If there’s one thing that matters in a 3-row family SUV, it’s the ability to beat a classic Ferrari Testarossa in a 0-60 mph sprint. Kia understands.
The company is using this month’s Los Angeles Auto Show to reveal a car that would have seemed impossible a generation ago.
About the EV9
You may know the Kia EV9. An unmissable, angular 3-row electric SUV, it was named World Car of the Year for 2024. Our editors love its long list of standard equipment, one-of-a-kind futuristic look, and family-friendly nature.
For 2026, Kia will give it steroids. The quickest current iteration of the EV9 is the GT-Line model, a dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) version with 379 horsepower and 516 lb-ft. of torque. It does the leap to 60 mph in 5 seconds flat.
About Its Evil Twin
The GT trim level will be new for 2026 and surpass all those already impressive figures. Kia says the EV9 GT offers 501 hp, but has offered no torque figure. The 0-60 mph run comes in just 4.3 seconds. That’s 0.1 second faster than the this-can’t-be-real Cadillac Escalade V.
The higher performance won’t be limited to stoplight drag races. The EV9 GT comes with an electronic limited-slip differential to enhance handling stability.
The GT will simulate shifting with “noticeable ‘shifts’ as the vehicle accelerates,” Kia says. The driver can manipulate them through paddle shifters. “In-cabin electric Active Sound Design (e-ASD) works in concert with VGS to replicate the sounds of the gear shifts as the EV9 GT accelerates.”
Kia hasn’t disclosed pricing. The GT-Line starts at $75,395 (including delivery fees) today. So, the higher-performance GT, with two more years of inflation under it, could easily cross the $80,000 line.
Neon Green Hints Throughout
They’ll be visually distinct from other EV9 models, Kia says, thanks to neon green brake calipers and high-performance Continental tires. Inside, EV9 GT models will get neon green cabin accents and sport seats trimmed in grippy Alcantara faux suede.
It will use a Tesla-style North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, as will all the EV9 models, “starting in the first half of 2025,” Kia says.
Now that automakers are building a wide variety of electric cars, high-performance versions aren’t precisely common. But the EV9 GT joins a handful of absurdly quick machines like Tesla’s plaid models, Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, and Kia’s own EV6 GT. It’s just the first one suitable for more than two child safety seats.
Necessary? No. But it’s fun when automotive engineers explore the limits of what they can do. And they don’t need to build many of these to make their point. Kia says inventory of the car is “expected to be extremely limited.”
