Kia’s first extra-large electric SUV is nearing its debut

For better or worse, environmentally speaking, SUVs are the most popular category of vehicle in the US, and with a few new photos and videos, Kia is teasing the production version of its upcoming EV9 electric SUV. The EV9 will be interesting thanks to its gold star smaller sibling, the EV6, that launched in 2021 — and because we expect it will be dimensionally similar to monstrously large SUVs like the Telluride or Cadillac Escalade.

There aren’t a whole lot of three-row electric vehicles on the market yet, let alone full-size ones like the EV9. Some current suburban family-hauling EV options include the Rivian R1S, Mercedes EQS, Model X, and, with a supremely cramped third-row seating option, the Model Y.

The new media shows off only a silhouette of the EV9, which will be Kia’s second vehicle (after the EV6) built on Hyundai’s shared Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

Kia first revealed the three-row concept EV9 in 2021, and now, this new teaser reveals what seems to be a more sloped windshield, a slightly reshaped backside, animated front daytime-running LEDs, and flush door handle cutouts. The full design will be revealed in mid-March, and more solid details — hopefully including pricing and availability — will be shared at Kia’s EV World Premiere event in late March.