SPY PICS: 2023 Kia EV9 hits the road undisguised

Kia’s upcoming all-electric flagship SUV has been caught driving on-road without any camouflage, giving us our first look at how the production 2023 Kia EV9 is shaping up ahead of its debut later this year.

Locked in for an Australian launch in the fourth quarter, the all-new three-row 2023 Kia EV9 is expected to kick off at around $90,000 plus on-road costs.

From the video, posted by Instagram user @nacional.collector and believed to be genuine, the production model looks like it will share the 2021 Concept EV9’s striking styling.

But look closer and there have been plenty of detail changes.

These include ditching the concept’s 35-element headlights for a pair of more conventional vertical stacked units, although the C-shaped daytime running lamps carry over.

Below, the lower bumper has been overhauled with a large air dam flanked by what looks like a pair of vertical air curtains.

At the rear, the EV9 carries over largely unchanged other than the addition of a new bumper that incorporates a pair of reflectors and a plate carrier.

Huge wheels and black plastic wheel-arches suggest the vehicle we’re looking at will be the range-topping GT-Line or the fastest GT version.

Sadly, for fans of the concept, both the pillar-less cabin and rear-hinged doors have been junked for production on account of side impact safety.

Final specifications are yet to be revealed, but the EV9 will use the 800-volt E-GMP chassis and electrical architecture that also underpins the Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Genesis GV60 – and the closely-related, upcoming Hyundai IONIQ 7.

When it arrives, there will be a choice of single-motor rear-drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains.

The EV9 will also be offered in Australia with a choice of a smaller-capacity battery expected to give upwards of 400km of WLTP-verified driving range. The larger battery will take that range closer to 600km.

The entry-level Air grade is expected to use the rear-drive set-up and the smaller battery pack, while the GT-Line will use two motors for AWD as well as the larger battery pack.

There will also eventually be a higher-output Kia EV9 GT range-topper, but it will arrive later.

As with the EV6, the EV9 will come with high levels of standard equipment as part of Kia’s play at the premium end of the EV market.

It will also be able to tow up to 2500kg – matching the BMW iX, which currently has the highest tow capacity of any EV sold in Australia – and will be the first Kia with self-levelling suspension to account for additional weight in the rear.

Within the EV9’s cabin it will also debut the second-generation Kia Connect multimedia system that brings over-the-air software updates and remote connectivity, plus the potential for paid upgrades or subscriptions.

One caveat worth mentioning regarding the new pics, some have suggested the latest video’s low resolution could be evidence that it is a deep fake.

But the updates to the concept appear to correspond with recent spy shots, while the location of the EV9, which was caught in Santiago, Chile, suggests Kia might be using the early model to film footage that will be used for its global launch.

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