2023 KIA EV6 GT VS TESLA MODEL Y PERFORMANCE

The electric car market is speeding up as consumer interest in EVs grows and a steady stream of new models arrive to fill different niches.

Speed is the operative word when it comes to describing the 2023 Kia EV6 GT and Tesla Model Y Performance. These vehicles blend the acceleration and agility of a sports car with the packaging of an electric SUV. They also maintain a practical side thanks to their roomy second rows and a long roster of tech features. The automotive experts put these performance themed EVs to the test to determine which is the better buy.

PERFORMANCE

The Tesla Model Y Performance name provides an obvious hint that speed won't be in short supply. The Performance trim sits above the base and Long Range versions of Tesla's most popular model.

Tesla doesn't provide official horsepower ratings for the Model Y but the output is certainly prodigious. On test track, the all-wheel-drive Model Y Performance needed only 3.7 seconds to zing its way from zero to 60 mph. That's fast for a purebred sports car, much less a small SUV with an optional third row of seats. Keep your foot in it and the Model Y will clear the quarter mile in 11.8 seconds.

Sitting atop the EV6 lineup, the all-wheel-drive GT boasts 576 horsepower, making it the fastest and most powerful production vehicle ever produced by the South Korean automaker. The EV6 GT was marginally quicker than the Tesla 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and the quarter mile in 11.7 seconds - but these two SUVs equally satisfy your need for speed.

Winner: tie

COMFORT