Model Y maintains the design line of the manufacturer.
EV6 looks different and special (Photo: Walla! System, Kenan Cohen)
A decade ago it would have seemed that these two manufacturers, Tesla and Kia, were two parallel lines that would never meet.
What about an automotive start-up from Silicon Valley trying to figure out how to build the Model S so that all its panels fit properly and a car giant like Kia with huge production volumes, a huge model offering, worldwide distribution and what not.
An example that will put this gap into proportion: in 2013, Tesla produced 22,477 cars - this is less than what Kia built in one weak month at its factory in Slovakia.
And yet, here we are after a decade, and we still have two manufacturers with very large production, supply, deployment and sales gaps - only one of them is responsible for the biggest change in the last 100 years in the automotive industry, the other is Kia.
One is quickly closing the sales gap with the big and old manufacturers, the other is trying to close the gap in electrical sales.
In 2022, Tesla has already sold 1.3 million cars, all electric, and Kia has sold 2.9 million, of which about 150,000 are electric.
But with all due respect, once the big car giants got their hands on it and set their sights on the electric world, that gap that Tesla was able to open in a decade of research, development, creativity and thinking outside the box?
It is already shrinking.
This test proved us as much.
On the other hand, Tesla continues to be unpredictable, especially in pricing, and to challenge the old manufacturers in this aspect as well.
Three months after a course of dramatic discounts, the standard Y model was launched in Israel, with rear-wheel drive only and a smaller battery, at a price starting at NIS 224,000.
For this test, the Long Range, the higher trim level, which is more similar in range, price and performance to the Kia, was put up against the Kia.
Test of the Shvathitsla Model Y Long Range Kia EV6 GT line (photo: Walla! system, Kenan Cohen)
Design:
The Tesla Model Y is the crossover version with a raised body on the basis of the Model 3. Its design is immediately recognizable as a Tesla, there is no second of hesitation.
Its high prevalence on the roads makes its appearance less unusual than it was at first.
And if Tesla kept the familiar, clean high-tech look, Kia went all the way with a sporty hatchback design with many curves and surface games.
If the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a sister to the electric platform, they only went for straight lines, in the EV6 it's as if the designers were forbidden to stretch a straight line of more than 10 cm.
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Model Y. Minimalist driver's environment, all operation from the huge screen, lots of gray plastic (photo: Walla! System, Kenan Cohen)
Passenger cabin:
the gap widens in Kia in textures, colors, combinations of materials and invested but not excessive wealth.
The Y model is the antithesis of this show, a steering wheel with two multitasking knobs, a huge screen that centralizes all control and information and a wooden strip that divides it into two parts like the people you meet - those who find it incredibly simple and the other half who see it as a miracle of simplicity.
We are here to tell you how it works.
In Kia it is very easy to find your way around, every button has an address, every function has a button (and also an interesting solution of a dual-use control panel that switches with the press of a button between controlling the climate control and the audio system).
This greatly shortens the period of adaptation and ongoing operation.
In Tesla, the centralization of all control on the screen and from sub-menus allows for a huge variety of parameters for direction and control, but it also means that things that are at the tip of the finger in Kia, require two or three more clicks here.
Yes, you can get used to it, no, it's not a good plan to begin with.
In both cars the driving position is good and forward visibility is sufficient, in both cars rearward visibility is limited due to the high tail in the Tesla and due to the low roof in the Kia.
For those who like to sit high, the Tesla will provide more than that, and thanks to its large window area, the entire cabin is more airy.
It is also slightly warmer due to a panoramic sunroof without a curtain.
EV6.
More interesting from the inside and easier to operate (photo: Walla! system, Kenan Cohen)
The rear seats in both offer a lot of space for the feet and knees.
The Tesla one offers a better fit for seating a trio (barely) in terms of structure, it's easier to get in and out of and the headroom is better.
The Kia has a better appearance and quality of materials and if there are only two passengers, the seats themselves in the Kia are better.
Both have air conditioning ports and charging sockets - in the Tesla in the center, at the back of the console, in the Kia the air conditioning ports are in the back of the middle beam and the charging sockets on the sides of the front seats - an arrangement that saves tangled cables on the floor.
Trunk: Model Y delivers a brutal knockout to the EV6.
These are not only its 854 liters compared to the Kia's 520, nor the additional 117 liters it has in the front compartment compared to 20 in the Korean.
These are also superior key and depth, a lower threshold height and even an option for a lower compartment that produces a depth of 77 cm from its bottom to the shelf. Both cars do not come with a spare wheel. Do you have a puncture beyond the capabilities of the repair kits? Walk, it's healthy.
You can seat three children in a Tesla (photo: Walla! system, Kenan Cohen)
Equipment: Both are very well equipped, so the decision here is mainly a matter of preference.
Are Apple and Android connectivity in Kia what will decide or is the integral navigation system in Tesla that calculates expected battery percentages upon reaching the destination is the feature you must have?
The seat ventilation in Kia or the Sentry system that records everything that happens around the vehicle in Tesla?
A 220 volt socket in the trunk of a Kia or the ultra-super-fast charging network of Tesla?.
Also when it comes to safety in both the bar is very high, both with 5 crash stars in Euroencap.
Both with all the usual safety systems, but the Kia scratches a few more points with rear cross traffic warning including braking, warning from opening a door in an unoccupied lane, prevention of lane deviation by detecting a vehicle in a "dead zone" and a warning system against forgetting a child in the back seat.
It will be more spacious and comfortable for two than in a Tesla, but if the need is for three it simply won't fit (Photo: Walla! System, Kenan Cohen)
Performance:
both come in versions with two engines and dual drive.
In Kia the declared power is 325 hp and Tesla does not declare the power, but according to various publications it is about 380 hp.
On the road in a Tesla the feeling is of a distinctly lighter vehicle.
Although the weight differences between them are negligible, the power delivery in the Model Y is immediate and strong.
While in the EV6 the business is more linear and increases, even when the Kia switches to sport mode which improves the response, the American is significantly sharper.
In this acceleration from a standstill, the Kia opens up a slight gap up to around 70-80 km/h, so the Tesla reduces the distance. At intermediate accelerations, on the other hand, which simulate overtaking in real-world conditions, the Model Y has an overwhelming advantage with a quick response and a continuous drive even at very, very high speeds.
The Tesla's trunk is excellent, a knockout victory (photo: Walla! system, Keinan Cohen)
The volume is modest, the height of the shelf is limiting, the trunk in the Kia is medium (photo: Walla! system, Keinan Cohen)
Power consumption and range:
The EV6 finished the test day with a combined power consumption of 19.9 kWh per 100 km, the Model Y finished with the same figure - 20 kWh per 100 km.
the meaning?
Test range in Kia of 390 km and in Tesla of 377 km due to the difference in battery size.
Kia's with 77.4 kWh, Tesla 75 kWh.
It should also be noted that the Tesla achieved consistently lower consumption in the highway driving segments.
There the Kia recorded 21.2 kWh per 100 km while the Tesla settled for 17.9 kWh.
We emphasize that these are data from a test drive that also includes dynamic sections and in this case of a comparative test, both a repetition of the same sections and several acceleration tests. Provided The real world, you can add 60-70 km of range to this figure.
The Tesla gives a more nimble feeling, but its actual advantage is manifested above 100 km/h (photo: Walla! system, Keinan Cohen)
Comfort and behavior: as far as comfort is concerned, the Kia's advantage was clear.
In all road conditions, its suspensions knew how to handle the road conditions better.
The Tesla was very stiff, which causes it to "judge" over imperfect asphalt surfaces.
This stiffness is accompanied by a cabin that is noisier than the Kia's, both in terms of resonance and road noise that penetrates inside.
In order not to leave it in the realm of sensations, we performed two noise measurements using two apps, on the same road section, in two rounds at a speed between 50 and 80 km/h
when the device was placed at the same point in the car. In both measurements, the EV6 was quieter.
Both sin with 45-section tires, the Tesla with a 19-inch rim and the Kia makes the situation worse with a 20-inch. In the Kia, although it is not a particularly comfortable car, it is evident that the shock absorbers do a better job in terms of buffering what the wheel grabs, and what the butt receives.
The suspension calibration and noise insulation in the Kia are better (photo: Walla! system, Rami Gilboa)
Both offer excellent regenerative braking systems.
This in Tesla has 3 levels, in Kia you can choose between 4 modes and i-pedal mode, which, like the maximum mode in Tesla, allows driving with one pedal.
Both are excellent, the Kia has some bonus points for the simple operation from levers behind the steering wheel (in the Tesla the selection from a sub-menu on the screen).
Both are very fast on a winding road, but not very fun.
Their rudders are sharp and precise, the Tesla's with less lag in turn response, but none of them provide feedback at the level of a really good rudder.
It is not certain that their owners will look for the decision in this section, nevertheless for those who are interested, both have a very high level, but in the Kia the business worked a little better due to the low seating "inside" and not "on" the car, and the ability of the brakes to better control the chassis and its movements These connect to a car where there is more confidence to push towards the limits.
The advantage of the Kia's comfort and road behavior was clear (Photo: Walla! System, Keinan Cohen)
The bottom line
Tesla is nothing less than a sensation.
Elon Musk managed to gather to him brilliant people who did not find themselves in the conservative car industry, broke down the concept of the car into its elements and asked about every convention "yes, but why?".
The result was breaking tools and rules in the field.
It enjoyed this gap for quite a few years and to this day it is still a leader in the fields of performance, crash tests, remote updates and more.
And the "big" car industry takes time to react, but when it does it and does it well, its ability to refine the product to its smallest details is higher, thanks to the resources and experience.
And all this to say the bottom line in this test.
Tesla has an advantage in performance, trunk and price.
It is an excellent electric car, but not the best here (photo: Walla! system, Keinan Cohen)
Tesla Model Y is an excellent, advanced electric crossover, with excellent performance, very good mileage and yes, it has to be said, the sentence "I drive a Tesla" will arouse more interest than "I have a Kia", its discount from NIS 330,000 to NIS 270 A thousand shekels made it an interesting deal that expanded the clientele.
At NIS 300,000, the Kia is more expensive, but in all objective measures, if you put performance aside and are willing to compromise on the trunk, it is simply a better car.
If a gap of NIS 30 thousand is not a "deal breaker" in this price segment, then not easily and against an excellent competitor, the EV6 is the winner of this test.
On the technical side: Tesla Model Y vs Kia EV6
Test of the Shvathitsla Model Y Long Range Kia EV6 GT line (photo: Walla! system, Kenan Cohen)
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