I’m looking for a used 2023 EV6, and it seems like the Wind trim is pretty close to GT-Line, especially if you include the Wind Technology Package. According to Kia’s website, the main differences seem like it’s HUD vs no HUD, HDA vs HDA2 (and associated features), and sunroof vs no sunroof. The rest of the differences seem more cosmetic than functional. Am I missing something? Reason I’m asking is because it’s much easier to find a Wind than a GT-Line within my price range.
I have a Wind AWD without Tech Package, I wish I went for the GT-Line.
GT-Line has standard:
*Ambient Lighting (let’s face it. It looks good at night)
*Sun Roof (however if you are tall, I’ve been told the Sun Roof decreases available head room)
*Auto pop out door handles (probably my biggest gripe with the Wind. lol)
*Larger Wheels at 20" vs the 19" on the Wind (don’t really care about this as it harms range, and creates a harsher ride)
*The body of the car is a bit more aggressive
However, if you can find a great price on an AWD Wind (I’d recommend the Tech package if possible) I would spring on it. These are just a few of my annoyances/regrets after owning the car since Spring 2022.
P.s. if available I’d recommend getting a light colored interior, it definitely looks better and is more usable in the Summer months.
Feel free to PM me if you have questions
@Arun
Thought the light interior would get dirty but at 80k miles it still looks new in 98% of areas (minor creasing in some corners) and with minimal effort it’s survived blue bic pen, a little soda, water, tea, and… what I think was period blood? 
Get some dubious riders as an uber driver…
It’s been more durable than I expected by far.
@Arun
Great information, thank you! I’m definitely going for light interior since I live in a desert. In fact my main reason for the higher trim is ventilated seats due to insane summers here. By the way, how well do they work in your experience? Any noticeable impact on range?
@Tavis
Let’s just say once you find ventilated seats, you don’t go back. I have a notoriously sweaty back/posterior and they keep you very dry on long trips.
They work very well. I even use them in the Winter. Or for maximum madness put the seat warmers on for a bit then switch to vented…cool sensation. Lol.
The Wind and GT-Line should both have vented seats as standard.
I don’t notice a huge hit to range. The main energy hog will be the AC, and if you have a lead foot 
Eco Mode will also let you squeeze a bit more range, but it will disable one of the motors (on the AWD models). I usually just cruise around in Eco. Sport Mode is when you choose violence that day.
@Arun
Yup…my other car has ventilated seats and you’re right, there’s no going back for sure! And again thanks for the helpful information.
Tavis said:
@Arun
Yup…my other car has ventilated seats and you’re right, there’s no going back for sure! And again thanks for the helpful information.
Of course, keep us posted. And whatever you end up choosing, I am confident you will love the car!
@Tavis
Does the 2023 model year EV6 not include ventilated seats at the Wind trim level? I thought it did, so the desire for ventilated seats shouldn’t be a decision point between Wind vs. GT-Line (although the all-out “GT” trim does not have ventilated seats, so don’t go for that if vented seats are important to you).
Regarding power consumption: I observe genuinely no change in power consumption when I have my heated or vented seats turned on, even on max. The EV6 has a power use monitor screen which shows you what power is being drawn by each of the: powertrain, climate control, electronics, and battery management system. It displays down to the hundredth of a kW. I do not see these numbers change in any consistent and definitive way when I turn my seat functions on or off. Meanwhile, the powertrain is using (and regenerating) 10s of kW all the time. By comparison, when a system doesn’t even use 0.01 kW in any identifiable way, it’s safe to say it doesn’t impact range.
@Khai
Yes, the 2023 Wind includes ventilated seats which is why I’m still considering that trim level. Did not realize it shows that level of detail on power consumption, very cool .
Tavis said:
@Khai
Yes, the 2023 Wind includes ventilated seats which is why I’m still considering that trim level. Did not realize it shows that level of detail on power consumption, very cool!
Yep! The power use display shows both the current power draw of each of those 4 systems (or, in the case of the powertrain under regen conditions, the number flips negative to show the power being put back into the battery at that moment). It also shows the percentage of total power consumed since you turned the car on that has been used by each system.
@Arun
On the wheels, the GT-Line only gets the 20” wheels on the AWD version. RWD gets 19”.
Don’t forget ambient lighting, pop out door handles and more with the GT-Line… having the sunroof and ambient lighting makes a HUGE difference in not being so dark after trying a Wind, but if it doesn’t bother you then the Wind w/Tech pack is usually the better deal.
@Wilder
As a Wind owner, I really miss having a Sun Roof.
Arun said:
@Wilder
As a Wind owner, I really miss having a Sun Roof.
Yep, I was coming from an ICE car with it and love having at least the tilt open when it’s above 50F, so I decided that I could squeeze that trim into the budget… I did some upgrades including lighter wheels in the same GT-Line 20" size, I just now wish I went with 19" smaller wheels to gain some range back.
We have 4 EV6s in the extended family, two Wind AWDs, one GT-Line AWD, and a GT. The Wind is really nice but the pop out door handles on the GT-Line, ambient lighting, HUD, heated rear seats etc. are all nice features that make the car nicer. If you can afford the GT-Line that is what I would get, but if not, the Wind is still a great option with a lot of nice features.
@Marin
I keep forgetting about the heated rear seats being different from one trim to the next. The main reason I don’t miss the heated rear seats in my Wind RWD is that my kids are both in car seats, and honestly may still be in car seats when the time comes to get rid of this car. And even if I have it past that point, you can get seat covers with heating elements built into them that can be powered by the various outlets in the car.
Depends on if you’re looking at the AWD or RWD.
I think you may have summed up the differences for the RWD besides the homelink mirror?
But the AWD adds:
- 20" wheels/tires (i wouldn’t put this in the cosmetic category)
- heated rear seats
Wind is better value, but the GT-Line has some desirable features. For example, the HUD and larger wheels. The best price is a 2023 Wind AWD w/Tech Package.
The Wind is pretty close, but doesn’t have a few of the niceties. Personally, I don’t mind but I wanted the ventilated seats, and the GT-Line has the larger wheels and sportier appearance which appealed to me.