Picture: Facelifted EV6
1. Infotainment / connectivity – EV6 vs EV6 facelift (SE)
| Area | EV6 (pre-facelift, 2021–2024) | EV6 (facelift, from 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| System / hardware | Gen5W head unit. Older platform with limited possibilities for bigger future updates. | ccNC – Connected Car Navigation Cockpit, newer platform with faster processor and more focus on connected services. |
| Screens | Two curved 12.3″ screens (cluster + central), but older graphics/menu structure. | Still two 12.3″ screens, but updated graphics, menus and a layout more similar to EV9. |
| CarPlay / Android Auto | Only wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. The Gen5W hardware doesn’t support true wireless CarPlay/AA → no OTA magic can fix that. | Wireless AND wired CarPlay/Android Auto via ccNC. Much more “2025 style”: sit down and it just connects. |
| OTA updates | Gets map updates and some system software updates, but more limited compared to ccNC. | Broader OTA support, including more functions and ADAS improvements over time (depending on market/spec). |
| Navigation & EV functions | Built-in navigation with EV features, but more basic battery preconditioning/route planning. | ccNC gives HV battery preheating linked to the route planner, smarter charging-stop planning and generally faster nav. |
| Kia Connect app | Remote control, charging timers, climate, locking etc – but a bit slower and with fewer “smart” EV functions than the new system. | Same types of services but tighter integration into ccNC, more focus on charging, preheating, Plug & Charge, etc. |
| Extra tech | No fingerprint reader, older steering wheel design, simpler ambient-light logic. | Fingerprint reader (depending on trim), new steering wheel, more advanced ambient lighting and more settings for driver-assist systems. |
| Subjective user experience (forums) | Perceived as stable but a bit “old school”: CarPlay via cable, some users notice lag in the UI. | Often described as faster, nicer-looking and more logical; ccNC is frequently praised as a clear step up vs the old EV6. |
2. Known issues / recalls – EV6 vs EV6 facelift
Important: This is an overview based on known recalls and forum reports globally and in Sweden. It does not mean that every car will have these issues – only that they’re documented and pop up repeatedly in owner threads.
2.1 Overview matrix – problem areas
| Problem area | EV6 (pre-facelift) | EV6 (facelift) |
|---|---|---|
| ICCU / 12 V (major recall) | Yes – clearly documented issue. ICCU can be damaged → fails to charge the 12 V → car can go dead or enter limp mode. Large global recall (2022–2024), and in Sweden model years 2023–2024 are included. | Facelift (MY25→) has updated ICCU and battery hardware, and is released after the big ICCU-recall years. No major ICCU-specific recalls reported yet (Dec 2025), but it still shares E-GMP architecture, so long-term experience is limited. |
| 12 V drained / “dead car” (without HV fault) | Many threads on EV6 + Ioniq 5 where the 12 V battery is flat → car won’t start at all. Often linked to ICCU/12 V logic and sometimes cold weather or very short trips. | A few isolated reports are starting to show on newer cars as well, but clearly fewer data points than on early model years. The expectation is that the new ICCU + software lowers the risk, but we don’t know for sure yet. |
| “Zombie mode” (car refuses to go into D/R) | Known phenomenon on EV6/Ioniq 5: car “wakes up” but won’t go into gear (D/R), often after a weird sequence with start/stop, seat moving, etc. Fix: power off, lock, wait; sometimes a 12 V reset. | This is mostly software logic; facelift cars have newer software and some say zombie mode is less common. But the same fundamental concept (by-wire, 12 V, ICCU) is there, so I’d still assume it can happen, just hopefully less often. |
| ABS/ESC/rollaway (parking pawl) | 2022 EV6 had a rollaway recall: a fault in the Shifter Control Unit (SCU) could release the parking pawl during voltage variation → risk that the car rolls when “in P”. Fixed via software update. | Mainly affects early model years. Facelift arrives after this bug was known and fixed in production, so in practice the risk is very low – assuming all old software campaigns are implemented. |
| ABS/ESC warnings in daily use | Some owners report random ESC/ABS warning lights that turn out to be sensors, moisture or software – typically fixed under warranty. Not an “epidemic” but it does appear. | Same type of electronics still present; no specific mass issues have shown up yet. Realistically, a few cars will always get a faulty sensor or module, but nothing stands out so far. |
| Door handles / winter | Pop-out handles + cold climate = classic: frozen handles, mirrors and sometimes charge flap. Plenty of threads about having to knock or push loose ice. | Facelift basically has the same basic construction for handles/flaps. Seals and details may be slightly improved, but you should still expect some ice issues on certain Swedish winter days. |
| Other software bugs | More reports on early cars (2021–2022): infotainment freezes, radio/DAB dropouts, charging timer bugs, etc. Most have been reduced via updates, but you can feel the “early E-GMP” flavour in forums. | Facelift runs newer software based on ccNC + updated control logic. Some new bugs appear (small things with ambient light, radio etc.), but the general trend is: more mature out of the box. |
2.2 Quick “risk profile” if you’re choosing between them
Very roughly:
EV6 pre-facelift (2021–2024)
- ✅ Well proven, lots of owners and real-world experience
- ✅ Good value as a used car
- ⚠️ Affected by the ICCU/12 V recall (especially MY23–24 in Sweden) – this must be done
- ⚠️ Higher probability that you at some point experience 12 V issues/zombie mode compared to a brand new facelift
EV6 facelift (from 2025)
- ✅ Newer ICCU/battery hardware and updated logic – theoretically lower risk going forward, but not much long-term data yet
- ✅ More modern infotainment (ccNC, wireless CarPlay/AA, better EV functions)
- ✅ The biggest known bugs (rollaway, early ICCU faults) were addressed before this generation launched
- ⚠️ Higher price, and you’re among the “first wave” on a new system version in Sweden – so it won’t be 100% bug-free either
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