Lianne Dhalla | 13 Jan 2023 02:22 PM
At the Auto Expo 2023, Kia unveiled its all-electric SUV concept, the Kia EV9, and the Kia KA4 MPV. The corporation also disclosed an investment in India for EV-related R and D, production, and infrastructure development of ₹2,000 crores.
The new EV9 sports a fresh rendition of the brand's iconic "tiger nose" grille, with a blanked-out panel sporting LED light modules and a Z-shaped headlight cluster. The vehicle has a generally squarish appearance. It has a straight posture, clean lines, flat surfaces, a sizable glasshouse with a sharp curve post the C-pillar and an upright attitude. The back has distinctive, vertical LED taillights and a prominent bumper. But the production vehicle won't have some design elements like rear-hinged doors, no B-pillar, the headlamp cluster, or flared wheel arches.
Measuring in at a whopping 4,929mm in length, 2,055mm in width, and 1,790mm in height, the car is almost as large as a Range Rover. The 3,100mm wheelbase is the largest that can be achieved on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) platform, similar to the EV6.
The inside of the EV9 concept sports a rather minimalistic dashboard with a twin-screen infotainment layout, spoke-less flat-bottom steering wheel and a complete lack of physical controls. Decked up with funky ambient lighting and a three-row layout where the second-row seats can be folded completely flat with the first row of seats being able to swivel around, the car has a lounge-type appeal. That said, this will too, likely be toned down for production. When it comes to functionality, the car brings autonomous driving features, support for over-the-air software updates, and feature-on-demand (FOD), which allows owners to purchase only the particular features they need. However, these too will likely be toned down for the production model.
As for power, the concept car packs on a 77.4kWh battery pack with official range and output figures yet to be revealed. An entry-level model with a single motor driving the rear axle and a dual-motor, four-wheel-drive range-topper are both anticipated for the EV9 concept's production version.