# Kia EV9 GT Unveiled as Priciest Family EV – Daily Car News (2026-02-13) > Today in Cars: Hot EVs, stick-shift charm, safety notes, and a shifting industry map I’ve still got a smear of brake dust on my cuffs from last weekend’s backroad loop, so forgive the enthusiasm. It’s a busy morning in carland:... > Published 2026-02-13 by Thomas Nismenth. 7 min read (1569 words). > Blog: News at AutoWin (https://www.autowin.com). ## Details - Canonical URL: https://www.autowin.com/en/blogs/news/kia-ev9-gt-unveiled-as-priciest-family-ev-daily-car-news-2026-02-13 - Author: Thomas Nismenth - Published: 2026-02-13 - Updated: 2026-02-13 - Reading time: 7 minutes - Word count: 1569 - Topics: Atlas, Automotive, Car News, Chevrolet, Corvette, Daily, e Vitara, electric vehicles, EV9 GT, Kia, News, Suzuki, Tesla, Volkswagen - Featured image: https://www.a1win.jp/cdn/shop/articles/daily-car-news-2026-02-13.webp?v=1770964475&width=1200 ## Summary Today in Cars: Hot EVs, stick-shift charm, safety notes, and a shifting industry mapI’ve still got a smear of brake dust on my cuffs from last weekend’s backroad loop, so forgive the enthusiasm. It’s a busy morning in carland: Kia’s turned the family EV wick right up, Suzuki has a sensible-range electric runabout on the way, and Australia’s getting a Corvette with Mount Panorama swagger. Somewhere in there, a $200 steering lock met Mr. Angle Grinder and lost, a bunch of Volvos need a heat-check, and the global sales charts quietly shuffled to let a Chinese brand into the top six. Keys on th... ## Full Article Today in Cars: Hot EVs, stick-shift charm, safety notes, and a shifting industry mapI’ve still got a smear of brake dust on my cuffs from last weekend’s backroad loop, so forgive the enthusiasm. It’s a busy morning in carland: Kia’s turned the family EV wick right up, Suzuki has a sensible-range electric runabout on the way, and Australia’s getting a Corvette with Mount Panorama swagger. Somewhere in there, a $200 steering lock met Mr. Angle Grinder and lost, a bunch of Volvos need a heat-check, and the global sales charts quietly shuffled to let a Chinese brand into the top six. Keys on the desk, espresso in hand—let’s get into it.Big family haulers, electrified (and otherwise)2026 Kia EV9 GT: Kia’s priciest model gets seriousKia has unveiled the EV9 GT, the range-topping, go-faster take on its three-row electric SUV—and it’s now the brand’s priciest model. Expect the usual GT treatment: more motor, sharper chassis, bigger brakes, stickier tires. I’ve spent time in the EV9 GT-Line on some properly scruffy roads; it already rides with that calm, big-car confidence. The GT feels targeted at the “I want to tow the jet ski and school a few crossovers at the lights” crowd. Final local pricing and exact outputs will matter, but the intent is clear: this is the flagship family EV with a capital F. Three-row electric SUV with uprated performance hardware All-wheel drive expected; stouter brakes and sport calibration Positioned as Kia’s most expensive model to date On-sale timing: 20262026 Suzuki e Vitara (Australia): up to 426 km of rangeSuzuki’s first mainstream EV for Australia will wear a familiar badge: e Vitara. Official word points to up to 426 km of range—encouraging for a compact SUV. Range is half the story; packaging is the other. The current Vitara’s a doddle to park and shrug-off-commutes friendly. If Suzuki keeps the cabin airy and the controls simple (and please, responsive infotainment), this could be the “just enough EV” that hits the right price-versus-practicality note for city families and regional commuters alike. Compact EV SUV with up to 426 km claimed range Australian specs revealed; final pricing to come Urban-friendly footprint with family flexibilityVolkswagen Atlas: next generation inboundVolkswagen’s preparing a new Atlas (Teramont in some markets). Think family-size utility with a cleaner interior design and the latest driver tech. Powertrains and hybridization are the big questions—VW has room to electrify without abandoning the towing-and-road-trip brief that made Atlas popular in the first place. If they nail seat comfort and the interface (previous Atlases were sensibly laid out), it’ll stay on a lot of shopping lists. Family SUV snapshot Model Class Powertrain headline Key stat On-sale (AU) Kia EV9 GT (2026) Three-row SUV Performance-focused EV AWD Kia’s priciest model 2026 Suzuki e Vitara (2026) Compact SUV EV Up to 426 km range 2026 Volkswagen Atlas (next gen) Three-row SUV ICE/Hybrid expected Full redesign coming TBA Enthusiast corner: from steelies to Mount PanoramaChevrolet Corvette Z06 Bathurst Edition heads Down UnderAustralia’s getting a Corvette Z06 Bathurst Edition—a nod to Mount Panorama’s cathedral of speed. The Z06’s calling card remains that 5.5‑liter flat-plane-crank V8 that howls to redline like a race engine masquerading as a road unit. I drove a Z06 on track in the States and remember the way it hunted apexes with the nose and then simply vaporized the next straight. The Bathurst Edition should be about spec and identity—think unique trim, colors, and bragging rights—layered onto a chassis that already eclipses “exotic” badges in lap-time bang-for-buck. Just mind the front splitter on steep Aussie driveways.Peugeot 208 with '90s soul: steel wheels and a manualPeugeot’s cooked up a 208 spec with steelies and a stick, and my inner 1998 applauds. Light controls, a manual shifter you can actually hustle, and fewer screens shouting at you—there’s real charm here. Not every commute needs 20-inch alloys and six drive modes. Sometimes you want to hear the tires talk, row your own, and enjoy a car under 1.2 tons reminding you that agility can be baked in, not dialed up.Mazda Scrum: slow, boxy, manual—and brilliant at being usefulJapan’s kei trucks are anti-fashion fashion. The updated Mazda Scrum stays wonderfully pragmatic: right angles, tiny footprint, honest manual. I borrowed a similar kei pickup on a trip to Hokkaido years ago; it carried skis, boots, groceries, then crept across an icy hotel car park like a penguin in steel-toes. Utility beats vanity, and the Scrum knows it.Fiesta ST at Cortina d’Ampezzo: the alpine swan songAutocar’s Olympic-flame riff is a gut-punch reminder that the Fiesta ST, perhaps the definitive small hot hatch of the last decade, is gone. I can still feel that eager front axle and the lift-off oversteer you could summon like a magician. Imagine it threading through Cortina d’Ampezzo—snow banks, short ratios, turbo torque holding altitude. We’ll be telling Fiesta ST stories to bored grandchildren.Safety, tech, and ownership realitiesA $200 Toyota steering wheel lock lost to an angle grinder in ~20 secondsAussie testers put a pricey OEM steering lock up against a handheld grinder and—predictably—sparks flew, lock died, clock barely ticked. Two takeaways I’ve seen play out in the real world: physical locks deter opportunists, not pros with power tools; and layered security is your friend.Practical anti-theft layers I recommend: Visible deterrents: a wheel lock still tells an opportunist to move on. Hidden tech: a hardwired GPS tracker or two (redundancy helps). OBD port cover and immobilizer upgrade where available. Secure parking and motion lighting at home. Don’t leave keys near the front door; use a Faraday pouch if you’ve got a proximity fob.Tesla Australia shifts Full Self‑Driving to subscription onlyTesla has removed the buy‑outright option for Full Self‑Driving in Australia; it’s subscription only now. For owners, it’s a mixed bag. Flexibility is great—try it for a month on a long trip, cancel when you don’t need it—but residual values won’t be buoyed by a sunk FSD purchase anymore. On my last long Tesla slog, I appreciated advanced lane changes and smoother ramp logic, but I’m still perfectly happy paying only when I’ll get real utility from it.Volvo door latch recall: heat can cause doors to popVolvo’s issuing a recall because high heat can compromise door latches, potentially allowing a door to open. If you’re in a hot climate—or it’s summer—book the fix and keep seatbelts buckled as always. I’ve tested more Volvos than I can count, and their safety bench is sky-high, so expect a thorough remedy. Check your VIN with your dealer and get it sorted.Off-road whispers: baby LandCruiser with HiLux dieselReports suggest Toyota’s “baby LandCruiser” (reviving that FJ energy) could use a HiLux‑sourced diesel and is being considered for Australia. If it brings proper ground clearance, real low‑range, and the honest, hose‑out feel beloved by tourers, it’ll hit a sweet spot under the 70 Series. I’m picturing red dust, a swag in the back, and a steady idle towing a modest camper—right in Toyota’s wheelhouse.Industry pulseA Chinese brand nudges Ford out of the global top sixThe sales league table just blinked: a Chinese automaker has climbed into the global top six, pushing Ford down a notch. It’s the culmination of a few trends we’ve all felt from the driver’s seat: aggressive EV pricing, rapid product cycles, and domestic scale turning into export muscle. The practical effect for buyers? More choice, more negotiation leverage—and a fresh wave of dealer networks and service ecosystems to evaluate before you sign.De Tomaso’s revival stumblesThe De Tomaso comeback story has unraveled into what insiders call a “disaster.” Boutique brands wa... ## Related Store Context - [AutoWin Blog & News](https://www.autowin.com/blogs/news): Automotive news and fitment guides - [AutoWin Store Index](https://www.autowin.com/llms.txt): Full product catalog for AI agents - [Agent Instructions](https://www.autowin.com/agents.md): Commerce protocol and Shop skill - Reviews verified on [AutiVex](https://autivex.com/business/autowin-com): AutoWin customer ratings