Kia has revealed full details of the Kia EV9, its first three-row seat electric SUV. The all-new EV offers a variety of powertrain configurations alongside a variety of standard and optional technologies.
The EV9’s infotainment system features a panoramic wide display, which unites a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a 12.3-inch cluster display, and a 5.0-inch segment display. Together, these displays offer accessible vehicle controls while efficiently delivering key vehicle information. Beneath, an array of type touch buttons provide a start/stop function, as well as controls for the infotainment system and HVAC.
New features, such as quick control, integrated search, and a new EV mode work to add further convenience to the wider driving experience. The SUV’s EV mode, for example, allows drivers to check and control its EV-specific information and functions on a single page. Here, users can also edit and configure the interface in a widget-style manner, tailoring it to their own preferences.
Built on Hyundai’s E-GMP EV architecture, the EV9 provides Kia customers with an estimated all-electric range of 336 miles (541 km), based on the WLTP scale. The size of the battery pack differs between the driver’s selected model, with the RWD Standard EV9 offering a 76.1-kWh battery, while a 99.8-kWh pack is fitted in its RWD Long Range and AWD versions. In both cases, the EV9’s 800-volt charging system allows the battery pack to recuperate 148 miles (239 km) of range in around 15 minutes.
The RWD Long Range model utilizes a 201 hp (150 kW) electric motor that offers 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque, and a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) time of 9.4 seconds. Similarly powered by a single 214 hp (160 kW) electric motor, with the same amount of torque, the Standard RWD version can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.2 seconds.
Equipped with two electric motors, the AWD variant offers a total power output of 283 kW (379 hp), and a combined torque of 442 lb-ft (600 Nm). This setup also enables the variant to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 6.0 seconds, while its performance can be further enhanced with a optional Boost feature that increases torque to 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) and reduces its 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) time to 5.3 seconds.
Kia’s new e-SUV also comes with V2L functionality, made possible through its Integrated Charging Control Unit. This ultimately enables energy from the vehicle’s battery pack to charge a variety of devices, from laptops to camping equipment, with up to 3.6 kW of power.
Beyond its standard features, the EV9’s in-vehicle Kia Connect Store offers a wide array of upgrade options for the vehicle’s software and hardware functions. The updates and new features hosted on the store are delivered over-the-air, reducing the need for the user to visit the dealership to install them. Available on the store, for example, is the EV9’s optional Lighting Pattern feature, which enhances its Digital Pattern Lighting Grille technology. The optional Boost feature offered optionally with the AWD model can similarly be purchased through the Kia Connect Store.
Following its physical debut at the Seoul Mobility Show in March 2023, Kia will open pre-orders for the EV9 in the Korean market in Q2 2023. The Hyundai brand then plans for the electric SUV to begin sales in select global markets from the second half of 2023.
