Why the Kia EV9 Could Be the EV Families Have Been Waiting For

By Phil Royle — March 14, 2023

Kia’s designs aren’t for the weak of heart – yet, generally speaking, they’re all winners. Strong, bold, and no-nonsense, Kia’s team has been hitting visual homeruns since 2011 when they breathed life into the previously placid Optima. Since then, vehicles like the Stinger, the don’t-call-it-an-Optima K5, and Telluride have shaken up the industry with stylish transportation at an affordable price. But they weren’t over. The Hyundai Group then got serious about EVs with its forward-thinking, fast-charging 800v E-GMP architecture and plunked the EV6 and Ioniq lineup on it, showing that style and technology could go hand in hand. But what about style, technology, and transportation for large EV-oriented families? For that, Kia has unveiled its EV9 three-row EV SUV. Could this finally be the EV SUV families have been waiting for?

SUV sales dominate the auto industry. In Kia’s garage, the Sportage was 2022’s top seller with 125,245 units sold. The affordable econobox Forte came second in sales with 108,424. After that, the Telluride sold 99,891, followed by the Sorento at 86,406. When it comes to electrifying, Kia’s EV6 electric SUV could be considered an EV Sportage, so it only makes sense that the next EV in Kia’s lineup is the EV9, offering an electric version of Kia’s third best-selling vehicle.

From the looks of things, a glass roof will be optional on the EV9.

(Incidentally, Kia sold 20,498 EV6s in 2022, which is more than they sold of the Carnival and Stinger, and just 8,000 units off of Niro sales.)

Beyond fancy images and a flowery press release, Kia hasn’t revealed many details about the EV9, other than it will feature a pair of 12.3-inch screens and one 5-inch segment display mounted to a “floating panoramic dashboard.” While those screens look fantastic in Kia’s supplied images, the best part of Kia’s EV9 announcement is that this EV SUV will come with what looks like three-rows of usable seating in six- and seven-seat configurations, making this a needed addition to the world of electric SUVs.

The EV9’s dash will feature twin 12.3-inch screens, with a 5-inch screen in the mix.

There are other EV SUVs with three rows – the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S come to mind. But few offer a real third row that will fit growing children for hours of cruising comfort. Until people get their hands on one, there’s no true way to know that the EV9 will be roomier back there compared to the competition, but as more three-row EVs hit the market, the chances of finding one with a usable third row increases – and with the EV9 comes a good chance of this being the one.

One indication that the third row might bring with it roomy comfort is in Kia’s description of the EV9’s seating:

“Occupants sitting in the first and second-row seats can simultaneously recline their seats to relax and rest when the EV9 is charging. The seats in the second row can be effortlessly swiveled 180 degrees so that occupants can interact with those sitting in the third row. The third-row seats also offer cup holders and charging points for mobile devices.”

For now, we’re simply looking at photos, reading a press release, and making educated assumptions. For more, Kia says the EV9 will make its “digital global premier” in late March, so hopefully at that time the company will also premier the vehicle’s interior dimensions – although those measurements are not always a clear indication as to exactly how roomy a vehicle’s interior is.

Pricing is as giant an unknown as the third row. Kia has offered zero information when it comes to how pricy the EV9 will be, but considering the EV6’s base price of $48,700, doubled with the knowledge that there’s a $9,000 delta between the affordable Sportage and the three-row Telluride, it’s easy to assume that the EV9 will start in the mid-to-high $50,000 range for the base model. That’s not bad, especially considering its EV SUV competition comes in at $80,000-plus – although we’re betting early versions of the EV9 ring up closer to that higher price tag.

Other unknowns are battery size, range, charge speed, and drive options, plus the lesser important item in family SUVs: acceleration. But for the most part, who cares? Hyundai Group has yet to let us down on any of those fronts, and with E-GMP underpinnings, there’s no reason to believe the EV9 will disappoint.

With the EV6 and now EV9, Kia is proving that it’s once again going for gold. This three-row electric SUV continues Kia’s strong march to electrification, matching its biggest selling ICE vehicles with EV variants. Much like nearly every design that Kia has unveiled in the last decade, this one’s a looker, with features that will undoubtedly match. This very well could be the EV families have been waiting for.

(Images courtesy Kia)

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