KIA's new concept cars show there may be mushroom for innovation within the interior cabins of their electric vehicles, with mushroom mycelium potentially replacing leather and other materials.

We got to meet the boldly buff 2024 Kia EV9 up close just before driving off in the ludicrously fun Kia EV6, alongside the Korean brand’s full stable of electric vehicles during a recent KIA event. Sadly, we never got the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the confidently creased three-row electric SUV behemoth, as the SUV was primarily there to show off the brand’s new design language. Nevertheless, we suspected the EV9’s presence hinted of even more spirited designs coming down the pipeline. Lo and behold, Kia just announced the impending arrival of the production model Kia EV5 to kick off the brand’s self-promoted first annual Kia EV Day, flanked by two additional concept vehicles assigned the Kia Concept EV3 and Kia Concept EV4 nameplates. The Kia EV5 is a smaller all-electric powertrain powered sibling to the three row EV9, officially launched during the brand’s recent Kia EV Day.
The EV5 is a bit of a known quantity already, a crossover previewed earlier this spring, and now nearing production intended for the Chinese market. It’s the two new concepts that warrant notice, together solidifying the notion Kia is moving away from its budget brand respectability toward a fully-electrified future nibbling on the heels of the premium s...