Kia revealed the primary specs of the EV9 flagship electrical SUV yesterday, and the press launch and presentation talked about that probably the most highly effective variant would be the EV9 AWD with 380 horsepower from a dual-motor powertrain. Because it seems, Kia already has one thing extra highly effective within the pipeline.

Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Music revealed throughout an interview with members of the media, together with Automobile and Driver, that the EV9 will even get a range-topping GT mannequin – to not be mistaken with the GT-Line trim unveiled yesterday.

Very like the smaller EV6 GT, the EV9 GT can be a high-performance mannequin that includes a twin motor AWD powertrain and neck-snapping acceleration.

Kia‘s head honcho stated the EV9 GT is already beneath improvement and can be launched originally of 2025. Whereas he did not reveal extra particulars, the EV9 GT ought to provide considerably extra energy than the EV9 AWD, which makes 380 hp (283 kilowatts) and 442 pound-feet (600 Newton-meters) of torque.

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The powertrain from the Kia EV6 GT appears like a very good match for the EV9 GT, because it delivers a wholesome 576 hp (429 kW) and 545 lb-ft (739 Nm) of torque, ok for a 0 to 62 mph time of three.5 seconds. 

Ought to the EV9 GT get the identical powertrain, it would doubtless be slower to 62 mph due to the heavier weight. Nonetheless, it ought to do a lot better than the EV9 AWD which covers the 0-62 mph dash in 6.0 seconds – or 5.3 seconds in Increase mode.

We are able to solely speculate right here, however to justify the GT badge and the value premium, the EV9 GT ought to be not less than one second faster than the EV9 AWD. The price of added efficiency will clearly be a decrease vary, as is the case with the EV6 GT in comparison with its lesser siblings.

In addition to the ability increase, the Kia EV9 GT ought to undertake different {hardware} discovered within the EV6 GT, such because the eLSD that may overdrive the surface rear wheel in corners. The system improves agility and provides the car a extra rear-biased conduct on the highway. Adaptive dampers, upgraded brakes, and a set of summer season tires also needs to be a part of the package deal.

Whereas the common 2024 Kia EV9 will go on sale within the US within the second half of this 12 months, the EV9 GT will arrive in early 2025.