Kia has confirmed the EV9 electric SUV will be coming to the UK in 2023. The big brother for the EV6, previewed here in Ginny's walk around video of the show car, is set to become the company's flagship .
The 4.9m SUV will be the next model built on the brand’s new electric car structure, which is also shared with Hyundai.
Kia says the EV9’s design has been ‘inspired by nature’, and uses upcycled materials developed from ocean waste, including plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets.
Although Kia officially calls the show car Concept EV9, we can expect the production car to share is looks and key parts of the tech.
The show car has some impressive statistics, with a 0-62mph time of around five seconds and a maximum range of 336 miles.
Kia has stated previously that the structure used in the EV6 is modular and can be adapted to accommodate different numbers of battery cells. Given the size of the EV9, it’s likely that it will come with more than the 77.4kWh pack currently offered in the EV6.
Features in the show car include a solar panel on the bonnet and a 'light show' hidden behind the grill pattern.
The EV9’s interior changes depending on how the car is being used. There are three ‘interior modes’: Active Mode is when the EV9 is on the move. The two other modes relate to when the EV9 is not moving.
Pause Mode modifies the interior space so the seats flip around so the first-row and third-row to face each other. The middle-row folds down to become a table, for picnics and meetings.
The second stationary mode is Enjoy Mode, which turns around the three-rows and opens the tailgate, so you can watch a sports match, for example.
There is no word on pricing yet, but expect the EV9 to cost at least £60,000 when it goes on sale in the UK.