2026 Kia EV9

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.” 

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. 

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.

The 2026 Kia EV9 GT's starting price will likely exceed $80,000.