Kia EV9 concept to be showcased at Delhi Auto Expo 2023

The EV9 concept will be equipped with a 77.4kWh battery pack.

Kia Motors India took to its social media channels to provide a teaser of what’s clearly the Kia EV9 concept. Set to be showcased at the Auto Expo 2023, the EV9 concept was first unveiled at the LA Auto Show in 2021. With a production version of the full-sized born-electric SUV set to make its global debut sometime in 2023, here’s what you need to know about what could be another potential hit for the Korean carmaker.

Sheer size

The EV9 is a full-sized EV from Kia Motors, designed to compete with other three-row luxury electric SUVs like the Range Rover, Mercedes-Benz EQS. In terms of dimensions, the EV9 measures 4,929mm in length, 2,055 in width and 1,790mm in height. With a wheelbase as long as 3100mm it is the largest of the EVs based on Hyundai’s modular Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The E-GMP platform is the same one on which both the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6 are based.

Design

Although the production-ready version is likely to differ in some ways, the concept does a good job of highlighting the key attributes of the EV9’s design. Other than a large, rhomboid greenhouse, the design is very minimalistic and square-ish with slim, vertical headlamps, a thin LED strip running over the bonnet, an opaque grille and very pronounced wheel arches. The wheel size will also differ from the highly stylised concept model, and will likely be 21-22 inches. The biggest changes we’re likely to see however are inside as the concept version showcases a highly minimalistic, futuristic design whose highlights are an all-white cabin, spoke-less, flat-bottomed steering and utopian sci-fi ambient lighting.

Given the length of the wheelbase, three rows are a given, but it’s unlikely that the first row of seats will swivel around to create the lounge area in the concepts. Still going by the trends set by the likes of the Chrysler Pacifica, a middle row that folds into the floor area shouldn’t be ruled out.

Powertrain

The EV9 concept will be equipped with a 77.4kWh battery pack – the same pack found in the more powerful version of the EV6 and the Ioniq 5 and 6. This means the EV9 will benefit from a similarly extended range, although its size and weight are likely to eat into the EV6’s sub-500 km range. It’ll be equipped with similar fast-charging capabilities – up to 350 Kw. Find such a charger and you should get its battery from 10 percent to 80 percent in 20 minutes. Given that the EV9 will operate in the luxury end of the spectrum, much like the fully imported EV6, it will get a dual-motor setup with AWD offered as standard although a single-motor version offering less power is also on the cards. Battery size in both instances remains the same.

It is unknown at this point if Kia plans to locally assemble its future EVs in India. Autonomous driving capabilities, ADAS functions and over-the-air software updates are also to be expected to be present in the EV9 prototype and subsequently, in the production model. The EV9 concept will be joined by the second-gen Kia Carnival and the global best-seller, the Kia Sorento at the Auto Expo 2023.