The 2023 Kia EV6 starts $7,100 higher than the previous model year, according to pricing information released by Kia.

That increase is mostly due to Kia dropping the base Light trim level, which started at $42,695 with the mandatory $1,295 destination charge, and was the only U.S. EV6 model to offer the smaller 58-kwh battery pack. All other versions use the 77.4-kwh pack.

2023 Kia EV6 GT

2023 Kia EV6 GT

The cheapest 2023 Kia EV6 trim level is the single-motor rear-wheel drive Wind, which starts at $49,795 with destination charge. The destination charge hasn't changed for 2023, but Kia did raise the base MSRP for the EV6 Wind by $1,000. Adding dual-motor all-wheel drive bumps the price to $53,695.

And the difference is greater than that, as earlier this year the EV6 qualified for the $7,500 EV tax credit. New rules enacted under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) mean the tax credit is unlikely to return for the foreseeable future.

2023 Kia EV6 GT

2023 Kia EV6 GT

Dropping the base trim level and smaller battery pack does create more space between the EV6 and the 2023 Kia Niro EV, though. Because it initially looked like the Niro EV would beat the base EV6 on range. In single-motor form, with the smaller battery, the EV6 was rated at 232 EPA miles, while the Niro EV, which was redesigned for 2023, has an EPA-rated 253 miles of range. The Niro EV also undercuts the discontinued base EV6 with a $40,745 base price.

The rest of the 2023 EV6 lineup includes the GT-Line in single-motor and dual-motor guises starting at $53,995 and $58,695, respectively, and the dual-motor-only EV6 GT, starting at $62,695. Both the EV6 and closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5 top 300 miles of EPA range in their rear-wheel-drive forms, with the larger 77.4-kwh battery pack.