Kia teases the EV9 ahead of global premiere
Kia has released the first official pictures of the EV9. The world premiere of the large electric SUV based on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) will take place at the end of March.
The pictures now show what Kia officials had already emphasised around the presentation of the EV9 Concept: The designers had first developed the series model and derived the concept from the quasi-final design. It was therefore likely that the EV9 would adopt many elements of the concept unveiled in LA in autumn 2021.
In terms of design, the angular basic shape and also the defining design features such as the closed front with the characteristic, vertically positioned headlights, the diagonally rising D-pillar or the rims have been retained. The main changes are in the details. For example, the individual LEDs integrated into the front did not make it into series production (as was almost expected), the rims in the independent design now have four spokes instead of three. And the doors no longer open in opposite directions, but conventionally.
The significantly larger changes to the study are in the interior, but that was foreseeable. In the EV9 Concept, the designers had opted for a lounge-like layout of the interior, as there was no need to consider safety, operating concepts or everyday use (keyword: carpeting). However, the lounge concept has been retained in one respect: The seats of the second row can be turned by 180 degrees, so that together with the third row of seats a four-seater seating group is created. In the production model, the basic layout of the current Kia models with the two displays and the two-spoke steering wheel is found again, albeit in a slightly different interpretation.
The touch bar, in which the controls for the climate control and the infotainment system were combined in a switchable unit, seems to have disappeared again in the EV9. Here, there are physical buttons for the climate control, while the shortcuts for the infotainment control are embedded in the dashboard as invisible touch surfaces. It is not known whether this is a fundamental departure from the touch bar or whether Kia has opted for the new solution due to the different space conditions in the large EV9.
“Not known” is also the appropriate keyword for the powertrain: even though the design has already been fully revealed two weeks before the world premiere, there are still no details about the powertrain variants. This information will probably only be available at the premiere at the end of March.
“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.”
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