In a teaser released a few days ago announcing a livestream for the Concept EV9 on November 11, Kia strongly suggested it would unveil the all-electric showcar. However, that’s not the case because we are only getting a set of five shadowy pics showing the large and boxy SUV inside and out. Some design details remain a secret for the time being, but not for long as the official premiere is taking place next week.
Ahead of the November 17 debut slated to take place at the LA Auto Show, Kia shows off the edgy design of the Concept EV9. Details about the vehicle’s size have not been published, but it’s safe to say the SUV is considerably larger than the compact EV6 introduced earlier this year. Much like it has been the case with concept cars recently, the vehicle rides on oversized alloy wheels and eschews conventional side mirrors in favor of cameras.
Featuring a prominently angular design, the EV9 has chunky wheel arches with black plastic cladding and we also notice imposing character lines on the front fenders that split into two to form a “Y” shape. You can also see a generous sunroof extending from front to rear, while sleek LED taillights give the massive SUV a futuristic vibe worthy of a concept car.
The short front and rear overhangs are signs of a dedicated electric vehicle platform, likely the E-GMP shared with the EV6. As with the smaller crossover, the wheelbase is rather huge, thus creating a cabin likely spacious enough for a three-seat layout for the Concept EV9’s subsequent production version. By the way, the road-going model could arrive before the middle of the decade.
Meanwhile, the LA-bound vehicle appears to have a lounge-like interior with an extremely wide screen mounted on the dashboard, merging the driver’s digital instrument cluster with the infotainment. The steering wheel is not exactly a wheel per se as it adopts an edgy shape, much like the rest of the Concept EV9.
Squint your eyes and you can see capacitive touch buttons mounted below the infotainment and illuminated in white. Traditional buttons and knobs are nowhere to be found inside where the front passenger and driver are separated by a large, full-length center console. Overall, the cabin looks impressively modern, though we’re curious to see how much of it will have a correspondent on the production-ready model.
Meanwhile, the Kia Concept EV9 will share the spotlight in Los Angeles next week with the equivalent Hyundai showcar, the SEVEN concept. It’s a known fact the latter will go on sale in 2024, so logic tells us its Kia cousin will probably follow shortly since the two SUVs are likely to be twinned.
Source: Kia
