This is the Kia EV9, a new electric SUV with up to seven seats. Also for the Netherlands!
After the EV6, Kia does not come with the EV7 or EV8, but with a wattle of an electric SUV called EV9. The EV9 functions as an electric flagship, but also serves as a pioneer of a more confident Kia that tackles the future with even more outspoken designs.
Highlights Kia EV9
- New electric flagship
- SUV with up to seven seats
- Next step in Kia’s design
How often does it not happen that the final production version of a model is a much watered down version of the concept car with which the onlooker was delighted? Kia doesn’t want to know about that. At least, not with this brand new EV9. It looks like two drops of water on the Concept EV9 that attracted the necessary attention in Los Angeles in 2019.
Two-stage rocket
As with the unveiling of the Niro and Sportage earlier, Kia opts for a two-stage rocket for the launch of the EV9. This means that we first get to see the interior and exterior and that extensive data on horsepower, Nm, kWh and range that the E-GMP platform makes possible will follow later. To place the car, we still take the crystal ball. The Concept EV9 was a few centimeters after 5 meters long and we also expect a similar size for the production model. Count on a wheelbase of at least three meters. In any case, that makes it Kia’s largest SUV in Europe in one fell swoop, and that immediately gives the electric seven-seater the role of flagship within the European Kia ranks.
Star Map lighting. You will see that on more Kias.
Fortunately, there is plenty to say about the design of the EV9. Like the Sportage and EV6, it is signed according to Kia’s Opposites United-design philosophy. There are interesting concepts and thoughts behind this, but in short it means that Kia believes that opposites can go together very well. In addition, the brand does not shy away from creating something unusual. In fact, according to Kia, it is good if a new model looks somewhat uncomfortable or awkward when it is introduced to the market.
Kia EV9: softer shapes inside than outside.
Whether the Kia EV9 looks awkward, we leave to the viewer. Kia’s art masters transferred most of the design details that made the Concept EV9 so intriguing to the production model. For example, the flared wheel arches with striking corners and folds contrast sharply with the friendly-looking and especially ‘soft’ shaped part of the body in between. One of the most concrete examples of the Opposites United philosophy that is even more boldly expressed on the EV9 than on the EV6. The EV9 has, among other things, a sharp kink in the shoulder line and a tailgate that has remained remarkably free of lines and creases. The Kia EV9 gives a clear picture of the bolder design language it pours across its future models and that naturally includes common elements. Just take in his enlightenment. The front and rear lights consist of thicker parts that are connected by stripes. ‘Star Map’ design, Kia calls it, as if it were a star map. You will see similar lighting on more Kias in the future. The EV9 is not completely free of ties to the past. For example, in the upper chrome strip in the front you can see something of the Tiger Nose grilles that Kia has been applying to its models in various gradations for years.
Friendly
The design philosophy that the EV9 embodies is also reflected in the interior of Kia’s electric top model. With its softer shapes, the dashboard exudes a friendlier atmosphere than the robust, tough exterior. In the interior, Kia uses what it negative spaces calls. In some places – including in the part of the dashboard right in front of the co-driver, in the door panels and at the headrests – the space between certain parts is important and part of the design, according to Kia.
Kia EV9: nice opposite each other.
In the EV9 we see no less than three displays that are housed together in one panel. Between the 12.3-inch digital instruments and the equally large infotainment screen is a third display on which you will find information and settings about the climate control. You simply control the most important functions via physical buttons in the bottom layer of the dashboard. Very handy. Also handy: the furniture. Depending on the version, the EV9 has a rear seat or two separate seats in the second row. In the latter case, if desired, you can rotate the seats in the GT-Line 180 degrees so that you can look at your friends, relatives or colleagues in the third row of seats – who are certainly fine there with a length of 1.80. Pleasant.
Kia also takes its own path with the use of materials and color in the EV9. Piano lacquer? Forget it. The days of grease stains and dirty smears are over, according to the manufacturer. Furthermore, it is over with a completely black interior, the interior is always in a two-tone color scheme. Finally, there is a line through leather upholstery, in the EV9 it is not available, not even at extra cost. Curious about what the Kia EV9 has to offer technically? We also! The brand will release all details at the end of this month. So please be patient!
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl