The EV9, Kia's soon-to-be flagship electric SUV, is tantalizingly close to hitting dealerships. While Kia’s graphic design department is still struggling with the public thinking their latest logo says "KN," the company has done a fantastic job with its upcoming entry into the booming electric SUV market. The EV9 is an electric SUV for the many people who don’t want to worry about what is (or isn’t) under the hood, but instead, want to get in the car and drive it.
The EV9 Is For Everyone
Kia has designed the EV9 for luxury, interior space, and driving range instead of focusing on aspects that make a car perfect for track day but useless on the road. While this may not endear the EV9 to gearheads and other car enthusiasts, the EV9 is perfect for the many people who would actually go to a car dealership to buy one.
Kia has made sure the car is right for anyone who wants the latest in cars, but also asks questions like “Can I fit the kids in it?” (The answer is yes.) “Is there a lot of room in the back?” (Also yes.) “Can our large dog fit in there?” (Yes, he can.) “Can we put our camping supplies in there and still fit the entire family?” (Definitely.) “Can I fit the lumber for my latest DIY project in there?” (Yes.) “Can I tow my project car?” (Depends on the trim level).
The Interior Is Sleek, Futuristic, And Functional
The concept SUV’s interior is light, airy, and almost appears inspired by science fiction. With all its sleek surfaces, the car looks ready to launch you into the “space, the final frontier” if you ever get bored of hitting the highway. The concept car has large windows on all sides. If the windows make it to production relatively unchanged, the driver’s visibility will be excellent even without the assistance of side and rear cameras.
The car is claimed to seat six people over three rows. The seats are comfortable enough to make the longest road trip a well-upholstered breeze. Children’s car seats will easily fit into the EV9’s seats, and so will teenagers later on.
The dashboard has only a few subtly-placed controls instead of swarms of buttons everywhere you could possibly rest your hands. The steering wheel, rather than being covered in buttons for everything from the stereo to the heated seats, has only a few discreet controls tucked inside the rim.
The infotainment system is integrated into the front instrument cluster, which now uses an extra-wide screen that stretches from the driver’s-side edge of the dashboard all the way to the center of the car. It’s refreshing to see an infotainment screen that looks like an integral part of the car instead of like a bolted-down tablet above the center console. All of this adds up to a sleek interior that simultaneously looks ultramodern and like something out of a 1960s exhibit about the “The Car of Tomorrow.” For the concept car, Kia replaced the steering wheel with a yoke. However, a round steering wheel could be seen through the windshield on what is believed to be a camouflaged production model of the EV9. A round steering wheel is the better choice because as it turns out, most drivers find conventional, “round wheel” steering more satisfying on their daily drivers.
The EV9's Exterior Is Innovative, Yet Familiar
Kia’s EV9 concept, based on the Telluride platform, has retained what has become the conventional SUV shape. However, perhaps in a refutation of the common criticism that modern cars are too rounded-off and egg-like in appearance, the concept car is straight-sided and sharp-cornered. The car rides on two-toned black-and-alloy rims. But the most obvious feature is the headlights, which in the concept car are concealed behind a color-matched front panel and remain invisible until turned on. If this marks a return to the concealed headlights that in decades past required rollaway doors, Kia will be among the first to bring it back.
Not Insanely Powerful, But Not Underpowered Either
Kia has closely-guarded the specifications for the EV9. However, an email leaked to Car and Driver suggests that depending on trim level, the EV9 will be available with anywhere from 200 to 400 horsepower. According to this email, the base (rear-wheel drive) trim will cost about $56,000. It will have 200 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. It will purportedly have 220 miles of range and a 0-60mph time of 8.5 seconds.
The next trim level, which is also rear-wheel drive, reportedly has similar specifications to the base model. It adds a 2,000-pound towing capacity. However, the 0-60 time has increased to 8.9 seconds. Moving further up the trim levels, the all-wheel drive option (claimed to be priced around $63,000) is said to have 400 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. That means you could literally buckle your family into a vehicle with as much horsepower as a Freightliner commercial delivery truck. The top trim level, which may sell for $73,000, is claimed to have 480 pound-feet of torque, a 60 mph time of 5.2 seconds, and a towing capacity of 4,500 pounds. The SUV will have the towing capacity to, well, tow itself.
The EV9 Will Be The Definition Of A Complete EV
It is a fact that the SUV has dethroned the minivan as the vehicle of choice for anyone who needs a lot of room in the back and a lot of seats for their passengers. Furthermore, electric cars aren’t rare novelties anymore. The electric car has gone mainstream. The F-150 Lightning has shown that the public is ready for electric cars that aren’t “enthusiast coupes.” It’s only natural that the family SUV should go electric, and the EV9 is shaping up to be an excellent model.