Kia Concept EV9 is a butch-looking electric SUV previewing the production Kia EV9

The Kia Concept EV9 arrives to preview a production electric EV9 SUV, with strong looks, sustainable materials and ‘Inspired by Water’.

We’ve already seen Hyundai’s Concept Seven as a view of where Hyundai see the future of big SUVs, with a design similar to the Volvo Concept recharge and looking more like an MPV than an SUV (or SUEV).

Presumably, that design direction – similar to Volvo’s for the new XC90 – is about being friendly and practical rather than bold and aggressive in this new woke age.

But Hyundai’s sibling Kia has now revealed their take on the same sort of model with the Kia Concept EV9, and it’s got a much bolder look, with plenty of angles and butch-ness, although incorporating much of the space and wokeness of Hyundai’s SUEV Concept.

Kia says the EV9 Concept is ‘inspired by water’ – it is a concept – so in addition to the blue paint job it’s aiming to promote calmness and wellbeing – despite the butch looks – and using stuff like old fish nets recycled for the flooring and recycled plastic bottles and wool for the seats.

The interior has a trio of modes, with ‘Active’ the driving mode with all seats where you’d expect, ‘Pause’ which turns the first and third rows round to face each other – and turns the middle row in to a table – and ‘Enjoy’ which turns all the seats to face the back when the tailgate is open.

How much of this will make production is anyone’s guess but, just like the Hyundai Seven, the Kia EV9 sits on the E-GMP Platform and will offer 300 miles of range and 350kW charging.