Kia has built one of the quickest and sportiest seven-seat SUVs on the planet, with an injection of power and grip for the full-size electric EV9. The 2026 Kia EV9 GT has been revealed at the Los Angeles motor show – with close to 375kW and simulated gear shifts – with Australian arrivals not yet confirmed.

Revealed at the LA Motor Show, Kia’s flagship EV9 GT also packs virtual gearshifts as with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Kia has revealed the hottest version yet of its award-winning EV9 all-electric SUV at the 2024 LA Auto Show.

You can have your cake and eat it too!” So reckons Steven Center, Kia America’s COO and Executive Vice Pres, of the new EV9 GT. Quite the claim - perhaps not since the AMG wagons with a rear facing pair of seats has a seven seat car really delivered a thrill.

Then there’s the EV9 GT’s party piece. Like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, it gets a virtual gear shift mode, designed to replicate the sensation of driving a petrol car with paddle shifters. You don’t get any fake engine noise pumped into the cabin like the Hyundai, but the system could add an extra layer of fun to the big SUV.

The new Kia EV9 GT is a high-performance large electric SUV that produces more than 500hp and is targeting a 4.3-second 0-60mph time

While it looks largely the same as the existing EV9, the GT packs an estimated 501 horsepower, which Kia says will fling the three-row electric SUV from 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds.

Kia juices up its three-row EV and adds performance hardware such as adaptive dampers, grippier tires, and upgraded brakes.