Kia electric pickup truck spy shots tip stylish EV9 looks in California road test sighting

Kia has been on a roll lately, reinventing its styling and reinvigorating its global vehicle line-up to prepare for its 2027 goal of a robust all-electric vehicle selection. With the recent launch of the EV9 and EV5 SUVs seemingly having been a rousing success for Kia, the carmaker is continuing preparations for its upcoming electric pickup truck launch in the US.

Kia's electric pickup truck was recently spotted by KindelAuto on YouTube in the flesh under some stealthy black camo on California streets, presumably undergoing road testing ahead of the US launch. While the camo is doing a swell job of hiding the sizeable pickup, there are some things we can glean from the sighting.

Firstly, it's another confirmation that Kia is still proceeding with a North American launch of its EV pickup truck. Secondly, it looks like the electric pickup truck will be styled much more after the boxy EV9 and EV9 SUVs than the sportier Kia EV6. This should put Kia in a decent place to compete for the same market as the likes of Ford with the Ford F-150 Lightning and Chevrolet with the Silverado RST.

Much like the aforementioned Silverado EV, Kia's electric pickup will have aerodynamic considerations, with part of the sidewalls of the bed extending to meet the roof, making a web of sorts to reduce the effect of the bed on the EV's range.

The video of Kia's electric pickup also gives us a glimpse at the sizeable daytime running LEDs and the rear independent suspension. The presence of independent rear suspension might ruffle some feathers with the off-road crowd, but Kia has never had a reputation for off-road prowess, and independent suspension provides a much more comfortable experience on the road.

Curiously, the test mule seen in the YouTube video does not have fender flairs installed at all, indicating that these are either still being tweaked or they're distinctive enough that Kia doesn't want them to be out in the open just yet.

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