Kia EV9 is based on the new-age e-GMP skateboard
The biggest automotive event in India has returned after a short hiatus and every participant is celebrating it in a grand way. Kia has a legion of enticing automobile models on display at the ongoing Auto Expo and this is unquestionably the showstopper among them- the EV9 Concept! (Mic Drop)
Kia revealed their upcoming flagship electric SUV in concept form at the 2021 Los Angeles Motor Show, with the production version expected to be ready by the end of this year. The EV9 is also technically related and similarly positioned to the Hyundai Seven Concept.
It’s safe to call the EV9 a woolly mammoth in the Kia cosmos as this thing is big as a Range Rover in terms of proportions. This EV SUV is 4.9 metres long, 2 metres wide and nearly 1.8 metres tall. It also has a 3.1-metre wheelbase, which is the largest that can be achieved on the E-GMP architecture-the same that also underpins the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, etc.
The EV9 Concept features a bold and boxy design. It has a reinterpreted ‘tiger nose’ grille with a blanked-out panel, distinctive LED light modules, Z-shaped headlamp clusters, sharp cuts and angular lines on the sides, flat surfaces, a huge glasshouse with an upward kink post the C-pillar, flared-out wheel arches, small cameras as wing mirrors, vertically-positioned LED taillights, and a pronounced bumper. The concept even has bougie features like suicide doors. The air ducts on the hood use solar panels to charge the battery.
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Kia has already begun testing a camouflaged pre-production prototype of the EV9 and there are some notable changes compared to the original concept. The differences include a subtle variation to the headlamp clusters; the cameras have been swapped for regular wing mirrors; the pillars have been made beefier and more prominent; the upward kink post the C-pillar has been smoothed out, and the suicide doors have been replaced with conventional-style doors. These differences are evident from the images of the EV9 testing released by Kia.
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The interior of the EV9 concept looks like something out of a sci-fi movie. No joke, the absolute lack of physical controls, the minimalistic layout, the twin-screen set-up-one for the instrument cluster and the other for the infotainment system, and the spoke-less flat-bottom steering wheel make it look like a sci-fi creation. However, it will get toned down for the production-spec model.
The production-spec EV9 will also come with autonomous driving functions, over-the-air software compatibility, and something called feature-on-demand, where owners can buy only those functions that they desire to have.
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The EV9 is likely to boast the big daddy 77.4 kWh battery pack, which is also the largest of the two battery packs offered for the Kia EV6. Kia has been tightlipped about the range and power output figures, which are expected to be disclosed before the introduction of the production-ready model.
The E-GMP platform features an 800V electrical architecture, which supports rapid charging at rates up to 350 kW. In other words, it can juice up the battery from 10 to 80 percent in just around 20 minutes.
Are you excited about the production model of the Kia EV9?
