane keeping and following assist, blind-spot monitoring with collision avoidance, driver attention monitoring, and safe exit warning. Adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limit assist, high-beam assist and auto headlights are also standard.
The EV6 Air misses out on the GT-Line’s surround-view camera system, blind-view monitor that displays a blind-spot camera feed in the instrument cluster, and reverse parking collision assist.
What safety technology does the Tesla Model Y have?
Standard safety systems include blind-spot warning, automatic braking, semi-autonomous lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise, and speed sign recognition as just the beginning.
Enhanced Autopilot is available as a $5100 option, adding automatic lane changes on freeways, hands-free automatic parking, the Summon feature (which lets the car manoeuvre itself around car parks in certain scenarios), and Navigate on Autopilot, billed as “automatic driving from highway on-ramp to off-ramp”.
Tesla’s Full Self Driving can also be added ($10,100), which brings the function of Enhanced Autopilot along with the traffic signal control and the promise of autosteer on city streets coming in a future update.
How much does the Kia EV6 cost to run?
All Kias, including the EV6, come with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, although it’s worth noting that the EV6’s battery is only covered for 150,000km.
Servicing costs over seven years is a very reasonable $1584.
Kia says the EV6 Air will consume 17.2kWh of electricity per 100km. During my time with the car, I saw an average of 19.0kWh/100km.
When it comes to recharging, the EV6 can recoup 80 per cent of its charge in 18 minutes if you’re on an ultra-rapid 350kW DC charger. On an 11kW charger, you can expect a full charge to take just over seven hours.
How much does the Tesla Model Y cost to run?
Tesla backs its new cars with a four-year/80,000km warranty, whichever comes first. While this is a safe kilometre limit for most users, high-km travellers may exceed 20,000km per year arriving at the warranty limit sooner. Battery and drive unit warranty is more generous at eight years or up to 160,000km.
Tesla does not provide service costs, and instead prompts owners to check their Tesla app for pricing. Tesla’s ownership model dispenses with traditional servicing, although perishable items are still subject to regular maintenance. As such, service intervals are condition based depending on an owner’s usage patterns.
Official energy consumption for the Model Y RWD is rated at 13.7kWh/100km. On test that translated to 14.2L/100km. Tesla is historically a front-runner for EV efficiency, and it shows here.
Fast charging for the Model Y RWD is capped at 170kW (whereas the Performance can accept up to 250kW). On an 11kW AC charger, a full charge will take six hours and 15 minutes; however, Tesla does not offer fast-charging time estimates, but independent estimates place a 0–80 per cent charge at around 30 minutes.
| At a glance | 2023 Kia EV6 Air | 2023 Tesla Model Y RWD |
| Warranty | Seven years / unlimited km (vehicle) Seven years / 150,000km (battery and drive unit) |
Four years / 80,000km (vehicle) Eight years / 160,000km (battery and drive unit) |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km | Condition-based (up to 24 months) |
| Servicing costs | $594 (3 years) $1089 (5 years) $1584 (7 years) |
Not provided |
| Energy cons. (claimed) | 17.2kWh/100km | 13.7kWh/100km |
| Energy cons. (on test) | 19.0kWh/100km | 14.2kWh/100km |
| Battery size | 77.4kWh | 62.3kWh |
What is the Kia EV6 like to drive?
The Kia EV6 Air has the same 168kW/350Nm powertrain connected to a 77.4kWh battery pack as the GT-Line RWD. This is enough to give the 2000kg EV6 Air the acceleration to hit 100km/h in 7.3 seconds.The way this car accelerates is quite deceptive, because the immediacy of electric propulsion and lack of noise makes it feel faster than it actually is. Still, 7.3 seconds is decent, and performance is strong and responsive and that’s what matters.
The steering feels lifeless like a computer game, but what it lacks in feedback it makes up for in directness and ease of use.
The brake pedal is very sensitive, especially in i-Pedal maximum energy recuperation mode. But that’s because you don’t actually need to use the brake pedal in i-Pedal mode. The car’s energy recuperation system slows the car as aggressively as if you were pushing the brakes anyway. So, if you look far enough ahead, you don’t need to use the brakes. But, if you need to stop faster or more urgently, just be ready for the brakes to bite hungrily when you hit them.
For those not so keen on one-pedal driving, you can use the paddles to ease energy regeneration and drive the car using the two pedals in a more traditional way. I found the throttle to be a little more lively in these modes, too, especially in the Sport setting.
As for the ride, the EV6 delivers a good ride, but I found it a touch firm. Let’s call it the sporty side of plush. Maybe that’s in keeping with Kia’s sportier positioning compared to sister brand Hyundai, but I would have preferred a more compliant ride in keeping with an $80K prestige car.
And honestly, a slightly softer ride would better complement the EV6’s otherwise very refined air on the move. Very little noise penetrates the interior, even at highway speeds, making for a pleasingly serene experience.
What is the Tesla Model Y like to drive?
Like the pay-pass methodology to open the Tesla Model Y, it’s the same way to start one.Wave your wallet – equipped with a Tesla credit card key – in front of the armrest, wait for the ‘bong’, then throw it in the centre console.
It’s a simple affair and one you get used to really quickly. A quick tap of the column-mounted ‘gearshifter’ is the last thing you do before setting off and quickly noticing that the one-pedal drive system is actually rather intuitive.
That’s an accelerator pedal that brakes the car and captures energy when you lift off, meaning you can effectively drive the car without using the brake pedal next to it.
Every other electric car has this form of energy recovery, with most able to change the amount of braking effort applied as you lift. However, Tesla’s e-pedal is easily the most intuitive I’ve experienced so far, and its single and only setting gets it spot on.
After all, Tesla’s had the time now to get it right. You wouldn’t want to drive it any other way after a few minutes behind the wheel, especially as it harvests energy pretty well too.
The performance from the 220kW single rear electric motor is gutsy, too, with throttle stomps met with strong pulls of acceleration. However, it’s the sustainment of the performance that gives it the edge over its competitors.
Other EVs do not deliver their power in the same way. They first appear quick, with the performance fizzling as the car’s speed increases.
It’s that sustainment behind the Tesla Model Y that makes it feel far pokier than the figures suggest, as even the entry-level can accelerate in a relentless fashion and spook your passenger.
Not that it matters, but it hopefully gives you an idea of its performance. Ride and handling are great, too, like the Model 3, which is simple and honest.
It’ll tuck into corners nicely, never really feel ‘rear-driven’ or as if it’s going to spit you into the weeds, and the sheer silence of it all means you can focus on how much (or little) work the tyres are doing.
Over a quick jaunt up and down my favourite roads it felt great, if not a little top heavy at times. Around town it’s pleasant, too, but the weight of the thing does mean it needs some firmness to remain controlled.
Over rippled sections of road it’ll get a little busy and bumpy inside, but that’s genuinely as bad as it gets. Another colleague of mine commented on how they liked this “controlled” feeling and didn’t find its stiffness as much of an issue as I did.
We both agreed that taking the 20-inch wheel option would probably push it over the edge for both of us; however, we’ll conduct testing in due time to see whether that’s legitimate or not.
Aside from some firmness over road joins and the odd imperfection, the cabin is a really nice place to soak up miles in. The cabin is well insulated, the funky map display does a good job of keeping you aware of your surroundings, and the steering okay to use.
If anything, the steering is slightly too hyperactive, and is very short lock-to-lock. Coupled with its turning circle of 12.1m, it means tight carparks require some adjustment, but you’ll overcome this in due time.
In terms of efficiency, the car hovered around 20.0kWh/100km during performance testing, later coming down to 14kWh/100km in traffic, then finally culminating at 14.2kWh/100km after some more recuperation and inner-city driving.
You couldn’t write this if you tried, but if we work out 14.2kWh(usage per 100km)/62.3kWh(battery size)*100( for total mileage), you’ll find the number to be 438.7km, give or take 11.3km off the official claim.
For the money it’s hard to fault, but the lack of a speedo in the driver’s line of sight (even a head-up one!) is baffling, as they nailed everything else.
| Key details | 2023 Kia EV6 Air | 2023 Tesla Model Y RWD |
| Engine | Single permanent magnet synchronous electric motor | Single permanent magnet synchronous electric motor |
| Power | 168kW | 220kW |
| Torque | 350Nm | 430Nm (estimated) |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive | Rear-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Single-speed automatic | Single-speed automatic |
| Power-to-weight ratio | 84kW/t | 115kW/t |
| Weight (tare) | 2000kg | 1909kg |
| Tow rating | 1600kg braked 750kg unbraked |
1600kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.6m | 12.1m |
Should I buy a Kia EV6 or a Tesla Model Y?
While the outright goal here is to find a winner, it’s well worth pointing out that there’s no loser.
Both cars are excellent examples of what’s possible in the emerging electric vehicle field. Tesla excels at efficiency, both in terms of energy efficiency but also in its manufacturing process. The flipside is that while the EV6 feels more conventional on the inside, the Model Y can take a bit more familiarisation.
In terms of purchase price, the Tesla has a slight advantage at base price, but we have to question why options like metallic paint are a $1500 step up compared to the $520 option on the Kia. Same goes for the Model Y’s available black and white interior, a different colour but the same vegan leather-look trim, yet a $1500 upgrade, which feels a little excessive.
When it comes to infotainment, the screens of both cars are tasked with monitoring crucial functions and do a good job of it, but Kia’s adaptation of its existing infotainment is simpler to decipher at a glance, yet has some limits in terms of functionality and lacks connectivity. Tesla’s system takes time to explore, but the multi-faceted, comprehensive, and clever system pushes the boundaries of what’s possible.
Standard safety sees both cars rate well, and ANCAP testing gives a slight edge to the Model Y, but the optional driver assist functions available on the Tesla push the car closer to a level of technology that places less reliance on human intervention in the quest for safety. Both driver assist suites operate in a predictable and controlled way, free from false positives and useful and confidence-inspiring for drivers.
On the road the better control of the EV6 shows, particularly on poorer quality road surfaces. Keen drivers should find plenty to like about both cars, but the EV6 feels more like a car with a driver-centric handling spirit as well as better composure when surfaces turn nasty.
Availability, an ever-evolving situation, also favours the Tesla. While you might wait a few weeks to get your hands on a Model Y, the months and months it takes to join the EV6 queue is sure to dissuade many.
With a holistic approach to EV development and the ecosystem they operate in, a widespread charging network, and some new approaches to ownership and technology, the Tesla Model Y snags the win here. The Kia EV6 puts up a fair fight, but has been outsmarted on this occasion.
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