Kia announces new 2026 EV9 GT performance variant along with EV6 and Sportage updates

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Kia made good on its promise from earlier this year that a performance version of its EV9 would make its way to car buyers. 

On the show floor Thursday, the 2026 EV9 GT was announced along with design and battery updates to the upcoming 2025 EV6 electric crossover and new trims and other updates across the 2026 Sportage lineup.

Introducing the 2026 Kia EV9 GT

A sportier dual-motor version of the EV9 large electric SUV with 501 horsepower ups the ante on the EV9. The base version only offers 215 horsepower and is bumped to 379 horses on the dual-motor GT-Line version. 

But now the hefty SUV has all-wheel drive, electronically controlled suspension and a zero-to-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. The most sluggish EV9 takes 8.8 seconds. The highest performance GT-Line makes it in 5.0 seconds.

The GT will look different from other EV9 trims with neon green accents throughout, 21-inch alloy wheels and other GT-specific branding. It will feature the North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, which is what Tesla's Supercharger network uses. Like other Kia EVs, the EV9 GT uses the E-GMP battery platform.

While Kia was earlier optimistic about a January arrival, the GT will be available in the second half of 2025 with pricing to come closer to sales opening. The EV9 starts at $54,900. The EV6's GT version is around $62,000.