Kia is launching its next big electric vehicle later this year, with pre-orders starting next quarter. Although the pricing has not been revealed yet, the automaker launched its key specifications regarding sustainability, autonomy, updates, and capabilities.
Kia EV9 SUV
The EV9 SUV will be Kia's second all-electric model in its EV lineup series. According to a report from The Verge, the company is filling in some gaps and launching some of the specifications of the vehicle as a strategy to dominate the electric SUV segment.
Chief Executive Officer Ho-Sung Song stated that the company is committed to prioritizing sustainability in its operations and offerings. Song added, "And this belief has driven us to create a full-size SUV that is not only stylish and authentic, but also environmentally friendly."
Not only the EV9 will offer something new to its lineup in a full-size SUV, but it will also play a big role in how the company is defined going forward. The CEO also said that introducing this vehicle means introducing its newest flagship offering.
Kia EV9 will debut at the Seoul Mobility Show 2023 later this month, while it will have a proper debut in North America at the New York International Auto Show next month.
Key Specifications
Two options will be given when purchasing regarding its battery size, a 76.1 kWh pack in the Standard RWD option or a Long Range 99.8 kWh battery available in both RWD and AWG configurations. Both of these battery-size options will be sold in North America.
Kia and its parent company Hyundai have been known for producing EVs with fast charging. This is because of the 800-volt architecture built on its vehicles through its shared E-GMP (Electronic Global Modular Platform). Kia EV9 will be no different as it can gain 239 km of range in just 15 minutes when plugged into a fast charger.
As of the moment, Kia estimates that the Long Range RWD version will be able to deliver 541 km or 335 miles of range on a single charge, calculated using the WLTP standard. Electrek reported that the company will also introduce a boost option that will increase the torque of the AWD variant's front motor to 700 Nm, which will be available at the Kia Connect Store.
The AWD version will be more powerful as it offers two motors for a combined power of 283kW and 600Nm of torque. This will give zero to 100 kilometers per hour acceleration that users can obtain in just six seconds.
Autonomous Driving
EV9 will also be Kia's first vehicle that features Highway Driving Pilot, which is the company's Level 3 Autonomous Driving System. This will allow the driver to experience unsupervised driving on highways. However, Kia said that this will only be available in certain markets around the globe.
TechCrunch reported that this will all be possible as Kia added 15 sensors, including two lidar, radar, and cameras that will give the vehicle a full 360-degree field of view that will let the system detect and react to the road. This will also allow users to prevent potential accidents.
Aside from this, EV9 also comes with other active safety features, like rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist that will prevent collisions with other vehicles.
