Kia Teases EV9 Ahead of March 15 Unveil

Creating a bit of hype for the launch of their all-electric large crossover, Kia has dropped a teaser video for their upcoming EV9. If the shadowy images are any indication, there’s little chance of owners losing it in a parking lot.

Set to act as the brand’s flagship EV, this machine will enter an arena that is slowly filling with seven-passenger electric vehicles – but few of which are likely to be offered at this price point. No one expects the EV9 to be priced at $19,995 but it’ll almost certainly be well south of others in its size category such as the Tesla Model X and Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV. We’ll take this moment to point out all those vehicles use a mash of alphanumerics for their names. Make of that what you will.

As is typical of teasers, specific details are few and far between – but we can still parse a few particulars. The front end seems to take much from the concept car and various spy shots of the real thing, using a series of dot-matrix shapes and strips of LEDs to create a unique lighting signature. Its taillights reach to the sky and, save for small twin spears pointing towards the center of this car, Kia likely won’t mind if some non-car people mistake it for a Cadillac. The EV9’s side profile is boxy, as one would expect from a company that brought us three-row vehicles like the Telluride.

The bottom of that rear window is devoid of a wiper arm; we hope one is tucked away and hidden behind the roof-mounted spoiler. This is an irritating trend in new electric cars, with manufacturers doing away with rear wipers for the sake of weight or complexity or power consumption or because a bed-wetting bean counter said it was a good idea. Despite claims that aero effects will keep that pane clean, real-world testing in messy conditions proves that grime still accumulates, and a wiper is needed. Perhaps if enough of us complain, we can nip this trend in the bud before it becomes too widespread.

Kia plans to officially reveal the EV9 on March 15th.

[Image: Kia]

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