Alongside the EV6 GT, Kia is adding some spice to the three-row EV9 electric SUV.
Whether you think your family rig strictly needs more than 500 horsepower, performance SUVs are an increasingly common sight. Now, the 2026 Kia EV9 GT gives you another option, taking what’s otherwise a perfectly agreeable three-row option and juicing it up even further (pun intended). “You can have your cake and eat it too!”, Kia says of its latest creation.
If we’re just talking about power, it’s difficult to argue that point. With 501 horsepower on tap, the 2026 Kia EV9 GT springs from 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, which is roughly three-quarters of a second faster than the 379 hp GT-Line model. Kia bulked up the GT version by fitting a 270 kW motor at the rear, while there’s also a 160 kW motor at the front. Even with the extra grunt, the EV9 GT maintains its 5,000-pound towing capacity and 7.8 inches of ground clearance.
The GT model does get a few more tricks up its sleeve, however, apart from more raw power. There’s a green “GT” button on the steering wheel that accesses a unique drive mode, dialing in the suspension and throttle response to its most hardcore setting. The 2026 Kia EV9 GT also gets an electronic limited-slip differential at the rear and, similar to what we’ve seen with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, a “Virtual Gear Shift” setting that allows the car to mimic a conventional automatic transmission.
Outside, the EV9 GT gets a bespoke set of 21-inch alloy wheels, wrapped in 285/45-R21 Continental high-performance tires. The larger SUV also gets bright green-painted brake calipers and GT-exclusive patterns on the front active air flaps.
Inside, the 2026 Kia EV9 GT gets bright green elements on its upholstery, along with appropriate ambient lighting and contrast stitching. Like its smaller EV6 sibling, apart from those stylistic flourishes and bolstered front seats, the EV9 GT still packs the same features into the interior as the lower trims like the GT-Line.
Similarly to other Hyundai and Kia models rolling out for the 2026 model year, the new Kia EV9 GT will also ship with the NACS charging port, rather than the old-style CCS port.
While the automaker touts its performance credentials, one number it conspicuously leaves out of the EV9 GT’s release is driving range. The 99.8-kWh battery onboard the GT-Line allows for 270 miles of range, so we’d expect this GT model to be worse than that. One of my biggest complaints with the EV6 GT, despite its praiseworthy acceleration, was it’s relatively low driving range. So, brace yourself for a whole lot of charging if you are eyeing the performance model.
Kia says the 2026 EV9 GT will arrive in the second half of 2025, though we don’t know exactly how much it will cost yet. Plan on it running above the GT-Line’s $80,000-or-so price tag, and because it’s built in South Korea like the other EV9s, it will not be eligible for federal tax credits on its MSRP or where it’s manufactured.
