Engineers from Kia have been spotted testing a prototype for what’s likely to be an EV9 GT.

GT is the designation Kia uses for high-performance versions of its electric vehicles, the first and only example of which is the current EV6 GT.

The EV9 GT was confirmed last year by Kia CEO Ho-Sung Song, who said the vehicle is due in early 2025. The timing suggests the EV9 GT will arrive as a 2026 model in the U.S.

The prototype in our spy shots looks like an ordinary EV9 GT-Line, a grade that boasts unique front and rear fascias, as well as 21-inch wheels, among other upgrades. However, a closer inspection reveals larger brake rotors as well as lime-green paint on the rear brake calipers. The same lime-green color is used as an accent on the EV6 GT, including on its brake calipers.

The EV9 went on sale late last year as a 2024 model, and the top performance option currently available for the three-row midsizer is a dual-motor powertrain rated at 380 hp. Kia said this can hustle the EV9 to 60 mph from rest in under six seconds as standard and just 5.0 seconds with an available Boost function that Kia sells separately via its new Kia Connect Store app store.

The EV9 GT will likely deliver considerably more performance. As a clue of what’s possible, the EV6 GT comes with a dual-motor setup rated at 576 hp, and performance that includes a 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds.

The EV6 GT also benefits from chassis upgrades that include a sport-tuned suspension with adjustable dampers, an electronic limited-slip differential, upgraded brakes with monoblock calipers, performance tires, and unique drive modes. Similar upgrades should make their way to the eventual EV9 GT model.

Before the arrival of the EV9 GT, Kia will introduce an updated EV6, and the updates to that model will also appear on the EV6 GT.