Kia has released teaser images of its flagship EV9 electric SUV, which is expected to debut in production-ready form on March 15.
Those images suggest styling similar to EV9 . concept debuted at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, retaining the concept’s boxy styling, vertical headlights and even angled side glass, accents on the rear roof column.
The concept is based on design concepts, including recycled yarn throughout, Swing Pause Mode allowing the seats to rotate and face each other, and Enjoy Mode for adjustment. While we don’t expect to see all of this on the production EV9, expect some packaging innovation.
Detailed information about Kia EV9
Likely to arrive in the US in the second half of 2023, the production EV9 is expected to deliver three rows of seats and some off-road capabilities — essentially equivalent to the brand’s petrol Telluride. The automaker has also confirmed that the production EV9 will have a range of up to 300 miles.
It could end up being American-made, too. Production can be switched “Metaplant” Georgia by Hyundai when that plant is up and running around 2026.
The EV9 will be the largest vehicle yet to be designed and built on Dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP shared by Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, although the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 7 could compete with it.
In 2022, when it confirmed that prototypes had been put to the test, Kia said the EV9 “will become the brand’s flagship model and will revolutionize the full-size electric SUV segment” — setting the stage for a price that can be close to that of a luxury car.
Concept Kia EV9
Kia can justify the higher price tag by targeting the Rivian R1S, the only other electric SUV available that combines off-road capability and three-row seating. The American company has struggled to ramp up production to meet high demand.
The EV9’s built-in off-road capabilities and greater emphasis on the outdoors could also serve another purpose. The brand has asserted that a Kia electric pickup is operating as a global model—perhaps with an EV9 base—though it stopped shortly after confirming US sales.
