It’s positively chiseled, as if the brand’s popular Telluride three-row SUV, already a handsome truck, went in for cool-sculpting, and then worked out with Tom Cruise’s trainer. The EV9 is a stunner, with the kind of bold bossy presence usually reserved for vehicles that cost twice or three times as much, including icons like the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen or Range Rover.

In fact, its sharply-creased and box-flared fenders, sneering grille-less cyborgian front end, and ski jump rear pillar treatment give it more of a familial resemblance to Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 than to Kia’s own EV6. And the brand has made the most of the opportunity, creating a design that, while not quite as outrageous as the concept it showed in 2021 (it lacks the rear-hinged back doors and cameras-for-side-mirrors) is quite a stunning derivate of its show-car version. SUVs certainly dominate the global automotive landscape, but when the EV9 goes on sale later this year, Kia will be among the first to market with a fully electric SUV with an actually usable third row. The newfound prominence shows in this offering.

“Where design thinking and design are becoming more of a real strategy to define not just how things look, but what products do you build.”

“It is really an organization that really understands the importance of design,” said Karim Habib, the carmaker’s global head of design, as we sit in a balcony in Seoul, overlooking the brand’s latest battery-powered vehicle, the EV9. As it expands its electric offerings, Kia has made a purposeful decision: It will elevate the role of design and designers.

Kia ev6 review