The all-new Kia EV9 arrives with burly SUV looks, room for 7, and an expected 300 miles of all-electric range. Kia is going to sell a TON of these!
Kia has revealed full images of the production-ready exterior and interior design of the new Kia EV9, the company’s new, three-row electric flagship SUV, representing a pivotal step forward in the company’s journey towards becoming a premium electric brand.
“The Kia EV9 breaks new ground, aiming to redefine standards for design, connectivity, usability and environmental responsibility,” said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Center. “The Kia EV9 offers customers an exceptionally high-quality proposition and a fresh EV perspective in the family SUV sector. This new vehicle typology provides instinctive experiences and excellent comfort for not just the driver, but all occupants, through innovative use of space, technology and design.”
The EV9’s look is defined by straightforward, unambiguously “flat” body surfaces that give the vehicle a distinctive “Digital Tiger Face,” according to the official copy. The look is accentuated by a “Digital Pattern Lighting Grille” and the same sort of eye-catching headlights that have become a Kia and Hyundai calling card. The bodywork of the Digital Tiger Face has two groups of tiny cube lamps next to each headlamp. The EV9’s ground-breaking “Star Map LED daytime running lights (DRL)” produce a sophisticated animated lighting pattern that will serve as a visual cue for Kia’s Digital Tiger Face on the company’s upcoming EV cars.
The side profile of the EV9 makes use of a similarly polygon-heavy design language, which gives the SUV a “stealthy” identity that’s both markedly different from the sleek Kia EV6 crossover but weirdly in keeping with that car’s 1970’s Bertone “wedge” inspiration.
The look is great, in other words — but the killer app in this Kia is the 3rd row seating, something which has (with the exception of some oddball rear-facing seats in the Tesla Model S or the “gullwing” Model X) been lacking in the EV space; and that’s something that was done very consciously.
“Kia captured feedback from families to evaluate seating configurations and features to ensure the EV9 delivers equality of space, comfort and experience for all occupants without placing all of its focus on the driver,” reads Kia’s official EV9 release. “Occupants sitting in the first and second-row seats can simultaneously recline their seats to relax and rest when the EV9 is charging. The seats in the second row can be effortlessly swiveled 180 degrees so that occupants can interact with those sitting in the third row. The third-row seats also offer cup holders and charging points for mobile devices.”
Check out the Kia-provided video below, then let us know what you think of Kia’s big new EV in the comments.
Introducing the Kia EV9
SOURCE | IMAGES: HYUNDAIMOTORGROUP
FTC: We use income-earning auto affiliate links. Learn more.
