Kia is on the cusp of launching its latest all-electric model, the EV9, and we've been given a pretty hefty hint of how it will look in a new video clip.
Looks like the concept
Well, to be fair, we already had an even heftier hint of how the EV9 would look thanks to the Concept EV9, which was shown in 2021. That car was a tall, quite boxy SUV with enough space for seats for seven and a distinctly futuristic vibe to the styling. At the time, Kia promised that the eventual production model would look very much like the concept car, and from what we can see in this clip, Kia has kept its promise.
Intricate headlights
Instead of the egg-like shape of, say, a Tesla Model X, the EV9 is tall and boxy, with big wrap-over brake lights in the style of a Volvo XC90. Up front, there are ghostly-outline LED running lights framing a set of intricate, pixel-like headlights which fade out into the central grille (not that it's actually a grille, of course...).
Think that it's a bit fanciful to compare the styling of this new Kia to a Tesla that costs more than €100,000? Think again - the EV9 represents a big shift upmarket for Kia, and the EV9 will be competition for the likes of Audi, Mercedes, BMW, and even Range Rover. It will be based on a new business plan for Kia, which aims to sell fewer cars at higher profit margins. Given what a huge seller the - fairly pricey - EV6 has been since it was launched, that seems like a pretty safe bet for Kia. Perhaps not so safe a bet will be new software that encourages owners to buy the car and then spec it with equipment after the fact using over-the-air software upgrades. Consumers have shown more than a little reluctance to use such services in the past.
Ultra-rapid charging
As with the EV6, the EV9 will use Kia's (and Hyundai's) E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform), which should give it a maximum range of around 500km. There will be two versions - single-motor rear-wheel drive and two-motor all-wheel drive - and the E-GM's 800-volt charging system means that you'll be able to top up your charge incredibly quickly with charging speeds of up to 350kW (assuming, as ever, that you can find a high-speed charging point that's both working and available...).
The EV9 will be revealed in full at the end of March.