The Kia EV9 all-electric SUV was spotted by our spy photographers during its final testing phase, before an expected launch during the first quarter of this year.
Underneath the heavy camouflage, the brand’s biggest electric SUV appears to have a production-spec body, as well as production-intent headlights and tail lights. Another interesting feature revealed by this latest batch of spy shots is the pair of digital side view mirrors that presumably feed video to some screens inside.
However, seeing how the vehicle in question has German license plates, it’s very likely that this option won’t make its way to America, as the United States currently doesn’t allow digital side mirrors. Instead, Kia will probably offer them in Europe, where they’re allowed.
Gallery: New Kia EV9 Spy Photos
There are no shots of the interior, but previous spy shots suggested the presence of two main screens inside, with a low-profile display behind the steering wheel and a portrait-style touchscreen on the center console.
The flagship three-row Kia EV9 was previewed by the 2021 concept bearing the same name and is expected to be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform that acts as a base for the smaller Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 6.
According to a leaked survey from the beginning of the year, the EV9 will reportedly cost between $56,000 and $73,000, making it the first truly affordable all-electric seven-seat SUV, undercutting both the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S in terms of price.
The same leaked list of specs points to two available power levels – 200 horsepower and 400 horsepower – while the maximum range is somewhere between 220-290 miles on a single charge, depending on the trim level, power output, and wheel size.
There’s no mention of the battery’s size, but rumors say the EV9 will benefit from a battery pack of around 100 kilowatt-hours, considering the current models based on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform make use of a 77.4-kWh pack, but they’re smaller than the upcoming EV9. Moreover, there's a possibility that Kia will offer more than one battery size for its seven-seat SUV, but we’ll have to wait and see if this will prove to be true.
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