Kia shows off Concept EV9, a window into its SUV future

Kia has (partially) lifted the lift on an upcoming electric seven-seater SUV, having released teaser shots of its Concept EV9 overnight. 

Ahead of its full debut on November 17 (November 18 our time) at the AutoMobility LA Show, Kia teased the concept with a series of shadowy shots showing its contours, headlights, tail lights, and elements from its cabin. 

It’s an angular, chiselled hunk of a thing, with myriad flat surfaces and sharp lines, and an interesting Coke-bottle-look silhouette from above, thanks to the big wheel-arches. 

While the quirky tail light clusters feature the same Y-shape as those on the EV6, the headlights are very different; mating a lightning bolt style daytime running light to a series of ‘pixel-esque’ headlights that frame the faux grille.

Inside, the model features a squared-off steering wheel, a minimalist dashboard layout with haptic feedback buttons integrated into panelling, and a large ‘ultrawide’ widescreen in front of the driver. Kia boasts that the upholstery is produced from recycled materials, too. 

In its domestic press release, the marque notes that the interior is “highly conceptual”, and that’s likely the truth for the model’s exterior, too. While the EV9 is slated for production one day, the production version is unlikely to look exactly like it does in these teaser images. 

Nevertheless, we’re interested to see how the model will progress through the bean-counter phase on its way to the showroom. The electric people mover segment is one that still has very few players, meaning the EV9 could be a gamechanger. 

Kia has confirmed that the model’s production version will ride on the E-GMP architecture it shares with Hyundai, meaning it will share the same bones as the Ioniq 5, the aforementioned EV6, and the upcoming Ioniq 7. 

The EV9 is part of Kia’s growing plug-in programme. The Korean company has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045, and to have phased out internal combustion engine models in its European line-up by 2035 and in its global line-up by 2040.