2022-up Kia EV6

Overview of the Kia EV6

Mainstream SUVs aren’t supposed to look this good. They’re also not supposed to be all-electric and they’re certainly not supposed to be available with “drift mode.” To which the Kia EV6 says, “Hold my charging cable.”

This slick, sophisticated all-rounder combines electric efficiency with everyday usability, engaging tech, and an elegant interior. And yes, if you opt for the GT model, you can put it into drift mode and roast the rear tires into smoldering goo. Sounds like fun to us….

All things considered, it's almost a shame to lump the EV6 into the SUV category. That designation just seems too boring for this car. But it is sporty, it does offer a decent amount of utility, and nobody likes the word “wagon” anymore, so here we are. And if this is a preview of our all-electric future, “here” is a pretty nifty place to be.

This 12" touchscreen handles much more than music (Crutchfield Research Photo)

The factory stereo system

The EV6 can be had with either a 6-speaker base stereo or a premium Meridian system with a whopping 14 speakers. The 12" touchscreen gives you control over Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, and a bunch of other functions. Heck, the EV6 even serves as its own Wi-Fi hotspot.

As you can probably guess, there’s really no way to replace that 12" computer with anything resembling a traditional automotive receiver. You can upgrade the speakers, though, so if you want more sound than even the Meridian can muster, that’s the way to go.

Detailed stereo and speaker removal instructions

With step-by-step disassembly instructions and plenty of up-close, detailed photos, our exclusive Crutchfield ResearchNotes™ take the guesswork out of removing the factory stereo and speakers. It's free with your Crutchfield order, or you can purchase one separately for just $9.99.

That said, the EV6 is an electric car and electric cars contain very sensitive electronics. Thus, this isn’t the car you want if you want to build a neighborhood-rattling audio system. We don’t recommend installing aftermarket amplifiers in the EV6 due to the current draw that they will introduce to the system. And anything bigger than a powered subwoofer probably isn’t a good idea, either.

Quick safety tip: Be sure to only use a multimeter when testing wires in your EV6 and NEVER test the wires in this vehicle with a test light. Doing so could cause serious damage to the vehicle, and nobody wants that. If you have any questions about upgrading the audio in your Kia, give us a call. Our expert advisors can help you choose gear that’ll work in your EV6.

Upgrading the speakers is the best way to improve the sound in your EV6 (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the factory speakers

As noted above, speaker replacement is possible and even do-able in the EV6. The work’s not massively hard, but EVs aren’t like their internal combustion-powered cousins. We can answer your questions before you order, and we also offer free tech support for the life of the gear, but it’ll help if you know what you’re doing with electrical things and have the patience to work carefully.

The Meridian-only center dash speaker is reasonably easy to reach and replace (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the center dash speaker (Meridian)

The Meridian system adds a 3-1/2" center dash speaker. To remove it, all you need to do is pry up the grille, disconnect the harness, and remove the screws securing the speaker. Easy-peasy. It's important to note that this is a 7.1-ohm speaker, so any replacement we offer will sound louder on this system.

On the other hand, there’s no wiring harness available for this location, so you'll need to splice, solder, or use Posi-Products speaker connectors to connect the speaker wires to the vehicle’s wiring. Not quite as easy-peasy, obviously, but do-able for the DIY-er.

Tools needed: Panel tool, right-angle Phillips screwdriver

Replacing the corner dash speakers takes a bit more work (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the corner dash speakers (Meridian)

The Meridian system also includes a pair of small 3" midrange speakers with two mounting tabs in the dash corners. These speakers are also reasonably easy to get to, but since there are no direct-fit aftermarket speakers, so there may be some test-fitting and trimming to get a flush fit, depending on the speaker you choose.

There are no wiring harnesses available for these speakers either, so you'll need to splice, solder, or use Posi-Products speaker connectors here, too. Also, depending on the aftermarket speakers you’re installing, you might need to trim the mounting tabs to ensure a flush fit.

Tools needed: Panel tool, right-angle Phillips screwdriver

The front doors are home to woofers and tweeters that are wired in parallel (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the front door speakers

The front door tweeters are wired in parallel with their corresponding front door woofers, so a set of component speakers will be a nice upgrade for your EV6.

The 1.580" tweeters are located behind the sail panels and they’re pretty easy to get to. You’ll need some more Posi-Products speaker connectors to connect the new tweeters to the car’s wiring. There aren’t any mounting brackets that’ll work here, so you’ll need hot glue, silicone, or our universal backstraps to secure them.

Similar to the corner dash speakers, these woofers are 6.5-ohm and the tweeters are 3.5-ohm, so you might want to select a component system with a +/- tweeter adjustment.

The tweeters are mounted in the sail panels, so they're easy to access (Crutchfield Research Photo)

The factory woofers can be replaced by a nice variety of 5-1/4" or 6-1/2" aftermarket speakers. As noted above, a set of component speakers would work well in the EV6’s front doors.

You’ll need to remove the door panels to get to the woofers, and while that’s not insanely hard to do, we do recommend that you work carefully and stay organized.

You'll need speaker mounting brackets to install your new speakers, and we’ll include them with your Crutchfield speaker purchase. There’s no wiring harness available for the new speakers, so you'll need to splice, solder, or add another set of Posi-Products speaker connectors to your order.

Tools needed: Panel tool, Phillips screwdriver

You'll need to remove the rear door panels to upgrade these speakers (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the rear door speakers

The EV6’s base system includes 6-1/2" full-range speakers in the rear doors. The Meridian system features 6-1/2" woofers and 1.551" tweeters that are wired in parallel.

Removing and replacing these speakers will involve removing the door panels. Especially for Meridian-equipped EV6 models, the process is quite similar to what goes on up front.

Regardless of your stock system, there’s no wiring harness available for your new speakers. You'll need to splice, solder, or use Posi-Products speaker connectors to connect the new speakers.

You'll need speaker mounting brackets to install your new door speakers, and we’ll include them with your Crutchfield speaker purchase. While these brackets work nicely with the speakers, you’ll need to re-drill the mounting screw holes. Use your speaker brackets to mark new holes on your door panel before drilling pilot holes. This isn’t a hard thing to do, but you are drilling into your own vehicle, so work carefully, know what you’re drilling into, and definitely wear eye protection.

There’s no mounting bracket for the tweeters, so you’ll need to use hot glue, silicone, or our universal backstraps to secure them.

Tools needed (Meridian tweeters): Panel tool, Phillips screwdriver

Tools needed (woofers/full-range): Panel tool, Phillips screwdriver, drill with 1/8" bit

The Meridian system's rear side speakers can pose a bit of a challenge to the average DIY-er (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the rear side panel speakers (Meridian)

For the Meridian system’s 2-3/4" rear side panel speakers, you’ll need to remove the actual panels . But before you remove those panels, you’ll need to remove some other panels and a few pieces, and that’ll take some time. You can do this, but it’s important to work carefully, remain patient, and stay organized.

Another challenging aspect to this upgrade is the fact that the factory speakers are thoroughly integrated into their brackets. You'll need to fabricate new speaker brackets to install any aftermarket speaker, and that’s not something the average DIY-er is necessarily up for. If you are, you'll also need to splice, solder, or use Posi-Products speaker connectors to connect the new speakers.

Tools needed: Panel tool, 10mm socket, ratchet and extension

The Meridian subwoofer can be found beneath the cargo area floor (Crutchfield Research Photo)

Removing the cargo floor subwoofer (Meridian)

The Meridian system also includes a 7" subwoofer that’s mounted in an enclosure beneath the cargo floor. The factory sub has two 6.8-ohm voice coils, so you should pick a dual-voice-coil replacement speaker. The sub can be removed and replaced with a variety of 6-3/4" speakers, which will only play bass because that’s the signal the factory system sends back here.

You'll re-use the factory enclosure when you install your new speaker, but in almost all cases, you’ll need to drill new screw holes or fabricate a speaker mounting bracket. As noted above, this isn’t a hard thing to do, but you are drilling into your own vehicle, so work carefully, know what you’re drilling into, and definitely wear eye protection.

Tools needed: Panel tool, Phillips screwdriver, drill with 1/8" bit

Shop for speakers that fit your Kia EV6

There's plenty of space in the cargo area, but a big subwoofer package really isn't the best idea for this car (Crutchfield Research Photo)

More bass in your EV6

Yes, there is room for a good-sized subwoofer back here. In fact, when measured below the cargo cover, the available space comes to 40"W x 14"H x 38"/32"D. So yes, you could. But should you? It’s not something we typically recommend for electric vehicles.

Talk to a Crutchfield advisor before you order anything — even a powered sub. And if you’re not planning to do the job yourself, you’ll definitely want to talk to the person who is. Make sure they know what they’re doing when it comes to EV audio upgrades and don’t be oversold. Installing something that’s not appropriate for this car can lead to some very unpleasant outcomes. Caveat emptor.

Keep your carpets looking good with a set of custom-fit WeatherTech floor liners

Other options for your EV6

There are plenty of other ways to give your EV6 a personal touch. Here are some of the ways Crutchfield can help.