The 2024 Kia EV9 Unveiled: Big, Boxy, And Fully Electric

It’s finally here, and boy howdy is it huge.

The Kia EV9 has been unveiled, and it’s a huge, futuristically boxy family-sized EV that seats six or seven people. Staying somewhat close to the concept, this 99% production-intent version takes a lot of elements seen from the concept and translates them into a stylish, big crossover.

The styling language is undeniably boxy, with straight chiseled lines, and surfacing that reminds of us something from Tron Legacy. The EV6 is a little big bigger than the Telluride, but its styling seems to hide all that visual mass. Floor-to-ceiling taillights dominate the rear fascia, and in all, the EV9 is a lovely, blocky big crossover.

We’re glad Kia didn’t simply stick a whole bunch of batteries under a Telluride, although given how good the Telluride is, that wouldn’t have been a bad thing. The EV9 has a lot of thoughtful touches that elevate it past other traditional big crossovers, like the second-row seats that can swivel 180 degrees to face the rear seats. The dashboard is surprisingly conventional, featuring a twin-screen setup that we’ve seen in a lot of modern Kia products of late. There appear to be physical buttons for HVAC commands and other vehicle functions.

Kia had flown a few journalists to South Korea for a hands-on first look at the EV9, but no other information about the EV9 has been officially confirmed yet. Some information about the EV9 may have leaked, but Kia has not confirmed range, power, or battery size.

To us, the Kia EV9 looks to be right on the money, for what consumers are looking for in a big EV crossover. Sure, the EV9 isn’t the first seven-seat EV, but it could be the first one that’s reasonably priced for families. The only other seven-seat EVs are expensive luxury cars, like the Rivian R1S, or offer tiny, unusable third-row seats, like the Mercedes-Benz EQB. Of course, there’s the VinFast VF9, but that vehicle only seems to exist in theory.