2024 Kia EV9 - Design Review
and with its rugged looks it may just have what it takes to the win over customers. But really can this ever be called a true SUV, as its appearance is closer to the Telluride than the Borrego/Mohave. Hard edges are what the EV9 is all about and this is nowhere more apparent than up front. With a lack of any curves, the front does give you that feeling of tough and rugged, but this Kia we are talking about. With only one rough and rugged product under their belt and no real following, it is hard to say if the EV9 will really sway buyers away from their Jeeps. Blending the front bumper into the hard-edge surface of the rest of the front, is one thing which Kia really got right. While most other CUV-SUV products emphasize their bumper, Kia has decided to blend theirs in. This works well with the headlamp layout as well, as the side of the bumper moves from the bottom all the way to the side of the hood. Up top the hood is a place where some more attention is required. Where the lower deck contains a nicely laid out front splitter, the top has nothing to write home about. Hardly any character lines or features really take away from the rugged front which you first see before moving on up. An indent in the middle could help give the top some more power to its look and clean up the massive amount of vacant space. At the bottom Kia, has done a good job at filling in the space left by the front grille along with adding in a place filler for the lower intake. This although is a cold air intake for the battery, fitted with a well laid out front splitter containing some extra bumper protection. You might think that extra protection isn’t required, but here it really is.  Running down the side you will find a massive amount of character. Hard lines again are top priority here, as Kia uses them in a proper way and on the proper surfaces. By doing this they have made a side profile which may seem simple in its layout, but does not feel that way when the light dawns on it. Key accent features help to make up the remainder of the blank space. Some of which could have been down without, as the lower sill plate does contain an off-colour piece. Flat aluminum and chrome do not look as good in dark spaces, where a gloss white strip (colour match to body colour) would work much better. We do have to take not at the wheels on this beast, as their basic design and layout is both good and bad. Simple, but meaningful is how we would mention them. Flat and simple design layout, but with added touches of dark accents and a design never seen before, make these rims a top-notch showcase for Kia. Kia has done a wonderful job up top, as the sweeping roofline is what we love the most from the side. Usually, big vehicles don’t have any sort of sport aspect to them. But with a roofline which flows all the way to the back, along with some beautiful accents, this is one side we will not soon forget.  Out back is where it could have been all at, but unlike some of the competition, this is where the fun seems to stop. The hard character lines from the side, have seemed to flow awkwardly onto the rear. This has created somewhat of a frowny face on the rear. Fitted with this is a lower pouty lip from the bumper. All of which could have been brought in a bit, as the protruding look is better laid out on the front than the rear. Even with a pouty look, the rear bumper still is well done. Gloss black is a nice touch with well fitted and sized reflectors. The best touch comes with the lower accent trim. The same can’t be said about the bumper and accents size though, as we really don’t care for the protruding look. One of the best features out back has to be the rear lights, as they blend and don’t blend with the rear. The blending portion moves with the lines of the rear, while the unblended portion adds a bit of much needed flair to the rear. Added on are some nice dark accents which really make the lights pop from the rear. A bit higher you will find a well-balanced rear spoiler which has been designed to flow with both the roofline and the rear end. The dimple in the centre is a good touch, which takes this spoiler out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary. Let’s just say that it could have been made a bit bigger though.  All around the EV9 is sure to become a hit for Kia, as they move into uncharted North American territory. Where full size SUVs are king, Kia will surlily find some balance with its hard edges and soft outline between the CUV and SUV marketplace. Let’s just hope that this persuades them to bring back the Borrego, as we still need a true off roader from Kia. Everett J. #autolooks COMPETITION: Ford Explorer (CH) - 51.60% Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe - 63.62% Honda Pilot - 54.05% 2023 Subaru Ascent - 53.37%
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