The 2023 Kia EV6 Will Now Start at $49,795

EVs are still expensive as hell, and there’s no relief in sight that they’ll be getting cheaper anytime soon. Some of that has to do with automakers increasing pricing to account for inflation, parts shortages and rising material costs. The latest EV to price itself above what many can afford is the Kia EV6. While not exactly a cheap entry-level EV to begin with, the Korean automaker has done some shuffling, making the entry-level EV $7,100 more. Essentially you can’t get into an EV6 now for less than $50,000.

A couple of things played a part in this. First, Kia dropped the EV6 base Light trim for 2023. With destination, that price hovered around $43,990, including destination. That EV6 had also qualified for the tax credit, which put the entry-level model at a more affordable, swallowable price of $36,490. With the EV6 not qualifying for the tax credit provisions under the Inflation Reduction Act, and the loss of the base model, now we’re looking at a near $14,000 price increase.

The Wind is now the new base model for the EV6. Including destination, that puts the EV6 starting at $49,975, a $7,100 over the 2022 base model. EV6 price increases didn’t stop there either. Every trim of the EV6 costs $1,000 more than last year. And keep in mind, these prices include $1,295 for destination. You want AWD on that EV6 Wind? That’ll be $53,695; EV6 GT-Line starts at $53,995. Tack on $4,700 for the GT-Line all-wheel drive. If you want the performance of the 576 horsepower EV6 GT, that’s really going to cost you. The EV6 GT starts at $62,695.

Kia confirmed the elimination of the EV6’s Light trim and 2023 price increases with Cars Direct. The automaker also tried to justify the increase by listing EV6 features.

With strong sales and continued customer demand, the Wind RWD becomes the base EV6 for the 2023 model year, replacing the Light RWD. With just a $1,000 MSRP increase from last year, its greater range and sought-after standard features – leather seating surfaces with ventilated front seats, external and internal vehicle-to-load ports, smart power liftgate and a Meridian premium audio system – ensures the Wind RWD offers tremendous value for discerning EV buyers.

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While the EV6 was selling like hotcakes before, these new prices could really turn off a lot of buyers. Instead, buyers might consider the Hyundai Ioniq 5, with a starting price that’s $7,230 cheaper at $42,745 (including destination). Kia’s own newly redesigned Niro EV is even cheaper and may be the better buy. A base Niro Wind wouldn’t hurt your wallet either, as it starts at $41,140, close to the former price of the entry EV6 .