Kia’s new smaller-batteried EV6 is cheaper and more car tax-friendly

Kia has given its EV6 a smaller battery and - as a result - a lower entry price that starts from £39,235. Crucially, that dips just under the luxury car tax bracket, but more on that later. First, smallness.

The EV6 Air Standard Range packs a 63kWh battery allowing up to 265 miles, and it’s still underpinned by the same 800V architecture of the big'un, which means up to 350kW of “ultra-rapid” charging (so 10-80 per cent in 18 minutes). It also features bi-directional charging for your devices.

Decent kit, too. There are 19in alloys. LED headlights. Heated front seats and steering wheel. Two 12.3in displays in the cockpit, and wireless charging with Apple Carplay and Android Auto. Elsewhere, you'll find intelligent cruise control, parking sensors, keyless entry, and a seven-year subscription to Kia Connect. Tidy.

Of course if you want more there's the EV6 Air, available with an 84kWh battery pack that's now known as the 'Long Range' one. That costs £45,585, so unlike this new entry-level option, is liable to be charged the 'Expensive Car Supplement'.

That's the annual 'luxury car' surcharge placed on motors over £40,000 at list price. We can debate what qualifies as 'luxury' til the cows come in for the night, but since it applies to the list price before any dealer discounts, any sweet-talking efforts are somewhat wasted.

Shrewdly, with the EV6 Air SR keeping shy of that trigger point, the Korean carmaker has found a way to enable drivers to switch to/stay electric without burdensome additional costs. Plus, the lower cost puts it in a lower insurance group, too.