SPY PICS: Kia EV9 flagship SUV takes to the streets

First spy shots of the upcoming 2023 Kia EV9 have appeared out of Europe, previewing what will be the Korean brand’s flagship electric SUV when it launches globally next year.

Due to the detail-hiding camouflage wrap, the only concrete design characteristics we can really see are the EV9’s sheer size, raised roof, obligatory SUV body cladding and funky four-spoke alloy wheel design (which could change before production).

Flick through the images for long enough and you’ll likely spot the vertical daytime running lights shining through the front – similar to the concept shown last year – while there’s also a glimpse of the Toyota LandCruiser-size electric SUV’s elongated tail-lights.

With smaller-diameter wheels than the concept and physical wing mirrors rather than trendy virtual ones as seen on the new Genesis GV60 or Hyundai IONIQ 6, it’s more than likely this particular EV9 is a lower or mid-spec model variant that leaves the novelty gismos for the higher grades.

The concept’s panoramic roof and suicide rear doors are also missing, the former of which will almost undoubtedly feature on the flagship variant.

There’ll be nothing missing when it comes to the powertrain, however, going by the preliminary figures nominated by Kia for the show car, headlined by a driving range of around 540km and outputs set to surpass the 220kW/600Nm mark.

Sources out of Europe suggest the e-GMP-underpinned EV9 will also debut Kia’s latest-generation fast-charging technology, which could yield a sub-30min charge time from 10-80 per cent.

Kia Australia has already made it very clear it wants to secure the EV9 for local introduction, and if it arrives here in 2023 as expected, the big battery-powered SUV will launch with no direct competitors.

Roughly the same size as a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, the all-new Kia EV9 will likely be the first vehicle of its kind Down Under, where no other brand presently offers a full-size battery-electric SUV.

The upcoming electric version of the next Volvo XC90 may present some competition but will again be classed as a large SUV, making one size smaller than the EV9.

With no electric LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol on the horizon any time soon, the Kia EV9’s stiffest competition will likely come from its sister model, the Hyundai IONIQ 7 large SUV that at this stage is tipped to arrive in Australia in 2024.

As usual with spy shots of pre-production vehicles, the amount of camouflage the EV9 remains shrouded in will eventually be whittled down, providing a better look at the big three-row EV in its final production form.

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