Kia has officially launched its much anticipated Kia EV9 at its inaugural EV Day in Yeoju, Korea. It is on its way to become an annual tradition for the popular car manufacturer to reveal new products and schemes. October 12 saw the release of the brand new Kia EV9 that features promising technical advancements like electric competence and a glimpse of the comprehensive global EV vision for the upcoming seasons. In this blog, The Web Hunting will enlist what all has been unveiled at this highly endorsed event and what lies in the future.
Kia EV9- An Overview
This year the pure-electric three-row SUV is the primary USP of the Kia EV9. Sure, it may not be the pioneer in the market for three-row line ups, or electric for that matter, but Kia promises something that the frontrunners of the market- Tesla and Mercedes, do not offer- affordability.Tesla and Mercedes are all but a dream for an average buyer, but Kia aims to reach the general populace with its light price tag.
The EV9 is the second all-electric transmission automobile by Kia developed with its E-GMP EV platform that was originally introduced in the year 2021. Sales have already begun in Korea, but the States and the UK have to wait in line to uncover what the EV9 has to offer. Until then, this all-inclusive review will do.
Kia EV Event 2023
Two interesting new additions take center stage in Kia’s new electric vehicle range. One looks like an electric sports sedan, the other is a compact crossover that fits in the current EV5. Inside, you’ll find Kia’s dual-screen digital dashboard, similar to what we saw in the EV5. The Korea launch so far has provided the following kit-
- Interior V2L outlet
- 12.3-inch driver display, 12.3-inch infotainment display and 5.0-inch climate control display
- Double laminated front glass
- Black exterior cladding
- Bespoke interior finishes of Black/Grey, Grey/White, or Black/Brown
- Tri-zone climate control
Kia EV9 Specifications
| Specs | Long Range | Standard range | AWD |
| Battery | 99.8kWh | 76.1kWh | 99.8kWh |
| Horsepower | 201 | 215 | 380 |
| Torque (pound-feet) | 258 | 258 | 443 |
| 0 to 62 mph | 9.4s | 8.2s | 6.0s |
| range | 336 miles | No range expectations | No range expectations |
| Towing Capacity | – | – | 5000 pounds |
Kia EV9 interiors
The interior of the EV9 is rather modern with the flat floor, which allows for a generous space for a comfortable ride. The ‘en-suite’ curved screen houses the high quality infotainment system. Every technology that is driving related is intuitively placed on the latest design of the steering wheel, which does not take too much getting used to, which means that all the driving modes that are available can easily be reached by the driver.
Infotainment System
The flat top and bottom is also highly reflective, and reflects much of the infotainment screen quite clearly, a feature that is clearly being integrated in most of the Kia models. Albeit the infotainment screen is quite large, it does not seem too overwhelming because of the spacious interiors and falls perfectly in the driver’s vision.
Recycled Materials
Another important factor that Kia has incorporated is the use of ‘vegan’ leather- which essentially has a bio-component like corn extract, promising a cruelty-free experience for all its users. The seat foam does contain natural oils for a longer life, and most of the interior has been made of recycled materials- like processed old fishing nets and such. You can also see a lack of piano black plastic on doors, dashboard and the consoles.
Spacious and Adjustable Seats
The three row SUV offers you 7 comfortable seats with decent sized rear windows that makes it perfect for big families. It also has a pair of removable captain’s chairs, which the passengers can either use as loungers or rotate them 270 degrees for easy entrance and departure. It also allows you to easily add stap baby seats, or turn to face other passenger seats quite easily. The rotation factor does not come with the US model though.
The interior also features three climate zones, and has more sockets than seats. You can also store extra luggage quite breezily with the 300L of storage space even after using all the seven seats of the SUV. If you fold the rear seats, the volume expands to a grand 800L. The car also has a frunk under the bonnet that allows you to store another 90L if you choose the right variant.
Battery and Charging
Since the car is quite big, it houses a staggering battery too – a grand 76.2 kWh, with its rear wheel drive standard model. The long range, and the AWD variants have 99.8kWh battery. Kia has also offered you a range of 336 miles, which is quite impressive for an electric car. In fact, the integration of the Kia Connect Store, will also allow customers to add Vehicle-to-grid compatibility to sell electricity back to the grid. The 800V electric system also allows for fast charging, which means that a 6 minute charge with a 350kW charger will give you about 60 miles of distance.
Performance and Technology
The AWD allows you to zoom to 120 mph with a grand 385 bhp, while the RWD goes 112mph at 204 bhp. It also takes a mere 5.3seconds to accelerate to 62mph, because of its high torque, which can easily go from 600 to 700 Nm. In shorter periods. This does make it a fierce competition of other brand’s EVs.
The EV9 is also one of the most innovative models made by Kia so far. In fact, the brand will also allow customers to choose the features they want, rather than paying for an all-inclusive car up front.
The vehicle also brings with itself many of Kia’s first time capabilities like digital side mirrors, which will also be able to receive over-the-air software updates. However, that is a feature that has been included in the Korean model, and does not expand to the US look that was released. The self-driving technology is also another embellishment on Kia’s portfolio. The manufacturer’s ‘Automode’ will use driver assistance tech and a plethora of safety aides, to give competition to the Tesla Level 3 capability.
The EV9 will also offer a Level 3 ‘partial autonomy’ with its 15 sensors that include two lidar laser sensors, cameras, radar, and ultrasonics. This might help with unsupervised driving, but the company is yet to specify which markets will get the function.
Safety features on the Kia EV9
Kia EV9 has not been crash tested yet, but the company has given a bold proclamation of targeting a whopping five-star rating at the Euro NCAP standards- which, when you think about it, does exude a lot of confidence in the security features. Some of the most important features are-
- Blind-spot assist
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Rear cross-traffic assist
- Lane-keep assist
- Intelligent speed limit assist
- Navigation-based adaptive cruise control
The car also offers a Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 which will automatically maneuver the car into a parking space in an efficient way. You also get 3.68kW of power that can help you charge electronic devices like laptops and phones.
Kia EV9 Cost and Pricing
With the release in the home market, the cost is getting a bit clearer, but a mere translation of currencies may not be the way to go. The base EV9 had a 78.1 million won charge in Korea, which does equate to £474.65, which might seem like an extravagance for a Kia, for the biggest one yet, The Telluride is around the same range. It still is a tough competition for the frontrunners like Rivian R1S.
Plus, since it is an EV, after all, it might not need to adhere to all safety regulations because of the concession offered to them. That means that leased EVs will get aid, even when they fall short- which might bring the price down even further.
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Conclusion
Looking at the Kia EV9, it is palpable that the large SUV has a lot of features that will definitely assist the driver, but the pricing structure may not suit the general population, like Kia had previously promised with all its variants. Still, the features are promising- the safety features do help you drive with an enhanced ease and the power that it offers, does make it quite an impressive deal on the market. It is also suitable for long drive adventures, and can even help you charge your camping equipment with its impressive volt output. The Korean EV9 is here, and Thewebhunting awaits what the US and the European versions will have to offer to continue this talk further. Stay tuned for more updates.
