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Kia EV9 Goes Official Ahead of Hyundai Ioniq 7 Sibling as Initial Flagship E-GMP Rep

The South Korean automaker touts a “groundbreaking” EV characterized by intrepid styling and an unfeigned SUV atmosphere - but the reality is that we have known it for a while, both inside and out.
Kia EV9 initial official reveal 21 photos
Photo: Kia
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Truth be told, this is the first time we get to see the Kia EV9. But if we take everything literally, in all honesty, it is not that “groundbreaking” if we think about it for a second. Remember how the EV9 was originally presented at the 2021 LA Auto Show – albeit as the Kia EV9 Concept? Well, the five-door, three-row mid-size EV crossover SUV we see here is not that different from the show prototype, and of course, that is a good thing for the 2024 model year production variant.

Secondly, the model is underpinned by the South Korean group’s E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) which is also present inside the Kia EV6, as well as the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Alas, it does have something that its corporate sibling lacks – the EV9 has come forth ahead of the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 7 brother. And both will serve as the zero-emissions counterparts (and their eventual heirs, most likely) for the popular Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade.

Now, that does not mean we should treat this initial official global revelation any less. The mainstream large battery-powered SUV segment is not that populated, at the moment – we can count on stuff like the China-only Volkswagen ID.6 or America’s Rivian R1S. That is because most other carmakers have focused on the luxury side of the equation, first and foremost – aka Mercedes with the EQS SUV, BMW with the ugly or pretty darn quirky (depending on your POV) iX, or Cadillac with the rather sensibly priced and good-looking Lyriq.

Kia, meanwhile, seeks to take the brewing EV SUV market by storm with a ‘Bold for Nature’ branch of their ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy and the EV9 looks quite fetching in its exterior simplicity and interior stylishness. Of course, the South Korean automaker has produced a new motto for the SUV’s launch campaign, dubbed “here to reshape the way we move.” Momentarily, though, we need to put the reshaping on hold, as this is just a soft launch with only the exterior and interior revealed, and almost nothing else.

For the juicy technical details, we will need to wait for the digital global premiere scheduled later towards the end of March – and that is when the automaker promises that all product information will finally be disclosed. Naturally, we can still extract some information, such as the fact that a long wheelbase version of E-GMP is being used here, or the dual 12.3-inch touchscreen display arrangement. Plus, do notice the attention to passenger comfort showcased throughout the cabin. For example, the first and second-row seats can recline simultaneously when the EV9 is charging, and the second-row seats sure look like captain’s chairs, given their ability to swivel 180 degrees!

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About the author: Aurel Niculescu
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Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution.
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