Kia’s new concept electric SUV, EV9, was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto show. The car boasts a muscular, boxy look with minimalistic interiors.
The car did take the centre stage at the Auto show with new-age design and energy utilization.
Design:
Taking inspiration from rocks and crystals, the car has sharp, angular elements in its design.
Front –
There’s no traditional grille opening as the car is an EV. The cruiser style car has a body coloured bar under its nose. It has huge L-shaped DRLs along the edges of the bumper. Notably, the car has an array of small L-shaped LED lights which are not visible when the lights are off.
Back-
Dramatic Y-shaped tail lights trickle all the way along the edges. The new Kia logo is at the centre and looks edge to metal against the matte body paint. There is a subtle metal piece along the bottom.
Side-
The prominent feature of the side view of the car are the rear suicide doors. The car has no side view mirrors, replaced by wing like protrusions with cameras. The roof rails at the top are retraceable, adding to the aerodynamics when not in use.
Wheels-
In continuation with the sharp elements, the alloy on each wheel is a triangle. Trapezoidal-like metal pieces connect each side of the triangular alloy to the wheel.
Dashboard-
The car comes with a floating dashboard design with a long 27 inch screen touchscreen display. The display serves as both the digital cluster and the centre display. The screen is in-fact so long that it extends from the driver side to all the way to the passenger seat. The car has vegan elements including fishnet flooring, and upholstery stitched from recycled plastic bottles and wool fibre. The dashboard has a rectangular yoke steering wheel that is mounted on its bottom side.
Overall, the dashboard looks clean and futuristic. At the left and right corners of the dashboard are display screens for the side view cameras.
Roof-
The car comes with a panoramic glass roof for natural sunlight.
Power:
The car is powered by a zero-emission all-electric powertrain. The GT version of the car will punch 585hp using a dual motor layout and four-wheel drive. The battery is the largest in-class at 77.4kWh. Using the 350-kilowatt fast charging station, the battery will charge from 10 to 80% in 20-30 minutes. The car is claimed to have a drive range of 300 miles (482.8 Kms). The car will also have solar panels installed under the base of the hood. These panels are expected to recharge the battery when the car is not plugged in.
Features:
The EV9 could come with wireless charging facility utilizing E-GMP platform’s bi-directional charging support. The car is expected to have Highway Driving Pilot (HDP), enabling drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel in the Highways (only on countries where the Law allows autonomous driving). Cutting-edge in-vehicle infotainment may be powered by the NVIDIA DRIVE infotainment system. Digital Key 3.0 with Ultra-Wideband technology should also provide end-to-end security from the phone’s secure element to the car’s secure element. The car comes with three modes. The Active Mode is when the car is on the move. It provides optimal driving experience for the drivers and the passengers. The other two modes are innovative interior modes when the car is not moving. The Pause Mode converts the car into a first class lounge arrangement. The front seats swivel 180 degrees and face the third row seats. The second row is folded into a table, allowing you to relax and gaze through the panoramic roof glass. The Enjoy Mode converts the car into a breakout space. The tailgate opens and the third row seats turn to let passengers view and connect with the outside world. <Photo 10>
Cutting down on animal leathers, use of solar panels, sleek glass structure to bring natural light—KIA has taken the concept of eco-friendly-electric vehicles to another level. Though some of these conceptual ideas might not become a reality when the car comes to production, KIA has ticked the right boxes to turn eyes towards their ALL-ELECTRIC SUV CONCEPT.