No, it's not a concept car
Kia has revealed its new range-topping EV9 electric SUV, set to challenge the BMW iX and the forthcoming Volvo EX90.
Promising a range of more than 300 miles on a charge and a choice of six- or seven-seat layouts, the new model will go on sale in “selected global markets” from the second half of 2023.
Kia has not yet announced pricing for the UK market but it seems likely to undercut established premium rivals such as the iX, which starts at just under £70,000, and the EX90, which is expected to cost around £90,000.
Despite that, the EV9 will be very slightly larger than the iX, measuring over five metres in length and 1.75 metres in height. As a result, Kia says it has the space to allow for a range of four different seating options, including swivelling independent second-row seats, reclining relaxation seats and a conventional second-row bench.
Kia will offer at least two different trim levels, having unveiled a standard EV9 and a more performance-styled GT-Line version with black trim, sportier bumpers and a high-tech ‘Digital Pattern Lighting Grille’.
The EV9 will also be available with camera-based door ‘mirrors’, alongside a more conventional range of safety systems including blind-spot monitoring and lane-keeping assistance. The car is also expected to come with remote parking assistance that allows the car to park itself via remote, which is handy for getting a car this big in and out of spaces.
Moreover, the EV9 GT-Line will be offered with Kia’s Highway Driving Pilot technology, which allows the car to be driven autonomously “where conditions permit”.
Whether or not that technology will come to the UK is unknown — Kia says the system will only meet the criteria required in “certain areas of the world” — but the Highway Code was last year amended to allow vehicles with Automated Lane Keeping Assist (ALKS), which is the first legislative step in allowing a car to take control away from the driver and become self-driving.
However, no vehicle has yet been type approved for ALKS use in the UK and, frustratingly for car makers, the goalposts of its scope are moving: the maximum speed of ALKS was recently raised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) from 60kph (37mph) to 130kph (81mph), and the new regulation allows autonomous lane-changing, which significantly changes the game. Kia expects to reveal more on the EV9’s capabilities ahead of the technology going on-stream.
Perhaps more important than all that, though, are the power output and drivetrain options.
Kia EV9 customers will get a choice of three different models, with the basic car getting a 76.1kWh battery and a single motor driving the rear wheels. It isn’t clear whether this base model will be sold in the UK, but we do know it will have 214bhp and get from standstill to 62mph in just over eight seconds.
For those wanting more range, the EV9 will also be offered in RWD Long Range form, which features a 99.8kWh battery and a marginally less powerful electric motor. With just 201bhp on tap, the mid-range car will take 9.4 seconds to get from a standstill to 62mph, but more importantly, Kia says it’s targeting an official range of 336 miles on a single charge.
Finally, the line-up will be topped by the EV9 AWD, which has the same 99.8kWh battery as the RWD Long Range model, but gets an extra motor on the front wheels. That means the car will have just under 380bhp, allowing it to get from 0-62mph in six seconds flat.
An 800-volt electrical system allows the RWD Long Range to add almost 150 miles of range in just 15 minutes at maximum charge speed.
The EV9 will also get vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, allowing the car to provide up to 3.68kW of power (similar to a three-pin domestic socket) to power items such as laptops and camping equipment, including electric cookers.
Ho Sung Song, Kia’s 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.”
- After reading about the new Kia EV9, you may want to check out the one-off electric Kia Soul for use on the beach
- Or catch up on all the car makers’ electric plans
- Have you read Jeremy Clarkson’s review of the Kia Sportage?
Keyword: Seven-seat Kia EV9 SUV gets up to 336 miles of range and ultra-rapid charging