Kia has finally revealed the production version of the EV9 three-row electric crossover, first previewed by a 2021 concept of the same name. The EV9 makes its debut as the second Kia vehicle to ride on the Hyundai Motor Group’s e-GMP platform, a 800-volt/350-kW architecture enabling super-competitive DC fast-charging times. The EV9’s design comes out looking very close to the original concept, including the super-sized Soul body, the chunky fender flares and angular lines, as well as the intricate LED lighting front and rear. This should come as no surprise, however, given the recent trend of concept-to-production transitions at Hyundai/Kia.
Since specs won’t be revealed until later this month, we can look to an owner survey leaked a few weeks ago with the pricing and specs of the EV9 in the U.S. If those numbers are to be believed, things kick off at $56,000 for a single-motor, rear-wheel drive EV9 with 200 horsepower and 220 miles of range. A dual-motor all-wheel drive model will cost $73,000 and manage up to 290 miles, though it will have 400 horsepower. In a surprising move, Kia is not expected to give this large SUV a substantially bigger battery. We will have to wait and see the exact figures.
Inside, the dashboard combines colors and textures from the Hyundai IONIQ 5/6 with the overall dashboard architecture we see in the existing Telluride. The two 12.3″ screens are connected via a large single pane of glass, though there is a separate 5″ screen in-between the two. It controls the HVAC system and related functions. The steering wheel adopts a new design not seen on any other Kia, and the design of the infotainment system is new, Kia now calling it the AVNT (audio visual, navigation and telematics) system.
At least in the model they are showing today, the e-GMP platform enables the 6-seat models’ second-row captains chairs to swivel 180 degrees. This brings back a novel feature once available only on the Chrysler minivans. Whether it is offered on the U.S. model or not remains to be seen, though you can expect both 6- and 7-passenger variants to be available here.
More on the Kia EV9 here.