On Wednesday, Kia unveiled the EV9 Concept, both hinting at an upcoming mid-size electric SUV and setting a new sustainability-focused design theme for the brand.
The EV9’s very boxy, upright look echoes Kia’s Tiger Face façade at the front, with a “BEV-focused grille” hiding a star shape. The hood area also has a solar panel. The star cloud pattern is the inspiration for the light, while the outer colors are chosen to mimic the ocean and its depth.
As stated with Kia’s sustainable development roadmap Last week, sustainable and eco-friendly materials were featured throughout. The fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles and recycled wool yarn, and features vegan leather, as Kia plans to change the real leather. The handlebars and large digital display provide plenty of information to the driver, although on the other hand, the interface looks minimalistic.
Kia Concept EV9
Kia Concept EV9
Kia Concept EV9
Inside, Pause Mode lets light shine through a wide, panoramic canopy, with the seats shifting facing each other, between the first and third rows, while the second row folds down to become table. Or with Enjoy Mode, the 3rd row of seats faces the back door, giving users a view of nature.
The EV9 nomenclature confirms that this concept previews one of the 11 electric cars Kia plans to add to its lineup by 2025, part of a $25 billion capital shift.
Kia Concept EV9
The first of those new electric cars will be Kia EV6, will reach dealers in the US later this year. This sleeker SUV crossover will available in all 50 states, Kia has previously confirmed. That hasn’t always been the case with previous Kia EVs, so the EV6 will likely be the automaker’s first truly mass-market EV for the US market.
EV6 is related to Hyundai Ioniq 5, share the dedicated EV platform E-GMP and Kia said they will launch at least two other electric SUVs together with the EV6 in 2025. So the Concept EV9 is capable of previewing a wide range of vehicles.
Kia Concept EV9
Kia’s parent company Hyundai also showed off a larger SUV in concept form at the LA show. NS Hyundai Seven concept will preview the Ioniq 7, and have a more rounded roofline than the Kia concept. The production Hyundai Ioniq 7 is expected to launch in 2024.
