The Kia EV6 GT Wins a Competition and the Telluride X-Pro Wins a Race

The year of 2023 is almost over, but we still have two months to go as of today (October 31, 2023). Even so, all year, the Kia Corp has been rocking contests and competitions for awards and fancy titles for some of its hottest new models. The Kia EV6 continues to wow drivers and editors, landing on the TIME Best Inventions of 2023 List with the EV6 GT. Earning another win for the battery-electric vehicle (BEV), the Kia EV6 GT has been named Road & Track’s 2024 Performance EV of the Year. Sharing some of the spotlight in October, the Kia EV6 is joined by the largest SUV in the lineup, the Kia Telluride, still as popular as ever. This is the same SUV that won the “Triple Crown” of automotive awards in its first year of release; now the Telluride shares the title of rocking the 2023 Rebelle Rally with the Telluride X-Pro.

EV6 GT Road & Track

To determine the winner of the Performance EV of the Year, Road & Track took many cars to a closed off section of the Los Angeles Crest Highway, a total of four-miles to test the six qualifying BEVs for the contest. Test driving each along curvy roads, the drivers assessed the raw speed, cornering, braking, endurance, and comfort of each BEV. This wasn’t just about seeing how well a BEV performs – it was about how much they each emoted the feeling of a sports car. Charging times and energy usage were also taken into consideration, but in the end, a sports car is a sports car, and the Kia EV6 GT is pretty close. Winners were split into two groups: BEVs with a starting MSRP under $100,000, and one for BEVs priced a little higher. The official title for the Kia EV6 GT is Road & Track’s 2024 Performance EV of the Year for the category of BEVs priced under $100,000.

“We are deeply honored the EV6 GT has garnered the enthusiastic attention of the esteemed editors at Road & Track, who are passionate auto enthusiasts at heart…We are thrilled they recognized our core objective to redefine the notion that EVs don’t have to be silent boxes on wheels, and that our high-horsepower EV6 GT can evoke the same level of excitement as some of the most fun-to-drive gasoline-powered cars.” – Steven Center, COO and EVP, Kia America

Kia Telluride X-Pro and the Rebelle Rally 2023

Speaking of sports cars and races, the 2023 Rebelle Rally concluded October 21, 2023. The longest competition of its kind in the lower 48 states, the Rebelle Rally is a grueling task of driving across 1,500 miles of rugged off-road driving in the United States. Spanning from Lake Tahoe to San Diego, vehicles take on the sandy dunes of Glamis, California and test their grit. Outfitted with the right equipment, a vehicle can find itself in the winner’s circle.

The Kia Telluride X-Pro joined the Rebelle Rally this year, and it definitely has the chops for the off-road race. Equipped with Baja Forged front- and rear bumpers and tow points; skid plates in the front, rear, and underbody to keep the underbelly protected from sharp points and rocks; and 17-inch Rhino wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A K02 tires, the Telluride X-Pro is made for off-road racing. This year, the Telluride X-Pro also added a custom roof rack and front- and rear bumpers to increase approach and departure angles, 18-inch KMC716 wheels wrapped in BFGoodrich® All-Terrain T/A K02 tires, and a 1.5-inch lift for a total of 10 inches of ground clearance. This year, the Kia Telluride X-Pro earned third place in the 2023 Rebelle Rally, thanks to driver Verena Mei and navigator Susie Saxten.

Want to get your hands on an award-winning Kia model? Find the Kia EV6 and Kia Telluride at Miami Lakes Automall today.

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Media