U-DRAG RACE: BMW M2 vs. Kia EV6 GT | Quarter Mile, Handling & More! 

You've seen the race results, but which of these cars would you rather drive home? Let us know in the comments!

I don't know if I should think The EV6 is crazy impressive (that it kept up brilliantly with an M car), or the M2 is crazy impressive (to keep up with an AWD EV, with almost 100hp difference)!!! Great match-up!

For the EV6 Along with your GT button there is also a Maximum Power output mode that will allow you to use all 576HP. To access it car will need to be charged above 70% and while looking at the built in map swip down on your second screen until tou see the option to turn on Maximum Power output mode. Unfortunately the EV6 GT in this video was not at maximum performance. Trust me theres a huge difference you go from feeling like your going fast to feeling like you're in a rollercoaster.

Wow this M2 performance is impressive. Because this GT is sick. And stupid fast. Great race gents. But that last race mmmmmmm. 👀

Another great U drag video! Please do more ICE vs EV, this seems to get folks all riled up. Makes for interesting comments.

Never in my life would I have thought that any stock KIA would beat a top of the line BMW M car. Crazy and exciting times we're living in!

Damn low soc and still won nice ev6 gt

I had an 2020 X3M Comp that was my dream car but got totaled. I could not afford a new one at 90k so I got the EV6GT and although it is no BMW for 60K it is a great and fun vehicle. I love ICE and I love EV's why can't we all just get along?

Man oh man what a race, neck to neck till the end😮

Kia has realy come a long way, just 10-15 years ago people looked at Kia/Hyundai as your typical run-of-the-mill manufacturer that makes nothing but boring economical cars and were a laughing stock in most people’s eyes, rarely made any noteworthy performance cars and were just a budget brand. But ever since the Kia Stinger was released into the world in 2017 it completely changed the companies image, and the hiring of Albert Biermann from BMW’s M division has turned these two companies into a premium brand and have become a massive game changer in the automotive world, Kia’s GT cars and Hyundai’s N division have absolutely changed these two South Korean companies into a force that competes with the very best and quickest European cars.

I can’t imagine how the Ioniq 5 N will perform

Slightly sharped chassis, slightly better brakes: Sounds like Ioniq 5N, can't wait to see that.

Such excellent match making on this one!

Once EV batteries energy density improves, ICE vehicles will lose their weight advantages from a performance aspect. Kind of sad, but technology must move on.

Best race yet in u-drag!

EV6 with no doubts

EV6 would've won by more in the 1st race but driver was having a nice nap at the start. 😉😉 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

I knew M2 is an amazing car right out the gate, but to keep up with an electric car with 576 hp is insanely amazing! Great job M2!

2022 G80 M3 6 MT - Lucky me just driving is fun without chasing times, but the U drag is very cool to watch!

S58 is such a great engine. Imagine if it had a tune, down pipe and some e60 that’s a extra 250 hp

One heck of a race 🏁 😳

It definitely wasn't close. M2 got a biiiig jump and the EV6 caught em

The EV6 should smoke the M2 off the line and the reason why it didn't is because you turned off stability control which allows the tires to spin off the line.

btw Edmunds i could be mistaken, but i think the Kia Engineers said back at the launch of the EV6 that the GT doesn't actually DERATE it's power as much as the base models would when the SOC drops. yeah (although it invariably depletes the pack faster) the power curve has been expressly designed to remain flat as long as possible. again, i could be mistaken about this so you may want to investigate. hint: since it's all EGMP underneath, what the KGT offers is a PREVIEW of "some" of the tech strategies found in the forthcoming I5N, and since it directly wears the Hyundai name (and an "N" badge) the intent with the next model is to obviously "crank everything to 11".

Has the EV6 GT been run in maximum performance mode? Bring a Ford Powerboost to the track and top off the Kia, then set to max performance mode to warm up the battery.

Very Interesting!

I'm surprised. I really thought the M2 was going to have it all day.

M2 PWR: 0.119 hp/lb EV6 GT PWR: 0.12 hp/lb Both are identical but the M2 comes with advantges in term of aerodynamic

Incredible performance from the M2, shouldn't have been close against an ev of that caliber with over 550hp and crazy ev torque. M2 is amazing.

They discovered the secret method for BMW launches! My RWD 2018 340i MPPSK is tuned and the best launches are in Manual mode and actually starting in second gear and once you get moving slap it back into auto mode. Shaves quite a bit of time off since first gear is unusable with the increased power, but the trans tune is better at nailing the best shifts than manual mode.

When launching the g80 platform you don’t need to shift back to auto mid race it manually shifts when you activate launch control

Gimme that M2.

trackhawk or durango hellcat vs ev6 gt! make it happen boys! :)

EVs battle. Next year 2024, U-Drag race battle: 2024 Kia EV 6 GT vs 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N ?.🤔

Please explain why to me that you had to hit the transmission back over to drive instead of leaving it in sports mode where you get the fastest shifting out of the BMW

Cheers guys

I test drove one recently and at 6ft 235 ridiculous how much roomy this was for a family of four with 2 decent size teens not having a transmission tunnel running through the floor was so weird , but being able to mash the pedal but still get great mileage and a room was nice .

What happen on the last run??? Can't tune the ev6gt.

A Kia. Damn.

10:41 maybe a BMW M240i xDrive vs Ford Mustang udrag is in edmund's future ;)

I think it’s hilarious that an electric Kia beats a bmw that has been worked on and improved for much longer than Evs have been around. Crazy how much evs have improved and I’m exited to see how much better they will get

Wow that M2 is something to be hold of

I love the M2!

Have you ever run a Jaguar F type in the U drag test?

Isn't the AWD M240i faster? Might be fun to see that matched against the base model Macan EV.

Really surprised by the M2’s launch. Thought it would have been no contest with AWD and instant torque for the EV6.

Who ever thought Kia beat BMW 10 years ago???? Good Job Kia 🎉❤😂😊

The M2 should never beat the EV-6 GT to 60mph...

M2 I was surprised that the EV fared so well under braking. I hope BMW and Porsche perfect their future fuel strategy. Electric is so boring.

I’m so upset that you guys hate Tesla so much that you refuse to put a plaid in the U drags it’s just not cool of you guys. The Plaid needs the track pack too!

i think you guys need to do more similar cars against each other... Ie, SL63 versus M8 convertible, or C8 against 911, or M3 against gulia... etc..

The improved "kia" you talk about already exists, it's the ioniq 5 N. It would be interesting to do the same test with the 5N.

A Kia.. Yes A Kia taking down a M car. And they’re just getting started. Imagine what EVs will be capable of in 5-10 years. ICE had 120 year head start and have gotten walked in like 10 years.

Bulbous EV should hold a flame to lightweight sports car with similar power. You need a test with more technical twisty before powering out.

Anyone who's owned a Beemer knows the reason how M2 with 453 hp is almost neck and neck with a 576 hp instant torque ev.

If it had full charge and battery temperature button was clicked would of have full 577 , now they didn’t even have full power as full 577 is up to 70% of battery. 70 down is reducing power so you won’t be getting that same effect , plus it weights 2.5ton so way lower power to weight ratio and still beats easily

Put the regen into 0. It looked like it was set at 3. Manually use it when braking.

I am more impressed with the kia's Gs than speed.

@edmunds should have tried that with an x3m comp

Sucks that you lose power in EVs as the battery loses juice even at 55% your getting less power. But with internal combustion engines, even with 2% gas left in the tank you still get full power.

I’d take the M2. A proper sports car with a straight six cylinders thermal engine. ♥️♥️👍

As far as I know, from my EV6 AWD 325hp, it does not loose any power even if it has gone down from 100 to 50% battery...

Kia 🤗❤️❤️❤️

What was the charge level on the GT? Needs to be above 70%+ for max power. That means 90%+ needed for the 3 pulls. Otherwise it's nonsense. But if results are true, then I'd like to get the new M2 too :-) The GT is super slow at low charge. Max power is 280kW @ 34% - 69% acc to the display. At 90% - 70% , yield is 370kW without preconditioning

When you compare pros and cons IC vehicles are still way better than EVs.

When U-DRAG Model S Plaid /w Trackpack?

The dizzying array of settings in what is today's M cars. And just to get to LC.

Kia ev6 gt🔥🔥🔥

As an M car owner since E39; I am looking forward to my Ionic 5N…

And the 5N will sweep all three races on the next round. Sit down M and EV6.

0:33 - from the physical specs on screen, this ended about as close as i expected. now just have to maybe RERUN this test with a better matched M4 Coupe. people overlook (35+ years on from the first M models) that BMW now offers basically 3 different trim levels of M cars. the entry M is now just the "RWD base" but there's also M Competition (AWD) and M CSL variants (Superlight) each of course adding increase levels of power and chassis tuning... however what shouldn't be lost on anyone is that despite the EV6's extra weight, it DOES technically cheat by having an extra +125hp/+125tq and cheat by being able to put this extra power to the ground via Dual Motors (AWD). those with good memories will recall Kia's original marketing from back 2 years ago already showed it OUT DRAGGING several Super Cars (except for a Mclaren).

The feeling of speed and “cool factor” in an EV is soul less and uninviting. I’ll keep my ICE for the weekend and the EV to drive to work and the grocery store.

Hold up, m2's weigh that much now 😢.

Please do Z06 vs E-Ray.

That's nasty that the BMW gets off the line first. I know it's lighter, but fuck that M2 is sprintin'

I was impressed by the M2 with the EV6 GT’s 100hp advantage and instant torque I didn’t think it would so close.

@Edmunds Cars, when you race EV’s , you HAVE to put the outside temperature and the current state of charge. The EV6 GT ONLY pushes out 576 hp when you have clicked the button for “maximum performance” and only works between 100% down to 80% battery while in GT mode. lower than 80%, and the car exhibits a gradual decline in horsepower from 79%-20s battery charge. Not a big decline, but it is a slight one nevertheless. Since you are a journalistic company, I recommend you update your Standard Operating Procedures to ensure you test EV’s during their optimum spec range, and also publicly state those variables.

Big jump in the beginning and still loses being 1,000 lbs lighter!

In a dramatic role reversal, the KIA got HOT and the M2 got FUGLY and then the EV6 gave that M2 a real run for its money!! Jokes aside, I’m truly impressed by and happy for KIA, what a time to be around for the car enthusiasts and industry overall!

I would rather have good brakes and tires all the time, rather than being slightly quicker.

This was all down to driver ability

Pretty good for the EV, if drag racing is you're big thing. Quite a big horsepower disadvantage for the BMW, perhaps a race on a racetrack might prove the opposite.

Shame none of these videos show the ev6gt with over 75 percent ad then you can activate the maximum power mode. Which none of these videos seem to do. The ev6 gt has MORE and is rarely shown on these videos.

M2 boys have left the chat lol 😅

Woooow 50% battery and still spank the M car in all 3 if it wasn't for driver mistakes

Why not using GT mode?

Ain't that the ev which is costing 60k to replace the battery 🤔 🙄

We all know BMW hp is a lot higher than what it says on paper. Still, very impressive that it kept up with an EV6 GT that has 576hp.

Combustion is doomed 😂

Can we all agree that on the 2nd run, the EV is 2.5 cars ahead on the turn, but tied when the switch the camera ? So BEEMER boys don't cry or what?!??!

Hey guys, the GT is a 5 seats family car with a lot of space in the back and a quiet better ride comfort and in total at least faster than a BMW M2/3/4. What are you looking for??

This just confirms to me that ICE performance doesn’t mean much now that EVs are advancing. Companies need to get back to making fun and lightweight cars while ICEs are still around.

Love my GT, effortless power when you need it, around town and in traffic, smooth, quite and relaxing driving, full five seater. Why do BMW persist with these ugly front grills, not pretty. The 7 year warranty was a big selling point for me. The Auto driving features in traffic are good, apart from having to keep your hands on the steering wheel😀

Should know what tires.

Yikes this is actually quite disturbing!!! But I would still take the ICE for consistent performance and no drama with Hyundai battery replacement cost disaster like we have been seeing in Canada recently.

I don’t think I would want a sports car that’s brakes start fading after slowing down twice.

Impressive for the EV6 in that unique situation, I'm sure it's a blast from light to light and light work on backroads. But for a serious corner carver and truly immersive handling car I would take the M2. The EV6 as a fun DD and family hauler, its a great choice

Still take the m2 at the same Money anyday of the week, you buy those cars for the sound and experience the feels. Ev doesn’t give you that tingle.

What I would love to see is an ICE car vs an EV over multiple consecutive laps of a track and the times and vehicle metrics of those laps.

I think tesla plaid track pack would beat 720s in this test too... Why not shown yet?