Compare the2023 Audi e-tron SportbackVS 2022 Kia EV6

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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The e-tron Sportback’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The EV6 doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Audi e-tron Sportback has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The EV6 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The e-tron Sportback’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The EV6 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EV6 doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the e-tron Sportback. But it costs extra on the EV6.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the e-tron Sportback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The EV6 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

An active infrared night vision system optional on the e-tron Sportback helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera and near-infrared lights to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The EV6 doesn’t offer a night vision system.

Both the e-tron Sportback and the EV6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi e-tron Sportback weighs 1215 to 1770 pounds more than the Kia EV6. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the e-tron Sportback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 89 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EV6 has not been tested, yet.

Warranty

The e-tron Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years and unlimited miles longer than the EV6’s (12/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 1 place higher in reliability than Kia.

Engine

The e-tron Sportback has more powerful engines than the EV6:

	Horsepower	Torque
e-tron Sportback electric motors	402 HP	490 lbs.-ft.
e-tron Sportback S electric motors	496 HP	717 lbs.-ft.
EV6 Light electric motor	167 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
EV6 Wind/GT-Line electric motor	225 HP	258 lbs.-ft.
EV6 electric motors	320 HP	446 lbs.-ft.

Transmission

The e-tron Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The EV6 doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the e-tron Sportback’s brake rotors are larger than those on the EV6:

	e-tron Sportback	EV6
Front Rotors	15.7 inches	12.8 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	12.8 inches

The e-tron Sportback’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the EV6 are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the e-tron Sportback has larger standard tires than the EV6 (255/50R20 vs. 235/45R20). The e-tron Sportback Premium Plus/Prestige’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the EV6 (265/45R21 vs. 235/45R20).

The e-tron Sportback’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the EV6’s standard 55 series tires. The e-tron Sportback’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the EV6 GT-Line e-AWD’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the e-tron Sportback has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the EV6. The e-tron Sportback’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the EV6 GT-Line e-AWD.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the e-tron Sportback uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the EV6, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The EV6’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The e-tron Sportback’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The EV6 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

Passenger Space

The e-tron Sportback has .8 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear legroom and 1.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the EV6.

Cargo Capacity

The e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the EV6 with its rear seat up (27.2 vs. 24.4 cubic feet). The e-tron Sportback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the EV6 with its rear seat folded (54.5 vs. 50.2 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the e-tron Sportback. The EV6 doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Kia EV6 is limited to 2300 pounds. The e-tron Sportback offers up to a 4000 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Kia. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 31% lower rating, Kia is ranked 26th.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the EV6, the e-tron Sportback Prestige has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The e-tron Sportback’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The EV6’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the e-tron Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The EV6 doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the e-tron Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The EV6 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The e-tron Sportback’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The EV6 has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the e-tron Sportback’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The EV6 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The e-tron Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the EV6.

The e-tron Sportback offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the EV6.