Kia EV9 is a huge brute of a car – but modern and light on its feet

IT’S half Tyson Fury. Half ballerina. One hundred per cent Kia.

That’s the best way to describe the EV9, Kia’s new electric SUV.

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It’s a huge brute of a car — you can see that — but because it’s electric, it’s light on its feet and can tiptoe down the street.

Also because it’s electric, it’s got more punch than Fury’s fist when you hurry it.
Kia unveiled the EV9 concept at the Los Angeles Auto Show yesterday so let’s go through some of the highlights:

• Seven seats
• 300-mile range
• Ultra-fast charging
• Recycled interior
• 27in touchscreen
• Knight Rider steering wheel
• Camera wing mirrors
• Cool headlights
• Solar panels

Thoroughly modern, then. The real car lands in Britain in 2023 and, as you’d expect from Kia, it will be sensibly priced, most likely starting with a four.

That’s a year earlier than the Range Rover EV, which will be at least double the price and won’t have Kia’s seven-year ­warranty.

Now I should perhaps explain that EV9 is based on the same “skateboard” electric car platform as EV6. Hyundai also use it.

What that means is, the battery pack is positioned low between the wheels, giving designers the freedom to create different bodystyles on top.

Kia promised seven EV-only models by 2026. The brilliant EV6 and EV9 are the first two.

Expect smaller Sportage-sized EVs and crossovers to follow. Kia will also add hydrogen-powered cars to its line-up from 2028.

‘Fast-charging, every bit as good as a Tesla’

Three years ago I told you the Koreans would have a major say in the switch to electric motoring for the masses and I’ve been proved right.

The £30k e-Niro, which is being renewed next summer, is Britain’s second-best-selling EV this year after Tesla’s Model 3.

Kia is third for total EV sales behind Tesla and Volkswagen. Kia UK boss Paul Philpott said: “Fifteen per cent of our sales this year will be pure EV, which is getting on for double what we did the year before.

“E-Niro has a very credible range of 282 miles. People can’t drive much more than that without stopping for a rest.

“We’ve got an alternative which is Soul EV and now we’ve got EV6, which is the first demonstration of dedicated EVs from Kia.

“We’ve already taken 1,500 orders and three quarters of those customers are new to Kia. I’m very proud of EV6, it’s such a complete product, fast charging, every bit as good as a Tesla, and EV9 is yet another important marker for us.”

I’m very proud of EV6, it’s such a complete product, fast charging, every bit as good as a Tesla, and EV9 is yet another important marker for us.

Kia UK boss Paul Philpott

Let’s finish with a little more detail on EV9’s eco credentials because that’s becoming increasingly more important to people.

The seats are made from wool fibres and recycled plastic bottles. The flooring from recycled fishnets. The armrests are vegan leather.

Also, the front seats switch round to face the third row, while the middle-row seats fold down into a table, so you’ve got a nice lounge space while the battery recharges for 20 minutes. Nice one, Kia.

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SEVENTH HEAVEN

• WEIRD that Hyundai unveiled a similar-sized SUV using the same tech as Kia on the same day. Normally they’d play nicely. Anyway, this is Ioniq 7, big brother to Ioniq 5.

The interior is pure fantasyland – chaise longue seating, panoramic OLED screen roof, self-driving mode – but those cool pixel lights will make the real car in 2024. Ioniq 6 will be a saloon.

• FISKER. Remember the name because there’s every chance it could be the new Tesla. The Californian EV start-up – founded by ex-Aston designer Henrik Fisker – will bring the £32k Ocean to Britain from early 2023. Vegan interior, 250-mile range, order by app. It will be built in Austria.

This next bit is really interesting. Fisker’s second car, called Pear, will be cheaper and produced by Foxconn, who make Apple iPhones.
Fisker will open a “Magic Works” UK engineering base to develop further models.

• I ONCE said a Porsche Cayman GT4 was like honey, you can’t top it. But I was wrong. Because now we have the first-ever GT4 RS: 500hp, 9,000rpm, 196mph, much lightness, huge rear wing, air intakes for rear side windows.

It lapped the legendary Nordschleife 23.6 seconds quicker. That’s a big job. Price: £108k. I’d also like to thank Porsche for inviting The White Lotus actress Alexandra Daddario, left, to unveil the Taycan GTS and Taycan GTS Sport Turismo in LA.

She said: “They are 100 per cent Hollywood approved.” Alexandra has 20million Instagram followers. Make that 20,000,001.