Kia Australia will soon start wholesaling and opening orders for the new EV9 GT high-performance electric SUV, which will serve as its new halo model.
Roland Rivero, general manager for product planning at Kia Australia, told CarExpert at the launch of the new EV4 Sedan that the EV9 GT will be “available to customers within this quarter”.
While Mr Rivero stopped short of confirming price and spec information, that timeline suggests the 374kW three-row electric SUV could be only weeks away from local showrooms and customer driveways, a little later than the initially forecast release timing in the second half of 2025.
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Revealed in November 2024, the 2026 Kia EV9 GT gets a 160kW front and 270kW rear electric motor for a quoted system power output of 374kW, good for a 4.3-second sprint from 0-100km/h.
It’s the brand’s first three-row SUV to get electronically controlled suspension with adjustable damping, and boasts other driver-focused enhancements like Virtual Gear Shift (VGS) and Active Sound Design (e-ASD), which replicate the feel and sounds of gear shifts as the EV9 GT accelerates.
There are also upgraded brakes with neon green calipers, sitting behind 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 285/45R-21 ‘high-performance’ Continental tyres, plus an electronic limited-slip differential to help improve cornering stability.
Inside, the EV9 GT sports the performance sub-brand’s signature lime green trim accents, with more aggressive sports seats fitted across all three rows.
The EV9 GT will certainly cost more than the current flagship, the $121,000 EV9 GT-Line which itself is powered by a 283kW/700Nm dual-motor electric powertrain and claims to hit 100km/h from rest in 5.3 seconds.
Kia’s local website shows a drive-away price of $138,915 based on a Melbourne postcode, meaning the GT could be nudging a very premium $150,000 drive-away.
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