Kia EV9, the first three-row electric flagship SUV from the South Korean automaker, has finally made its global debut via official pictures. Its bookings will be commenced in Korea in the second quarter of 2023, followed by European, American, Middle East and select Asian markets. As of now, the carmaker has no plan to bring in its global flagship EV in India. The South Korean automaker says that its new electric SUV “transcends all aspects of traditional SUV thinking and represents the pinnacle of Kia’s design and engineering capabilities.”
The model underpins the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and comes with Kia’s fourth-generation battery technology. It can be had with either a 76.1kWh battery or a 99.8 kWh battery pack. While the former is offered exclusively with the RWD Standard version, the latter is available with both RWD long-range and AWD variants.
The RWD long-range model features an electric motor that’s good enough for 150kW and 350Nm. It can accelerate 0 to 100kmph in 9.4 seconds. There is one more powerful 160kW/350Nm, single electric motor option, capable to do 0 to 100kmph in 8.2 seconds. The AWD version has two electric motors making power worth 283kW and 600Nm. It’s capable to achieve 0 to 100kmph in 5.3 seconds.
The Kia EV9 RWD long-range version with 19-inch wheels delivers an estimated target range of over 541km (as per WLTP). Its battery can be charged via an ultra-fast 800 Volt charging system for 239km in approx. 15 minutes. The electric SUV comes with Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2L) functionality through its integrated charging control unit (ICCU).
The Kia EV9 is the brand’s first product to come with three-step Design Sustainability Strategy that means it has 10 ‘must-have’ sustainable items. The dashboard with minimalist design and horizontally placed display for infotainment and instrument cluster, 14-speaker Meridian sound system, ambient lighting, illuminated logo on the steering wheel, relaxation seats and steering wheel table are some of its key features. It’s also the first Kia car to come with Level 3 autonomous driving – called Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) system.
