Kia dealers across the United States are offering discounts of up to $16,041 on the EV9, as the three-row electric crossover struggles to find buyers in a market that continues to favour hybrid and petrol models. The cuts bring the cheapest new EV9 in America down to $40,694, well below its original sticker price of $56,735.
The scale of the discounting reflects a sharp reversal for a model that Kia had expected to perform strongly. Americans have long favoured three-row crossovers, and the EV9 was positioned to capture that demand with an electric powertrain. Instead, sales fell 33% last month to 1,789 units. By comparison, Kia sold 12,693 Tellurides in August, and even the smaller Niro outsold the EV9.
Shottenkirk Kia of Fort Bend is advertising one of the cheapest examples in the country. Its EV9 Light RWD has been marked down by $16,041, reducing the price from $56,735 to $40,694. That undercuts the Telluride Hybrid, which starts at $46,490 before a $1,545 destination fee.
Liberty Auto Plaza in Libertyville, Illinois, has applied similarly aggressive reductions. An EV9 Light Short Range has been cut from $57,480 to $42,480, a saving of $15,000. For buyers who need more range, the dealership also offers an EV9 Light Long Range with a comparable $15,000 markdown, bringing the 304-mile crossover to $44,785 from $59,785. The Short Range version offers 230 miles of range.
Higher trims are also being discounted. Crain Kia of Bentonville has a $66,820 EV9 Wind listed at $52,370, a reduction made up of $10,000 in customer cash from Kia and a $4,450 dealer discount. At Arapahoe Kia, an EV9 GT-Line AWD is nearly $16,000 off, priced from $58,489 before fees thanks to a combination of Kia customer cash and a $5,991 dealer discount.
The discounts suggest that dealers are working to clear inventory of a model that has not met expectations. The EV9 was launched with high hopes, but its sales performance now lags significantly behind Kia's combustion and hybrid offerings. The Telluride, a petrol-powered three-row SUV, remains the brand's dominant large family vehicle, while the smaller Niro also outsold the EV9 in August.
For buyers willing to research dealership inventories and travel, the current market offers an unusual opportunity to acquire a new electric three-row crossover at a substantial discount. The reductions are not limited to entry-level models, with long-range and high-spec variants also carrying five-figure savings.
The broader context is a US electric vehicle market where demand has cooled relative to earlier expectations, even as manufacturers continue to expand their line-ups. Kia's experience with the EV9 illustrates the challenge of selling a large, relatively expensive electric vehicle at a time when many consumers remain focused on range, charging infrastructure and upfront cost.
Whether the discounts will be enough to revive the EV9's sales remains uncertain. For now, dealers appear prepared to sacrifice margin to move metal, and the savings available to consumers are among the largest seen on any new electric model in the US this year.