Well, that was quick. Shortly after unveiling the EV9 GT-Line, Kia has announced its fullsize electric SUV will get the full-fat GT treatment. Already being developed, the high-performance version will be released at the beginning of 2025. The disclosure was made by Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song in an interview with members of the media, including Car and Driver. It’s set to become the second electric GT model after the smaller EV6 GT.
Details about the EV9 GT have not been released, but we can make an educated guess. Expect a massive hike in output over the 2024 EV9 with all-wheel drive, which offers 380 horsepower (283 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque. An optional Boost model will be available for the regular EV9 AWD as a downloadable feature through the Kia Connect Store to increase torque to 516 lb-ft (700 Nm).
Kia could decide to borrow the dual-motor setup of the aforementioned EV6 GT, which delivers 576 hp and 545 lb-ft (739 Nm). The compact electric crossover in its highest state of tune does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in three and a half seconds but provided it would have identical power, the EV9 GT wouldn’t be able to match that due to its heavier body. The AWD-equipped EV9 completes the sprint in six seconds or in 5.3 seconds with the Boost mode.
An even more potent vehicle on the same E-GMP platform is coming later this year when Hyundai will introduce the Ioniq 5 N. That one will have somewhere in the region of 600 horsepower and likely a bit more torque as well than the EV6 GT. It’s too soon to say which configuration of the dual-motor setup will be installed in the EV9 GT.
It should be fair game to assume efficiency is going to suffer. Kia has yet to announce the range for the EV9 with AWD, but we do know it uses a large 99.8-kWh battery pack shared with the RWD Long Range model. The latter has an estimated range of over 336 miles (541 kilometers) in the WLTP cycle. AWD will lower that figure, and applying the GT treatment is going to negatively impact the range even more. In addition, the EPA numbers are typically lower than WLTP.
