Kia has just revealed an electric vehicle (EV) that might be the best-looking and biggest one of the year. The three-row 2024 Kia EV9 is an electric SUV ready for large families and big cargo duties.
The Kia EV9 wears its concept car looks boldly. The biggest differences between this production model and the 2021 concept model are the addition of normal doors (instead of rear-hinged back doors) and shallower scalloping in the side panels.
The EV9's design cleverly blends sharp edges and gentle curves into a shape that looks right out of a sci-fi movie. LED lights work together to create a new "Tiger Nose" front end that we can expect to see on other Kia EVs in the future. The lights also display animations to greet you as you approach the EV.
Kia didn't reveal many details when the EV was revealed but has promised more information later this month at a more extensive debut (automakers tend to stagger reveals or trickle out details so they can stay in the news cycle). What we do know is that it will be slightly shorter than Kia's big Telluride crossover but that it will have a longer wheelbase.
The EV9's large size should make it an ideal ride for large families. Using the group's scalable EV architecture, just like in the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, should allow for interior packaging that beats any gas-powered large vehicle.
Kia's dashboard design makes the cabin look even wider. The simple design has a vertical line running nearly the full width of the EV9. The two 12.3-inch displays are linked in a single bezel, with cleverly integrated controls below them, all helping to give it a sense of width. Finally, the free-floating centre console leaves the driver and front passenger footwells completely open to maximize the amount of space.
While the cabin design may be quite conventional when compared to the outside, Kia's engineers haven't ignored it. The coolest feature is the swivelling second-row seats.
The middle seats will flip around completely so that the middle and third-row passengers can interact. The seat will also pivot 90 degrees to face out the door, helping with the loading of kids in car seats or just getting in and out. Lastly, Kia says there are charge ports everywhere to make sure everyone has a plug.
Again, Kia was short on giving out specs, but since this is on a familiar platform, we expect 350-kW rapid charging and vehicle-to-load power output. There are also no official range figures, though previously, Kia had said the vehicle targeted around 540 km on the generous European testing cycle.
Stay tuned later this month when we're expecting more details about the 2024 Kia EV9.
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