2023 Kia EV9 electric SUV spy photos

The 2023 Kia EV9 electric large SUV has been spied testing at the Nürburgring this week.

Revealing toned-down styling elements from the concept, the EV9 looks closer to being production-ready, with the latest example wearing less camouflage than before.

However, the exterior lumps, roll cage, Recaro race seats, and generic alloy wheels indicate the EV9 is still early in development, with an official unveiling not expected until early next year.

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The overall silhouette and matrix LED headlights remain faithful to the Concept EV9 revealed at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show, while Kia has fitted pop-out electronic door handles and thin exterior mirrors.

It is currently unknown what technical specifications the EV9 will offer; however, the related six- or seven-seat Hyundai Ioniq 7 will feature a 100kWh battery pack and a 230kW dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain, according to Carscoops.

An electric driving range of around 500 kilometres is expected, likely matching the 482km claimed for the Concept EV9.

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The upper-large electric SUV will ride on the modular E-GMP platform, which currently underpins the EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, and the Genesis GV60.

Set to become Kia’s flagship model, alongside the internal-combustion Telluride, the EV9 is expected to measure around 5000 millimetres long – roughly on par with the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and LandCruiser Prado.

The concept rides on a 3100mm wheelbase, and is 4930mm long, 2055mm wide and 1790mm tall.

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While this is shorter than the Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, the Concept EV9 is substantially broader and taller, with a 200mm longer wheelbase for maximum interior space.

According to the Korean Car Blog, the interior of the seven-seat EV9 will be on par with the Carnival people-mover, with more legroom available for third-row passengers due to its electric architecture, which allows for a flat cabin floor.

Occupants can also expect an ultra-wide display similar to the EV6, along with over-the-air software updates and Level 3 autonomous driving technology, known as Highway Driving Pilot (HDP).

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The EV9 concept revealed in late 2021

While the EV9 is yet to be officially locked in for the local market, Kia Australia’s general manager for product planning, Roland Rivero, told Wheels it has strong prospects in Australia.

“In the absence of Telluride, and I know there’s a lot of opinion on the lack of bringing that model to Australia, we think EV9 has got a lot of potential here,” he said.

“You look at that upper-large category – which is only a two-horse race between the Toyota LandCruiser and the Nissan Patrol – with the average price there being around $96k, and it tells us Australians aren’t afraid of a $90k upper-large SUV. There’s an opportunity there – we just need HQ to give us the green light."

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The EV9 concept revealed in late 2021

Kia plans to launch the EV9 in Europe, with confirmed right-hand drive production for the United Kingdom.

At a recent media briefing for the second-generation Niro, Kia Australia’s top boss, Damien Meredith, said the recent introduction of the EV6 “is proving to be more popular than [Kia] could have ever imagined” – another indicator that more electric models will soon be heading our way.

Leaked internal information from the company’s Sohari plant in South Korea has indicated production will begin in April, ahead of a potential Australian launch in late 2023 or early 2024.