It turns out that there was a tough, off-road-ready SUV lurking just under the surface of the flagship Kia EV9, as demonstrated by the new EV9 Adventure concept that was revealed at the 2024 SEMA show in Las Vegas.

Design changes for the EV9 Adventure, or EV9 ADVNTR as Kia has been calling it, include a three-inch lift in ride height, some very aggressive off-road tyres and wheels and new bumpers at the front and rear. The front end also gets towing eyes, extra lighting in the nose and a light bar on the roof. 

Kia says the show car’s custom roof rack can be connected to a rooftop tent as well as any other camping equipment you may need for a weekend in the wilderness.

A rugged-looking version of the Kia PV5 MPV concept featuring similar upgrades was revealed at SEMA alongside the EV9 Adventure. It's also been lifted and fitted with large wheelarch extensions to accommodate the chunkier rubber, plus there’s a winch for getting out of a tough spot and an onboard compressor to help adjust tyre pressures while in the wild.

As well as looking like the next Mars rover, the PV5 Weekender concept is intended to act as a “Swiss Army knife on wheels”, and features some unique storage solutions, such as netting on the roof to hang objects from, and rails on the sides for mounting shelves or other gear.

The PV5 Weekender also has a cooking space that allows you to prepare food while enjoying the outdoor scenery, plus solar panels and a hydraulic turbine wheel to charge the battery, because there are no plugs in the wilderness. Alternatively, thanks to V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) capabilities, the main battery can power external devices.