- The 2026 Kia EV9 will offer a performance-oriented GT model that packs an estimated 501 horsepower.
- Along with mightier electric motors, the new GT has adaptive dampers, an electronic limited-slip rear diff, grippier tires, and upgraded brakes.
- Kia hasn’t said how much the EV9 GT will cost, but we expect it to exceed $80K when it reaches dealerships in the second half of next year.
The Kia EV9 is an electric family shuttle first and foremost, but the mid-size three-row SUV will soon add a new model with a wilder side. Kia’s GT moniker is reserved for the peak-performance models and all the goodies that come with them. Currently, the EV6 GT is the only Kia EV that offers the treatment, but the 2026 Kia EV9 GT will join it.
The new EV9 GT will feature a standard dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain that Kia estimates will generate a combined 501 horsepower. Its official output hasn’t yet been confirmed, and a torque figure hasn’t been mentioned either. For reference, the non-GT dual-motor EV9 currently makes 379 horsepower and up to 516 pound-feet of torque. Kia claims the GT-Line will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds flat and predicts the mightier GT will do the deed in 4.3 seconds. Considering the EV9 GT-Line we tested hit 60 mph in 4.5 ticks, we expect the upcoming GT to be quicker than Kia’s estimate.
The EV9 GT isn’t just a juiced-up model, though. It has legitimate performance hardware. The roster of add-ons includes adaptive dampers, an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential, and upgraded brakes with calipers that are painted a distinctive shade of neon green. The GT also gets grippier Continental performance tires that are wrapped around 21-inch wheels. Along with those specially designed wheels, its face will be distinguished from other EV9s with a unique illuminated pattern on its front panel and different patterns on the elements in the lower bumper.
Taking a leaf from Hyundai’s book, Kia will introduce a drive mode called Virtual Gear Shift that—as its name suggests—simulates the mechanical gearchanges of a traditional transmission. The fake shifts will be felt while accelerating up to the EV9 GT’s pseudo redline. The driver can also control the “shifting” with paddles on the steering wheel, and we expect they’ll have the ability to deactivate the setting too. The same goes for the fake engine noises that most people either love or hate when it comes to EVs.
Inside, the EV9 GT has a familiar layout that’s jazzed up with green accents throughout the cabin. The front seats have added bolstering to keep passengers secure for when the driver wants to test the limits of the GT’s stickier rubber. The seats are embossed with the GT logo and have microsuede inserts. Kia also says the digital gauge cluster has exclusive graphics, which can be viewed behind the revised steering wheel that features a neon hash at the 12-o’clock position and a “GT” button to quickly trigger the sportiest drive mode.
Kia hasn’t released details about the EV9 GT’s battery or driving range, but we think it could use the new 110.3-kWh pack that debuted on the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, which is said to be good for over 300 miles of range. Currently, the EV9’s 99.8-kWh pack is EPA-rated for between 270 and 280 miles on dual-motor models. Kia says the GT model will be able to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 25 minutes, and, starting in the first half of 2025, all EV9s will come standard with a NACS charge port.
The 2026 EV9 GT won’t go on sale until sometime in the second half of next year. While Kia hasn’t said how much it will cost, we expect its starting price to exceed $80K.
