“This new halo trim is set to spark the hearts of driving enthusiasts who still need the practicality of a six-passenger SUV. You can have your cake and eat it too!” So reckons Steven Center, Kia America’s COO and Executive Vice Pres, of the new EV9 GT. Quite the claim - perhaps not since the AMG wagons with rear-facing pews has a seven-seat model delivered a knee-trembler. Or maybe the Focus ST engined S-Max, at a more modest budget. But if any company is going to make a giant SUV fun, it could be Kia. The EV6 GT is already pretty good, the related Ioniq 5 N superb, and the base 9 is far from a bad car to drive given its heft.
This GT has just been revealed at the LA show ahead of production kicking off at the end of next year; with development still ongoing, exact numbers are to be confirmed in due course, though there’s plenty to be encouraged by. The fact that Kia isn’t chasing crazy power is one of them, the GT estimated to make around 500hp from its dual-motor configuration. That’s a modest - by EV standards - uplift from the 383hp of the standard AWD car. It’s not even the most powerful car Kia has made, with that accolade still belonging to the 585hp EV6 GT. A 0-60mph time of 4.3 seconds is being targeted; pedestrian, almost, by the silly standards of the super EV.
But there’s a lot more to the EV9 GT than a little more power and neon green accents. Stuff that you might actually be interested in. It gets something called Virtual Gear Shifts, which sounds a lot like the technology in the 5N that replicated a paddleshift auto to such convincing effect. VGS can behave as a conventional auto, or the driver can take control with the paddles ‘for an elevated sense of driving engagement’ in conjunction with the Active Sound Design. It wasn’t very long ago that that sentence in relation to any car wouldn’t make much sense, let alone a seven-seat Kia SUV, but here we are. Given the precedent set by the Hyundai, there’s reason to believe Virtual Gear Shift will be a useful extra feature rather than a gimmick.
For the first time in a three-row Kia SUV, the EV9 gets Electronically Controlled Suspension, which will adjust the damping effort depending on drive mode. GT mode, naturally enough, will put the car at its firmest. Upgraded brakes will ‘bring the angular SUV to a reassuring halt’ and the smaller 6 donates its e-LSD to benefit traction; Kia says the senior GT maintains ‘a stable attitude as it navigates corners.’ Nobody could accuse them of not throwing plenty of good stuff at the performance SUV.
Distinguishing the GT from the rest of the EV9 range will be unique 21-inch wheels with Continental tyres, brake calipers in the trademark green, plus something called an ‘ENERGETIC’ lighting pattern as well as ‘GT-exclusive patterns on the Active Air Flaps’. But like the EV6 equivalent, this is a fairly modest overhaul for a GT variant, as sort of implied by the small power gain. There’s more bright green inside, a GT-specific wheel, new graphics, sports seats, and plentiful Alcantara.
Kia is keen to point out that the GT’s additional performance and driver focus doesn’t come at the expense of the standard car’s usability. It’ll still charge just as fast (210kW), it can still tow 2.5 tonnes, and there’s still almost 20cm of ground clearance. Maybe having one's cake wasn’t such a bold claim - hopefully we’ll find out next year. Mr Center added: “The EV9 has been a home run for Kia and introduced the first mass-market electric three-row SUV, and EV9 GT includes all those wonderful elements while amping up the fun factor significantly.” A car that combines the best bits of the standard SUV with the fizz from cars like the EV6 and Ioniq 5 could be a family-friendly corker. A massive one, but a corker nonetheless. Fingers crossed…
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