Hot off the heels of their exciting EV6 electric car, Kia has just unveiled yet another needle-shifting EV that’s also shaping up to be a game-changer: the EV9.
Kia is on an absolute roll right now. The Korean brand, which was long known for making affordable, reliable cars, has now become known for making some of the most exciting, pulse-quickening cars on the market.
The one car that’s helped shift their image more than any other is the Kia EV6, a lithe, stylish electric crossover that’s quickly become the darling of the motoring press thanks to its combination of good looks, innovative design, sustainable bona fides as well as its impressive performance. It’s the most complete electric vehicle on the market.
Indeed, it’s so popular that the waiting list for an EV6 in Australia is reportedly almost 2 years long, prompting Kia Australia to secure more stock for EV-hungry Aussies.
The EV6 will be a tough act to follow – but it seems Kia’s next EV, the similarly-named EV9, is much more than just an encore. Indeed, it’s set to offer something no other car brand has in Australia: a properly off-road-capable EV.
First revealed as a concept car at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show and currently undergoing its final testing phase, the EV9 is a three-row, seven-seater SUV intended to be the brand’s next flagship model.
While we don’t know much about the car just yet – other than a promised 483km driving range and a 5-second 0/100km/h time – what we do know is that Kia’s putting it through a gruelling testing regimen including serious off-road testing in South Korea as well as urban testing in Belgium.
The production car does seem rather faithful to the concept car, which is 4930mm long, 2055mm wide and 1790mm tall, comparable to off-road favourites such as the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota LandCruiser. Ride height hasn’t been confirmed but the EV9 does seem to ride pretty high, which would certainly lend it well to off-road adventures.
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Without getting ahead of ourselves, we think the EV9 is just what Australia needs. Australians love big, luxurious, off-road-capable SUVs, but unlike other markets like the United States (which gets cool things like the GMC Hummer EV) there aren’t really any EVs you can take off-road here… Yet.
If Kia can get the EV9 here before off-roading EVs like the Rivian R1T and the Tesla Cybertruck make their way Down Under, they could easily corner the market for 4×4 EVs… And off-road-capable EVs are something Australian consumers desperately need.
“Kia Australia is keen to get its hands on as many EVs as we possibly can. While it hasn’t been confirmed for Australia, we’re very excited at the prospect of introducing the game-changing EV9 to the local range,” a Kia Australia spokesperson confirmed exclusively to DMARGE.
Watch this space.
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