2024 Kia EV9: Everything We Know About The Telluride-Sized Electric SUV

The story contains independent illustrations penned by CarScoops’ artist Josh Byrnes based on the recent Kia EV9 concept study and our own intel. The renders are neither related to nor endorsed by Kia.

Kia is going all guns blazing with its transition into battery-electric vehicles, with the Niro EV and EV6 just the start of its electric ambitions. The next in its product offensive is the EV9, a large SUV previewed in concept form at last November’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Read: Kia EV9 Concept Is A Telluride-Sized Electric SUV Heading For Production

The automaker has already confirmed that the EV9 will be hitting US shores in late 2023, so what can we expect from the brutishly boxy large crossover? Let’s take an illustrative deep dive and explore everything we know to date.

A Big Beaut

Our artist’s impression of the production 2024 Kia EV9 electric crossover (Illustrations Carscoops.com / Josh Byrnes)

Unlike many other concept cars that lose their uniqueness transitioning to series production, the EV9 will retain much of the concept’s brutish good looks. Frontal styling showcases Kia’s reimagined Tiger Nose with a slim vent flanked by a pair of vertically stacked headlamp clusters. Visually, it plays a few tricks with what appears to be a dominant lower intake, but instead is a contrasting black panel with clever design details.

Viewing it from the side reveals a monolithic aesthetic with powerful proportions. An upright windshield with a box-like DLO (daylight opening area) is open and airy, and the sheet metal surfacing appears to be carved from stone – check out those shapely fenders! The monolithic theme continues at the rear with chiselled lines, contrasting lower cladding and boomerang-inspired taillamps framing the tailgate glass.

Lounging Around

Kia gave us a futuristic taste of the EV9’s interior through the concept seen here, but the production version will be toned down for the showrooms

Inside, the EV9 concept features an impressive lounge-like atmosphere with flexible seating options. Sadly, while the three-row seating makes the cut, the pivoting functionality won’t, nor will the suicide doors or pop-up steering wheel. Fortunately, many other elements, including the futuristic styling, ambient lighting, and a 27-inch digital instrument cluster-plus-infotainment hub, survive the transition into production.

Recycled PET bottles are used within the cabin plastics, and it’s also vegan-friendly with non-animal derived leathers. Expect the usual plethora of driver assist systems, ranging from semi-autonomous highway driving aid, safe exit assist, rear cross-traffic avoidance and navigation-based dynamic cruise control.

Platform & Performance

Like the smaller EV6, the EV9 sits on Kia’s electric global modular platform (E-GMP). The concept’s wheelbase of 122 inches (3,100 mm) firmly eclipses the already larger-than-life Telluride, which benefits both occupant space and battery capacity (although the exact kWh capacity is still undisclosed).

The EV9’s 800-volt architecture enables vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality and DC fast-charging up to 350 kW, with replenishment from 10 to 80 percent achieved in only 20-30 minutes. Kia has indicated the maximum range to be around the 300-mile (483 km) mark.

We expect the powertrains to mirror that of the EV6. In that vehicle, its dual-motor e-AWD setup pumps out 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque to yield a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time of 4.6 seconds. A higher performance variant with 576 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque will also likely be on the cards.

Rivals & Reveal

The 2024 Kia EV9 (above) will share a platform and its powertrains with the similarly sized 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 7, both illustrated here in production form by Josh Byrnes for Carscoops

The EV9 will sit alongside Hyundai’s upcoming Ioniq Seven SUV and the China-only Volkswagen ID.6 in the mainstream large battery-electric SUV segment. Other, albeit luxury, rivals include Cadillac’s Lyriq, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, BMW iX and an unnamed large crossover from Lexus.

Kia has confirmed that the EV9 will go on sale across Europe next year, with US sales commencing later in 2023. An official debut will likely take place in the coming months.

What do you think of the EV9? Share your views in the comments below.