2026 Kia EV9 GT First Look: 501-HP Family Hauler With Fake Shifts

This one should definitely be fun

2026 Kia EV9 GT front 3/4
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  • Kia introduces a hotter version of its three-row electric SUV: the EV9 GT.
  • A dual-motor setup makes an estimated 501 horsepower.
  • The EV9 GT gets the same Virtual Gear Shift tech as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

For anyone who thought a three-row family SUV with a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds was just too darn slow, rest assured, Kia is addressing your beef. The 2026 Kia EV9 GT will be packing an estimated 501 horsepower from its pair of electric motors, which the company claims is good for a 0-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. That should be enough to send your kids' Cheerios flying.

The EV9 GT has an offset arrangement: The front motor produces 215 hp, while the rear one puts out 362 hp. Kia says the exact combined figure is TBD, but its current estimate of 501 hp falls well short of the smaller EV6 GT’s 641 hp.

Now with fake gear shifts

All those facts and figures are certainly swell, but the more surprising acceleration news is the new Virtual Gear Shift function (VGS). This would be the same gearshift-mimicking tech that’s so delightfully ridiculous yet satisfying in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The EV9 GT can simulate a traditional automatic transmission going through preset "gear" ratios or let the driver do so with paddle shifters. Kia says the EV9 GT's Active Sound Design system works with VGS to “replicate the sounds of the gear shifts.”

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2026 Kia EV9 GT interior

The EV9 GT is also Kia’s first three-row SUV to get an electronically controlled suspension. This features dampers that get firmer or softer based on the drive mode, which now includes a new GT mode summoned by a special green steering wheel button. A different steering wheel button calls up Normal, Eco, Sport or the My Drive individual mode. Steering, brake feel and acceleration characteristics are also altered with these modes.

Neon green brakes and other design changes

Like the EV6 GT, the EV9 GT comes standard with an electronic limited-slip differential, which helps limit wheelspin by routing torque to tires with more traction. Special 21-inch wheels and bigger brakes with neon green calipers round out the mechanical upgrades.

Visually, the EV9 GT gets a unique lighting pattern up front (note the little squares in the grille area) and different trim in the lower air dam. There are no noteworthy changes at the rear. The interior gets an exclusive steering wheel and dashboard trim, plus special sport seats. The press release didn’t indicate it, but hopefully those chairs have power adjustability, unlike those in the EV6 GT.

The EV9’s impressive infotainment suite is unchanged apart from some GT-exclusive graphics. (There’s unique ambient lighting, too.) All of the EV9 GT-Line’s extra driver assistance functions also come standard.

2026 Kia EV9 GT rear 3/4

What we still don't know

There are some rather important elements we do not know, however. A range estimate was not given, nor was the battery capacity. For reference, the EV9 GT-Line is estimated to travel 270 miles on a charge. Should range indeed be less than stellar, at least charging will be quick. The EV9 GT still has 800-volt fast-charging architecture and Kia says it can recharge from 10% to 80% in less than 25 minutes. Plus, by the time the EV9 GT goes on sale in the second half of 2025, every EV9 will have switched over to Tesla’s NACS charge port and have access to Superchargers.

The second unknown is price, which Kia says will be revealed closer to that on-sale date. For reference, the 2024 EV6 GT carries a $8,700 price premium over the GT-Line, while the EV9 GT-Line starts at $75,395. It sure seems like the starting price will start with an 8.

James Riswickby

James Riswick has been testing cars and writing about them for more than 20 years. He was the senior reviews editor for Autoblog and previously served multiple editor roles here at Edmunds. He has also contributed to Autotrader, Car and Driver, Hagerty, JD Power and Autoguide Magazine. He has been interested in cars forever; his mom took him to the Toronto Auto Show when he was 18 months old and has attended at least one every year since (OK, except in 2020). He owns a babied 1998 BMW Z3 in James Bond blue and a 2023 Kia Niro EV.

Steven Ewingedited by

Steven Ewing has worked in the automotive industry since 2003. In that time, he's written thousands of articles and tested just as many vehicles. Steven is Edmunds' director of editorial content and has previously been on staff at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog, Motor1.com, CNET, and was the U.S. correspondent for Top Gear magazine. Steven has also contributed to Automobile magazine, Car and Driver, The Drive, Jalopnik, Porsche Panorama, and dozens of other publications. In his spare time, Steven loves to play the drums, cook, and drive his 1999 BMW M Roadster to local punk shows.

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