Kia EV9 arrives priced from close to $100K

KIA Australia has announced pricing and specifications for the EV9 electric SUV, with the headline model kicking off from $97,000 +ORC.

Described by Kia Australia as the “new flagship” model in the brand’s range, the first three-row electric SUV from a mainstream brand might not necessarily appeal to mainstream budgets.

The Air rear-wheel drive variant is the only sub-$100K take on the EV9 theme, with the all-wheel-drive Earth model listing at $106,500 +ORC, and the range-topping GT-Line topping the list at $121,000 +ORC.

The Air RWD uses a single electric motor at the rear axle with 160kW/350Nm, while the dual-motor Earth and GT-Line models have combined outputs of 282kW/700Nm. The GT-Line is the heaviest, yet fastest of the range, with a 0-100km/h claim of 5.3 seconds. Its kerb weight is 2636kg, while the Earth weighs 2552kg, and the Air single-motor 2312kg.

Across the three EV9 seven-seater grades, all offer different claimed EV driving range, too.

The entry-level Air RWD model has a smaller 76.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a WLTP rated range of 443km, while the Earth AWD is the hero for driving range capability, with its 99.8kWh battery offering a WLTP rated range of 512km, and the range-topping GT-Line AWD with 505km WLTP.

The battery weight for the Air model is 463kg, while the larger battery in the AWD models is 566kg.

For the number crunchers out there, the efficiency figures for this upper-large SUV are pretty impressive, with the Air RWD offering a 19.5kWh/100km rating, with Earth (22.3kWh/100km) and GT-Line (22.8kWh/100km) paying a penalty for their extra weight and performance.

“The eagerly anticipated EV9 is a pivotal model for Kia that turns conventional SUV – and EV – thinking on its head,” said Kia Australia chief executive officer, Damien Meredith.

“EV9 is an especially significant model because it marks a step change in our evolution into a provider of advanced mobility solutions.

“As the first all-electric Upper Large SUV in Australia, EV9 is unique in giving large families a bold and confident vehicle featuring an array of advanced technology, with expansive battery range and performance, and a refined locally tuned suspension.”

As for standard specifications, the EV9 is handsomely equipped to help justify its lofty asking price – just do not go expecting Nappa leather trim or real suede inside, as the brand has gone the ‘eco’ route for the interior materials, with ‘vegan’ leather and ‘imitation’ suede finishes.

Starting with the Air RWD, the standard equipment list comprises 19-inch alloy wheels with aero covers, pop-out door handles, full LED lighting outside and in, a pair of 12.3-inch screens – one for media (including wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav and more), and the other for driver info – a smaller five-inch panel for climate settings while there are electrically adjustable front seats with heating and cooling, vinyl trim, recycled interior materials used, a wireless phone charger, USB-C ports for all three rows, an electric tailgate, a fingerprint scanner to start the car, plus smartphone app connectivity (with vehicle controllability) and connected over the air updates.

The Earth grade – due to arrive in the coming months – scores the larger battery and longer driving range, but also stands apart gloss black exterior finishes, interior ambient mood lighting and illuminated ‘KIA’ badge on the steering wheel, different interior trim – and, crucially, a few extra safety items which should arguably be standard in a large, heavy, and expensive SUV – a surround-view camera, rear collision avoidance auto braking, and the Blind Spot View Monitor camera system that shows up on the dashboard.

The more performance-oriented GT-Line model, introduces 21-inch alloy wheels with aero covers, tinted rear glass, a pair of sunroofs, fake suede headlining, two-tone seat trim with GT-Line embossing, a head-up display, massaging front seats, heated and cooled second-row window seats, a digital camera mirror inside, and digital side mirrors are standard – you can’t opt out of them if you prefer real mirrors. It also gets side and front low-speed collision avoidance braking.

The EV9 is offered exclusively with three rows of seats, including ISOFIX points in the outboard second-row, and third-row seats, for a total of four. There are also five top-tether points.

The big family SUV has an array of safety technology as standard, and while there is no safety rating for it as yet, the brand anticipates a five-star Euro NCAP score based on 2023 criteria.

As a result of that, it is fitted with a number of standard technology items, such as autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection, blind-spot monitoring with assistance, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, lane departure alert, lane keeping assistance, a reversing camera and front and rear parking sensors. There are also a couple of technologies that may frustrate owners, including a driver monitoring camera and traffic sign recognition system, both of which default to ‘on’ when you restart the vehicle.

The EV9 has nine airbags fitted, including dual front, front centre, front side, second-row side, and full-length curtain airbag coverage.

The EV9’s cargo capacity is 333 litres with the third-row seats up, and that expands to 828 litres with the back row down. There is a tyre repair kit for all models under the boot floor, and Kia also offers a ‘frunk’ storage space with 90 litres of cargo space in the RWD, and 52 litres in the AWD models.

All Kia EV9 models come with a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for the vehicle, with seven-year/150,000km cover for the battery pack (guaranteed to 65 per cent battery health). Servicing intervals are every 12 months/15,000km and there are prepaid servicing plans to choose from – three years/45,000km for $706, five years/75,000km for $1351, and seven years/105,000km for $1997.

Kia Australia estimates it will have 100 units per month of the EV9 for the first year of sales, with examples of the big electric SUV rolling into dealer showrooms in the coming weeks.

The EV9 sits well above the next-most expensive Kia model, which also happens to be an electric vehicle – the EV6 GT model lists at $99,590 +ORC.

Kia is looking to broaden its EV footprint in Australia even further, with the Korean company recently showcasing a number of shrunken-look versions of the EV9 in the form of the EV5 production model (due in Australia in 2024) and EV3 Concept SUVs.