Kia EV9 revealed in full, offers 500+ km range and Level 3 autonomous driving

KUALA LUMPUR: Earlier this month, Kia gave us a sneak peek of its highly anticipated EV9 electric SUV, leaving us guessing about the EV’s specification. Well, the wait is finally over, as the automaker has now unveiled the full details of its cutting-edge EV that appears as a promising addition to the EV market.

As expected, the all-new Kia EV9 underpins the brand’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), found under the EV6. It comes in the following versions -

Specs	RWD	RWD Long Range	AWD
Motor	Single electric motor	Single electric motor	Two electric motors
Max power	215 hp	201 hp	380 hp
Max torque	350 Nm	350 Nm	600 Nm
Drive system	Rear-wheel-drive	Rear-wheel-drive	All-wheel-drive
0-100 kmph acceleration	8.2 seconds	9.4 seconds	6.0 seconds
Battery	76.1-kWh	99.8-kWh	99.8-kWh
Range	NA	541 kilometers	541 kilometers

As for charging, the EV incorporates an ultra-fast 800V electrical system that will help juice up the battery for 239 km of range in just 15 minutes. 

Ho Sung Song, President and CEO, said: “The Kia EV9 transcends all aspects of traditional SUV thinking and represents the pinnacle of Kia’s design and engineering capabilities. Created to meet the needs of all family members, the EV9 also spearheads Kia’s rapid transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider, not just by its advanced EV architecture, but also through the numerous recycled and sustainable materials used in its creation.”

Equipment kit of Kia’s latest EV includes the following bits -

• Vertical LED headlamps
• 'Star Map’ LED daytime running lights
• Kia's first-ever 3D-sculpted underbody cover
• ‘Panoramic wide display’ combining a 12.3-inch cluster display, a 5-inch segment display, and a 12.3-inch infotainment system display
• Hidden type touch buttons for start/stop function and infotainment, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) controls 
• A large base compartment at the center console

• Connected Car Navigation Cockpit
• Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality enabling the discharging of energy from the vehicle battery
• Ten airbags
• Highway Driving Pilot system comprising fifteen sensors that offer conditional Level 3 autonomous driving
• Also part of the ADAS suite are Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist,  Highway Driving Assist 2, Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist, Remorse Smart Park Assist, and more

Kia will start accepting the EV9 pre-orders in the home market during Q2 2023 with deliveries set to start soon after. The EV will subsequently be introduced to select global markets, confirms the automaker.

Also read: Kia EV5 concept debuts in China, launching later this year