SQUID GAMES

The Koreans are yet to bother playing with any hybrids in India and instead have put all their money into EVS by building dedicated electric platforms for their cars.

- GAVIN RODRIGUES

In this race to electrification, the Koreans aren't too far behind and aim to lead the charge with the all-new KIA EV6 and the Hyundai IONIQ 5. Even underneath the skin, they are similar and share many of their parts. Their driving experience and external design take a somewhat different approach. Both were built from the ground up to be EVs and don't have any ICE counterparts. Which of these two makes for a better EV for the money? We took these two for a drive in and around Mumbai to find out.

DESIGN

The KIA EV6 looks very Italian, with a pinch of British suave sprinkled. Its design resembles a cross between a Ferrari Roma and an Aston Martin DBX, both attractive-looking cars. Though the design looks busy or incoherent to my eyes in person, I did find myself drooling over the EV6 from certain angles, especially the rear three-quarters. The EV6 is long, low and looks like a shooting brake, which is relatively rare in our country. In this shade of red, it looks exotic and a lot more expensive than it is. The rear might seem too bulbous for my taste, but most people I've met like it, so its looks are subjective. A tiny LED light tucked within the rear spoiler illuminates the rear haunches, which seems odd, but the execution is very well done. The EV6 looks like no other KIA before it and sets quite a high benchmark in the design department.