Would You Guess the 2026 Kia EV9 Nightfall Edition Adds Some Blacked-Out Visual Flair?
The styling touches might seem obvious given the name, but they also are subtle and a nice touch.
The EV9 three-row electric SUV is already quite the looker, but the new 2026 Kia EV9 Nightfall Edition adds some black-painted detailing that helps make it pop even more. Plus, there's a new exterior color to choose from to set that poppin' off that much more.
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Gloss-black "Kia" and "EV9" emblems are part of the package, as are front "grille" accents, lower side sill accents, wing mirrors, roof rails, skid plates, and new, 20-inch wheels. Inside, the darkened color scheme continues with a black headliner, upholstery pattern, and seat stitching.
The Nightfall Edition will be available on the EV9's Land AWD dual-motor trim, which can be configured with either six- or seven-passenger seating. And as a new paint option—exclusive to the Nightfall—comes Roadrider Brown, which we're told is an earthy tone that's popular right now. Unfortunately, the provided press photos only show the car with white paint, so you'll have to use your imagination here.
Seeing as the Nightfall Edition is only an appearance pack, the EV9's existing hardware has been left alone. That means the Land trim's 99.8-kWh battery, 379-hp, and 443 lb-ft-of-torque capacities remain. However, a Boost function momentarily increases the torque to 516 lb-ft. Plus, owners can now take advantage of Kia's switch to the North American Charging Standard (NACS) plug. Range is a projected 280 miles.
If you're off-put by the fact that this Nightfall stuff isn't on the top-tier GT-Line, hold on a sec. Here at MotorTrend, we actually prefer the Land trim, as it gets most of the good amenities as standard but you don't have to pay GT-Line pricing. Plus, even though the GT-Line comes standard with 516 lb-ft of torque, our testing showed the EV9 Land to tie it in a zero-to-60-mph sprint and was slightly quicker in the quarter-mile. Our real-world testing yielded a range of 256 miles.
This isn't the first Nightfall Edition the automaker has done. Previous models that have received this treatment include the Seltos, Sportage, and Telluride.
No pricing for the Nightfall Edition EV9 was announced at this time, but based on 2025 EV9 Land pricing, we can infer things to start above $73,000 for the 2026 models. Kia targets sales to begin during the second quarter of this year.
I got into cars the way most people do: my dad. Since I was little, it was always something we’d talk about and I think he was stoked to have his kid share his interest. He’d buy me the books, magazines, calendars, and diecast models—everything he could do to encourage a young enthusiast. Eventually, I went to school and got to the point where people start asking you what you want to do with your life. Seeing as cars are what I love and writing is what I enjoy doing, combining the two was the logical next step. This dream job is the only one I’ve ever wanted. Since then, I’ve worked at Road & Track, Jalopnik, Business Insider, The Drive, and now MotorTrend, and made appearances on Jay Leno’s Garage, Good Morning America, The Smoking Tire Podcast, Fusion’s Car vs. America, the Ask a Clean Person podcast, and MotorTrend’s Shift Talkers. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, cooking, and watching the Fast & Furious movies on repeat. Tokyo Drift is the best one.
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