The Kia EV9 GT performance flagship has been officially confirmed to debut in January 2025. Kia said that the new version of its largest SUV will have “enormous power output” from a dual electric motor setup, promising a 0-100 km/h in 4 seconds. The news were shared during Kia’s 2024 CEO Investor Day which was held in Seoul on April 5. However, the 1.5-hour-long video presentation was only now uploaded on YouTube, allowing us to take screenshots of the EV9 GT slides.

Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song had already confirmed an “early 2025” launch for the EV9 GT a year ago when he spoke to the media during the 2023 New York International Motor Show. However, this time gave us a set date for next January and shared a few more details about the model. Predictably, the Kia EV9 GT will come equipped with dual electric motors offering AWD capability. The “enormous power output” mentioned in the bullets makes us wonder if the EV9 GT will exceed the 576 hp and 738 Nm figures found in the smaller EV6 GT. In any case, the EV9 requires a lot of power in order to persuade its bulk to accelerate like a proper sports car. With a 0-62 in 4 seconds, the upcoming EV9 GT will be 1.3 seconds faster than the EV9 GT-Line, and only 0.5 seconds slower compared to the EV6 GT.

As with other GT-branded models, the upcoming performance flagship of the EV9 lineup will come equipped with a “reinforced suspension and electronic braking system” set to provide “stable driving performance at high speeds”. The new chassis setup will likely be combined with a new set of alloy wheels shod in sticky rubber. Furthermore, it is safe to assume that the EV9 GT will look slightly more aggressive than the existing GT-Line trim. Our spy photographers have already spotted camouflaged prototypes of the Kia EV9 GT being honed at the Nürburgring, and during winter testing in Sweden. Unfortunately, these didn’t give away any details about the redesigned styling and they were fitted with provisional five-spoke alloy wheels. Until the EV9 GT shows more skin, you can check out our speculative rendering below.

Kia has pledged to launch GT versions of its entire EV lineup, set to offer a “fun-to-drive” feel and “effortless handling”. Besides the EV9 GT, the company confirmed that an updated version of the EV6 GT will debut in Q4 2024, following the debut of the facelifted EV6 crossover in Q2. Other important launches for this year include the EV3 subcompact SUV scheduled for Q3 and the facelifted Sportage set to arrive in Q4.