Kia to Introduce a Full-Size Electric SUV Based on the Upcoming IONIQ 7 From Hyundai

author: Manish Kharinta   

A rendering of the electric IONIQ 7 from Kia's parent company Hyundai.

South Korean automaker Kia made quite an impression when its revealed the the 5th generation Sportage SUV about a month ago. Today, Kia shared more details of its new Sportage SUV, which will come with four powertrain options. 

But Kia is getting ready to take its all-electric vehicle portfolio to the next level with an even more impressive, full-size electric SUV, according to industry reports coming out of South Korea.

It's likely that the new EV will be a badge-engineered version of the mid-size IONIQ 7, which is parent company Hyundai's upcoming electric three-row SUV. Kia's new EV is expected to arrive alongside the IONIQ 7. 

Both vehicles will be built on Hyundai's new dedicated E-GMP electric vehicle architecture. 

With its long-wheelbase, Kia's electric SUV will offer the same, or possibly even more cabin space and payload capacity than the Kia Telluride, one of the most popular full-size SUVs in the U.S. 

Only a couple of months after Kia introduced the EV6 in May, its parent company Hyundai revealed details of the IONIQ 7, which gives us a fair idea of what we might expect from Kia's new full-size electric SUV as far as styling goes.

Kia's full-size electric SUV will most likely come with a dual-motor layout as standard, offering all-wheel-drive capability. Kia's parent Hyundai claims the all-electric powertrain of IONIQ 7 will produce 308 horsepower and Kia's electric SUV will likely offer similar performance.

When completely charged, both electric SUVs will offer a minimum of 300 miles of range, courtesy of a 100 kWh battery pack. 

Like the IONIQ 7, Kia's SUV might also get the option of captain chairs for the second row, with a maximum seating capacity of seven passengers.

With these specifications, it appears that Kia is targeting Tesla Model X and upcoming Cadillac Lyriq. But don't be surprised if the upcoming SUV's price tag substantially undercuts Tesla's flagship SUV.

Even though it seems that Kia is only focusing its efforts on the widely-popular SUV and crossover segment, the automaker is also developing other smaller models. The company intends to introduce four EVs in 2026 alone, which might even include a battery-powered hatchback, coupe, and sedan model.

Kia plans on introducing seven new fully-electric models by 2025. The battery-powered Seltos subcompact crossover will most likely be the next addition to Kia's all-electric portfolio, as a similar size vehicle has been spotted testing on the road in South Korea wearing camouflage.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.