The hotly-anticipated Kia EV9 has been revealed – and bosses confirm the range-topping electric car will reach UK showrooms later this year.
The Kia EV9 is a large and luxurious SUV with three rows of seats: one of the few electric seven-seaters on sale.
Boasting a radical design that Kia calls ‘Opposites United’, the new EV9 has a bold, structural look and assertive geometry.
Kia design chief Karim Habib says the EV9 is intended to “redefine standards for design, connectivity, usability and environmental sustainability”.
An eye-catching flagship for the fast-growing South Korean company, the new EV9 will sit above the sleek Kia EV6 fastback.
Prices are yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely to cost from around £60,000 – making it a distinctive and fully electric alternative to the top-selling Tesla Model Y.
Kia EV9 faces the future
With no immediate EV rivals at launch, the bold and roomy Kia EV9 is sure to stand out among upmarket electric cars.
Helping its cause are simple, clear-cut lines and body surfaces, which Habib says are themed around a polygonal design language.
The ‘Digital Tiger Face’ is like something from sci-fi, with two clusters of small, cube-shaped LED lights vertically stacked alongside an LED light bar. The light pattern is unusual – and animated. Because it’s an EV, there’s no need for a grille, furthering the futuristic feel.
The electric sister car to the Kia Sorento, the EV9 also has flush door handles, slim rear lights and a clean, cohesive finish throughout.
This carries through to the cabin, which is open-plan and luxurious, with plentiful use of plush textiles and colourful ambient lighting: less car, more aircraft on wheels.
The Kia E-GMP architecture should serve up good amounts of interior space, thanks to a long wheelbase and flat floorplan. Kia promises lounge-style comfort in all three rows of seats.
The seven-seat model will be standard, with a six-seat option that features three rows of airline-style chairs.
Cleverly, the middle-row seats can rotate 180 degrees, so passengers can turn and face those in the third row.
Following this first look at the EV9, the new SUV will make its full global premiere in late March. We will then learn more about its electrical underpinnings – including the all-important range and performance figures.
“The Kia EV9 breaks new ground,” says Habib. It “offers customers an exceptionally high-quality proposition and a fresh EV perspective in the family EV sector”.
Come back to Motoring Research later this month to find out more about the bold new Kia EV9.
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