The hot new Kia EV9 GT will be priced from £82,185 when it lands in the UK later this summer.
One of the UK’s fastest seven-seaters, it’s capable of dispatching the 0-62mph sprint in 4.6sec, putting it on a par with the BMW iX xDrive60 and placing it between the 4 and 4S versions of the Porsche Macan Electric.
The electric SUV has a 215bhp motor mounted on the front axle and a 362bhp electric motor at the rear combining for a total output of 502bhp. That’s 124bhp more than the current EV9 range-topper, the GT-Line S.
The only seven-seaters faster than the EV9 GT are the Audi SQ7 (taking 4.1sec to hit 62mph) and the Tesla Model X Plaid (2.5sec to 60mph) – although the Tesla is no longer offered in right-hand-drive form here.
As well as the significant bump in power, the EV9 GT gets the simulated gearbox and engine sounds from Kia sibling brand Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N.
This can be controlled using paddles mounted on the steering wheel and is intended to add more engagement to the electric driving experience.
Kia has also made a number of tweaks to ensure that the SUV – which weighs 2648kg in more mild GT-Line form – can corner too. It gets electronic suspension, which adjusts its firmness based on the car’s drive mode, in addition to an electronic limited-slip differential that distributes power to the wheels with the most traction.
Stopping power is said to have been boosted by the fitting of larger front brakes.
The EV9 GT’s range is officially pegged at 280 miles between charges, considerably down on the 349 miles of the more efficient EV9 Air.
