Kia announces high-performance EV9 GT with virtual shifting and native Tesla charging

Kia came to the LA Auto Show with not 1 but 2 revamped electrical vehicles, a motion that the South Korean automaker is inactive feeling bullish astir its momentum successful the plug-in car market.

First off, the 2025 Kia EV9 GT is simply a show mentation of its three-row SUV, which we archetypal tested earlier this year. This 1 promises much powerfulness and a sportier consciousness than the mentation we drove, which bore the GT Line badge but wasn’t specifically tuned for performance. The caller GT trim comes with implicit 500 horsepower (compared to 379hp successful the 2024 model) and a zero to 60mph acceleration of 4.3 seconds. Kia is calling it the “most powerful” three-row SUV it’s ever created.

The dual-motor EV9 GT volition besides beryllium the archetypal Kia conveyance to diagnostic electronically controlled suspension for other creaseless handling, depending connected your thrust mode. Just property the agleam greenish GT fastener connected the steering instrumentality to entree GT mode, dialing successful daze damping to its stiffest setting.

And overmuch similar the Hyundai Ioniq 5N from Kia’s sister company, the EV9 GT volition diagnostic virtual cogwheel shifting that simulates the consciousness of a accepted step-shift automatic transmission — implicit with fake motor noises. This provides noticeable “shifts” arsenic the EV9 accelerates and tin trim acceleration erstwhile the rev bounds is reached.

You tin besides usage the paddles located connected either broadside of the steering instrumentality to manually displacement done the gears. And Kia has thing called the “Active Sound Design (e-ASD)” that works successful performance with the fake cogwheel strategy to replicate the dependable of the gears shifting arsenic the conveyance accelerates.

The EV9 has been incredibly fashionable for Kia, selling astir 18,000 units successful the US since it was archetypal released past December. But the automaker precocious said it would slow accumulation of the SUV successful effect to a chillier argumentation environment.

There are immoderate plan differences betwixt the archetypal and refreshed versions of the EV9 GT, including 285/45R-21 high-performance Continental tires astir exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels and neon greenish brake calipers archetypal featured connected the EV6 GT. And determination are different GT-exclusive lighting accents and integer graphics connected the infotainment to delight drivers astir their big, almighty SUV.

But possibly astir importantly, the 2025 EV9 GT volition beryllium the archetypal EV from Kia to travel with a autochthonal Tesla / North American Charging System (NACS) port. That means that erstwhile it comes retired sometime adjacent year, it volition person entree to each 15,000 Supercharger stations without the request for an adapter. Hyundai already announced that its 2025 Ioniq 5 volition besides person factory-installed Tesla charging, truthful it’s different motion that the 2 South Korean automakers are leapfrogging the remainder of the manufacture successful adopting the caller charging standard.

In addition, Kia announced a refreshed 2025 EV6 crossover, besides with the autochthonal NACS port. The exemplary twelvemonth 2025 mentation of Kia’s flagship EV is besides getting a bigger artillery for much capableness and longer range. And the charging larboard connected the EV6 has been moved to the near rear fender to marque it much compatible with Tesla Superchargers. (Kia is going to commencement providing adapters to existent EV owners adjacent year.)

The 2023 EV6 that we tested 2 years ago came modular with a 58kWh capableness artillery pack, which translates into a scope of 232 miles. Now, the 2025 EV6 volition travel with a 63kWh battery, on with an optional 84kWh battalion that should get an estimated 319 miles of scope successful the rear-wheel thrust configuration.

The 2025 EV6 volition beryllium built astatine Hyundai and Kia’s Metaplant successful Georgia, which means it whitethorn suffice for the $7,500 taxation recognition portion it inactive exists. (President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to destruct the EV taxation credit.) The EV9 GT, however, volition beryllium built successful South Korea alongside the hot-blooded EV6 GT and is anticipated to get successful precocious 2025. Pricing for some models is expected to beryllium released person to accumulation time.