The Kia Telluride has been a wild sales success, with dealers struggling to keep the 3-row SUV in stock. But America’s automakers are going electric. To date, there are no affordable 3-row electric SUVs. Shoppers who want the ability to carry more than five in an electric vehicle (EV) have been limited to expensive luxury vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and the Tesla Model X.
That will end soon. And it will end with style.
Last year, Kia showed off a compelling, funky concept for a 3-row electric SUV called the EV9.
This week, the company confirmed that it’s headed for production and will be revealed in “late March.”
Teaser Photos Hint At Stylish Look
Kia released two heavily-shadowed teaser photos hinting at the production model’s shape. A brief video posted to YouTube shows similar views.
Automakers almost always tone down radical-looking concept cars significantly as they ready them for production. But the photos hint that the EV9 has retained some of the unusual faceted look that made the concept so striking. A faux grille (electric cars don’t need the cooling airflow of an actual grille) wears a fading grid of pixelated lights surrounded by thin LED daytime running lights.
A quick glimpse of the liftgate in the video shows similarly dramatic, branched rear lighting.
Kia has given no details on the interior. The concept included coach-style doors with no pillar between them. That detail is highly unlikely to make it to production because of the added crash protection that side pillars provide. The concept also had first- and third-row seats designed to swivel. We’re curious to see if Kia made that work in a production car.
May Share Many EV6 Elements
They’ve also given no hints about what powers it beyond noting that it’s a “dedicated battery-electric SUV.” The smaller, funky-in-a-different-way 2023 Kia EV6 may provide some hints. It offers power levels ranging from 225 to 576 horsepower. It boasts range ratings between 206 and 310 miles, depending on configuration.
Electric vehicles are often built on so-called skateboard platforms – flat combinations of motors, batteries, steering, and suspension parts that can be scaled up or down to create vehicles of different sizes. The two likely share the same platform and similar specifications.
The “late March” reveal Kia plans seems strategically timed just ahead of the New York International Auto Show, which may be the public’s first chance to see the EV9. We’ll bring more news when we have it.
