Kia EV9 electric SUV concept previewed in first official images
Kia’s second dedicated EV will debut soon in concept form – here’s our first look.
The first official images of the Kia Concept EV9 electric SUV have been released, ahead of its full reveal and public debut at next week’s Los Angeles motor show.
As its name suggests, the Concept EV9 serves as a preview of Kia’s second standalone all-electric vehicle – following the mid-size EV6, due in Australia next year – set to be a large SUV sized similarly to a Hyundai Palisade or not-for-Australia Kia Telluride, and twinned with the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 7.
Previewed in a set of official rendered sketches, the Concept EV9 stays true to teaser images released earlier this year, with an upright, boxy shape designed to maximise space and provide a “capable stylistic stance” – though the stylised nature of the images means specific styling details are hard to discern.
Inside, a “stunning [and] interactive” high-resolution display stretches across much of the dashboard, with the driver faced by a yoke-shaped steering wheel, similar to everything from airplanes and Formula One cars, to the latest Tesla Model S and Toyota BZ4X electric cars.
The rest of the cabin has been “honed to give the driver and passengers a light, flexible and adaptive interior space”, Kia says.
No details of the Concept EV9’s powertrain have been confirmed, though it’s safe to expect it will ride on the largest interpretation yet of the Hyundai group’s E-GMP modular battery platform, shared with its Hyundai Ioniq 7 twin.
Reports suggest over 480km of range, dual-motor all-wheel drive and 100kWh battery will headline the Ioniq 7’s spec sheet – numbers the production EV9 will likely mirror, upon its international launch slated for 2022 or 2023.
The Kia Concept EV9 will be unveiled in full at the 2021 Los Angeles motor show on 18 November, at 6:15am AEDT. Stay tuned to Drive for the full reveal.
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