Kia’s Genius Transfer to Construct Its U.S. Fashions In Georgia Permits It to Drop Costs On Standard EV9 Battery-Electrical SUV Trims for 2026 Mannequin Yr – Whereas Tariffs Damage Manufacturers With Poor Foresight

Kia’s three-row, battery-electric EV9 has earned excessive reward from reviewers, testers, and homeowners. Inside EVs captured the overall theme with its evaluate titled, Kia EV9 – Actually Incredible. That is a type of uncommon fashions that comes alongside from time to time that just about everybody within the automotive world agrees is a good car to purchase and personal. That’s why we observe it so intently. This week, we realized that the Kia EV could have meaningfully decrease MSRPs on two of its 5 trims, and Kia has held the (very low) value of its entry trim of the EV9 for the brand new yr.

Kia just isn’t alone in having the ability to handle the present commerce negotiation interval. In April, many manufacturers noticed decrease common transaction costs. 

Let’s not go any additional with out a take a look at this pricing chart we created primarily based on Kia’s just-announced pricing for 2026 vs. the prior yr’s value ranges. To be clear, these are listing costs, not last shopper prices. 

As you possibly can see, the worth of the bottom unit is unchanged, and the Wind can be the identical for the brand new mannequin yr. The Mild SR does have a rise. Nonetheless, the 2 “greatest” trims now value much less. The highest trim is $2,000 decrease for the brand new yr. Along with providing decrease MSRPs for the brand new yr, the EV9 Dusk Version bundle is obtainable in 6-passenger and 7-passenger seating configurations as a no-cost choice.

Different no-cost enhancements to the Kia EV9 line are:
-Dusk Version on Land gives design and efficiency enhancements
-Dusk Version on Land supplied with each 6-passenger and 7-passenger seating configurations

Torque Information retains it actual once we report the buyer prices of cars. This story stories on Kia’s advised retail value modifications. We regarded exhausting for a flim-flam and couldn’t discover one. The Kia Vacation spot cost stays at $1,495 for the brand new mannequin yr. Shopper prices may also embody seller doc charges. Incentives and trade-in prices may also be a part of a shopper’s total buy value of an EV9.

So, how did Kia handle to carry the road on a lot of the EV9’s trims for the brand new mannequin yr in mild of all of the scary tariffs the lamestream media desires to fret you over? Nicely, constructing the EV9 in Georgia was one sensible means Kia took motion prematurely to assist trade-war-proof its EV9. Kia America’s headquarters is in Irvine, California, so search for that to ultimately change because it has for many sensible automakers like Toyota and Tesla, who each bailed out of the high-tax state. The place the automotive is constructed and the place the key parts are created have a big affect on the buyer value throughout instances of commerce negotiations. Kia at all times deliberate to in-source the EV9. Like Toyota and Mazda, Kia noticed the writing on the wall, and when it launched this new mannequin to the U.S. market, it opted to construct it the place it sells it.

This is what SeungKyu (Sean) Yoon, President and CEO for Kia North America and Kia America, mentioned about in-sourcing the EV9 again earlier than President Trump regained the White Home from President Biden. 

At present’s launch of the Kia EV9 in Georgia is the newest instance of Kia’s dedication to the U.S. market and the state of Georgia. By way of Plan S, Kia is poised to be a frontrunner within the e-mobility sector for years to come back. Having achieved prestigious accolades reminiscent of World Automotive of the Yr, World EV of the Yr, and North American Utility Car of the Yr, EV9 can be in glorious palms with the workforce members at Kia Georgia, and their observe file for assembling award-winning, world-renowned merchandise speaks for itself.

The primary U.S.-built Kia EV9s rolled off the manufacturing line on Might 30, 2024. Opened on Nov. 16, 2009, Kia Georgia is situated on 2,200 acres in West Level, Ga. The plant has an annual capability of 350,000 autos. The plant mass-produces the high-volume trims of the Kia Telluride SUV, Kia Sorento SUV, Sportage SUV, and the all-electric EV9 SUV. Along with supplying autos for the U.S. market, Kia Georgia additionally exports a few of the autos produced within the American plant to the Arabian Peninsula.

Does this story jive with what you’ve been instructed about automotive value modifications? Inform us your ideas within the feedback beneath. 

John Goreham is a long-standing member of the New England Motor Press Affiliation and an skilled car tester. John accomplished an engineering program with a deal with electrical autos, adopted by 20 years of labor in high-tech, biopharma, and the automotive provide chain earlier than turning into a information contributor. He’s a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE int). Along with his eleven years of labor at Torque Information, John has revealed 1000’s of articles and evaluations at American information retailers. He’s identified for providing unfiltered opinions on car subjects. You possibly can join with John on LinkedIn and comply with his work on his private X channel or on our X channel. Please notice that tales carrying John’s by-line are by no means AI-generated, however he does make use of grammar and punctuation software program when proofreading and he additionally makes use of picture era instruments. 

Picture of Kia EV9 at a Tesla Supercharger courtesy of Kia.