Kia’s king-sized electric SUV, the EV9, is already on sale, having been subjected to media road test scrutiny earlier this year, but we’re still waiting to be formally introduced to its Hyundai brother, seen here testing in Germany. By next year, the Ioniq 7 will be battling not only its own twin, but Volvo’s EX90, and might even tempt a few buyers that might have been considering a BMW iX.
The Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 7 are both three-row electric SUVs that share the same platform and powertrains, but definitely not the same style. While this Ioniq 7 is almost completely covered in heavy disguise, Hyundai has already primed us for what to expect by revealing the Seven concept in 2021.
Naturally, some of the concept’s flamboyant auto show features have been left on the design center floor, meaning the production 7 has four conventional doors and a B-pillar, while the concept had rear-opening back doors and no pillar to create a living-room effect. But we’re confident that the fat D-pillar with its L-shaped window and Bentley-esque swollen rear arches will make the cut.
We can already see that the front fenders follow the same squared shape as the concept’s, albeit with tough black plastic trim, rather than body-color surfacing, and a version of the show car’s horizontal LED light bar and vertically-stacked LED headlights seems to be visible through the holes in the front camouflage.
Related: Hyundai Ioniq 7 Spied As A Swoopy Take On The Kia EV9
The concept also featured a striking smoked glass tail panel with LEDs running around its perimeter, and though the production car will almost certainly switch to a more conventional metal hatch containing a window, there’s a good chance the LED squircle surrounding it will make it to the street.
This particular prototype is wearing a sportier set of alloy wheels than the last Ioniq 7 our spy photographers snapped, which could mean it’s running a more powerful dual-motor setup. Though we can only speculate as to exact powertrain specs at this stage, we know they’ll be very close to what’s available in the EV9.
The Kia’s lineup starts at $54,900 for an entry-level single-motor version that sends 215 hp (160 kW / 218 PS) to the rear wheels, while a dual-motor, all-wheel drive EV9 delivers 379 hp (283 kW / 385 PS), and an even faster 576 hp (585 PS) GT model comes later.
