The Kia Concept EV9 previews the EV6’s big, squarish brother.
Kia recently announced they’d be transitioning to become a “Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider”, and so they’ve got to start churning out battery electric vehicles fast. We got the Kia EV6 earlier this year, and now it looks like the company is keen to also come up with a larger SUV using the same Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). They’ve just shown a new concept car at AutoMobility LA called the Kia Concept EV9 that will fill the role of the larger electric SUV brother with three rows of seats.
The E-GMP platform has cutting edge battery-electric vehicle components enabling driving range of up to 480km and ultra-fast charging technology to get the battery up from 10% to 80% in under half an hour.
Kia Concept EV9 Design
Led by Karim Habib (Senior Vice President of Kia and Head of Kia Global Design Centre), the Kia design team took inspiration from the ‘Bold for Nature’ pillar of the Opposites United design philosophy. This has helped the all-electric SUV concept to take on an iconic and bold form with playful, rugged features and styling cues. From the outside, such proportions help outline a three-row SUV footprint.
The Kia Concept EV9’s measurements are:
- Length: 4930mm
- Width: 2055mm
- Height: 1790mm
- Wheelbase: 3100mm
From the side, this modernistic angular profile gives the all-electric SUV a simple but distinctive outline that is deeply rooted in the ‘Bold for Nature’ pillar of Opposites United.
A low gravity side body creates maximum and instant impact with the sharp crystalline inspired fender volumes that sit high up on the vehicle. It makes the fender volumes of the Concept EV9 pop out, resulting in a strong SUV stance. Solid rock geometry is expressed through a sophisticated design distribution of mass, while the volume of the cabin has been made to feel welcoming and approachable.
Kia’s iconic Tiger Face steps into the EV age with the introduction of a new Digital Tiger Face. As EVs do not require an intake grille, the front of the Concept EV9 is body-coloured and the Digital Tiger Face is instead conveyed through a star cloud pattern display which is hidden when not in use but capable of lightshows when activated.
The hood vent duct area now houses a solar panel to help recuperate energy. Futher up, the Concept EV9 is imagined with retractable roof rails that can be lowered when not in use for better aerodynamics. Even the wing mirrors have been substituted with cameras to this effect.
Inside, passengers are treated to a panoramic roof, a 27″ ultrawide display and a very unique steering wheel for the driver. The seating arrangement is highly configurable, with additional modes for when the car isn’t moving. What’s more, the interior consists of eco-friendly materials, including recycled plastic bottles, recycled wool fibres, recycled fishnets and vegan leather.
