Photo: lars_o_saeltzer / Instagram
Just recently, Kia decided that it would plug into Electrify Expo Miami (October 14 and 15) to make sure that everyone will have the chance to see the upcoming all-new, all-electric, three-row EV9 SUV and also drive the Kia EV6, EV6 GT, and Niro EV.
That will be a lot of electric Kias at the Miami Dade Fairgrounds in Miami, but it's also a statement of the drive to adapt to the novel EV lifestyle. The commitment is all around the world, of course, where Kia offers plug-in hybrid or fully electric variants of models like the Ray (endemic to South Korea, it's a Picanto with a rear sliding door), Soul, EV6, Niro, Niro Plus, Sportage, EV5, or EV9, just to mention the most important ones.
Notice how Kia is so keen on capturing the essence of the battery-powered vehicle market that some models were developed on legacy platforms while others started from scratch? For example, both the Soul and Niro first began as ICE-powered vehicles but slowly transformed into hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs. On the other hand, the EV series was always destined for the battery lifestyle, just like the corresponding all-new Ioniq range from Hyundai.
So, the South Korean automaker already has three models based on the E-GMP architecture – the EV5 and EV6 compact crossover SUVs, as well as the mid-size, three-row EV9 flagship. The latter was just fully detailed for the US market, where it starts from almost $55k for the Light RWD with 215 hp and $59,200 for the Long Range RWD (201 hp) with a larger battery pack whose capacity is rated at 99.8 kWh.
The top-of-the-line versions, meanwhile, are the dual-motor eAWD torque vectoring EV9 Wind, Land, and GT-Line, with the latter starting at around $75k when also factoring the $1,495 destination charge. So, it's pretty costly indeed. No worries, though, as there are two more choices, right?
Well, the EV6 doesn't start much lower - $42,600 for the Light RWD model and the EV5 is exported from China but probably won't make it in places like America – only Europe could get it as a sharply-styled, boxy electric family SUV competing with the Ford Explorer EV. Over there, when converted in Euros, adapted for the local safety standards, and with all taxes paid, it could end up costing an arm and a leg.
Well, at long last, there's one last glimmer of hope for anyone enjoying the boxy design of the EV5 and EV9 but who doesn't want to pay in excess for a big family-oriented crossover SUV. We already know that Kia is testing the EV4 coupe-SUV electric crossover, but the imaginative realm of digital car content creators wants to play with the most affordable family member – the rumored sub-$30k EV3!
Meet the virtual artist behind Larson Design (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media), who brings to life his CGI vision of the next E-GMP-based Kia model. His unofficial vision of the upcoming EV3 is quite simple and on-point – the pixel master envisions it as an "edgy, cool compact crossover EV" that will look like a high-riding hatchback to rival the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 properly.
The styling, of course, is directly inspired by the EV9 and EV5, but most likely, the footprint won't be as encompassing as with the other two. So, what do you think? Will Kia snatch a big slice of the EV pie with help from all these E-GMP models – EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9? And how will they fare against the current crop of ICE-powered legacy models – will they spell impending doom for those nameplates or not?
Notice how Kia is so keen on capturing the essence of the battery-powered vehicle market that some models were developed on legacy platforms while others started from scratch? For example, both the Soul and Niro first began as ICE-powered vehicles but slowly transformed into hybrids, PHEVs, and EVs. On the other hand, the EV series was always destined for the battery lifestyle, just like the corresponding all-new Ioniq range from Hyundai.
So, the South Korean automaker already has three models based on the E-GMP architecture – the EV5 and EV6 compact crossover SUVs, as well as the mid-size, three-row EV9 flagship. The latter was just fully detailed for the US market, where it starts from almost $55k for the Light RWD with 215 hp and $59,200 for the Long Range RWD (201 hp) with a larger battery pack whose capacity is rated at 99.8 kWh.
The top-of-the-line versions, meanwhile, are the dual-motor eAWD torque vectoring EV9 Wind, Land, and GT-Line, with the latter starting at around $75k when also factoring the $1,495 destination charge. So, it's pretty costly indeed. No worries, though, as there are two more choices, right?
Well, the EV6 doesn't start much lower - $42,600 for the Light RWD model and the EV5 is exported from China but probably won't make it in places like America – only Europe could get it as a sharply-styled, boxy electric family SUV competing with the Ford Explorer EV. Over there, when converted in Euros, adapted for the local safety standards, and with all taxes paid, it could end up costing an arm and a leg.
Well, at long last, there's one last glimmer of hope for anyone enjoying the boxy design of the EV5 and EV9 but who doesn't want to pay in excess for a big family-oriented crossover SUV. We already know that Kia is testing the EV4 coupe-SUV electric crossover, but the imaginative realm of digital car content creators wants to play with the most affordable family member – the rumored sub-$30k EV3!
Meet the virtual artist behind Larson Design (aka lars_o_saeltzer on social media), who brings to life his CGI vision of the next E-GMP-based Kia model. His unofficial vision of the upcoming EV3 is quite simple and on-point – the pixel master envisions it as an "edgy, cool compact crossover EV" that will look like a high-riding hatchback to rival the Volkswagen ID.3 and ID.4 properly.
The styling, of course, is directly inspired by the EV9 and EV5, but most likely, the footprint won't be as encompassing as with the other two. So, what do you think? Will Kia snatch a big slice of the EV pie with help from all these E-GMP models – EV3, EV4, EV5, EV6, EV9? And how will they fare against the current crop of ICE-powered legacy models – will they spell impending doom for those nameplates or not?
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