Kia EV9 SUV Concept Previews Brand's Next, Bigger Electric SUV
Following up on the smaller EV6, the EV9 will look more traditional—at least in shape.0:00 / 0:00
Just ahead of the 2021 LA Auto Show, Kia teases out a new electric SUV concept, the EV9. The new EV is a part of its 2045 goal of carbon neutrality and the "Kia Sustainability Movement" that coincides with its partnership with The Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit based in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
The Path of Electrification for Kia
Kia is no stranger to EVs, having started out with the Kia Soul EV in 2015 and today selling the Niro EV. However, the South Korean brand has ambitious plans for an electrified lineup of 11 new EVs. The first was the EV6 crossover and today, Kia announced that it would be introducing a new electric SUV, the EV9 at the 2021 LA Auto Show in mid-November.
While not much is known about the EV9 other than the design sketches pictured here, Kia promises that it will combine "progressive design, state-of-the-art tech, and an advanced all-electric powertrain in one pioneering package."
Unround Steering Wheel
Those sketches do look promising with a dashboard that is minimalist save for the very long display that stretches nearly to the passenger side. The steering wheel is catching on the latest trend of being "not round". It's not quite a yoke, as is on the Tesla Model S, but it isn't far off...
In an above drawing of the driver's front interior, we can see the glimpses of touch controls with no physical buttons or dials. The center console is also bare of any types of controls, but that doesn't necessarily mean the physical model won't have something, either. They could be cleverly designed into it rather than discreet.
Boxy Boy
The body itself is very boxy, with hints of some Kia Telluride DNA in its shape. The sketched fenders have very strong lines and creases and a slightly aggressive profile instead of the smaller EV6's flowing curves and rounder body.
