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By Callum Hunter
Kia has revealed a bold new flagship that elevates the South Korean brand into a genuine technical leadership role.
The company took the wraps off the final production version and confirmed key details of its EV9 seven-seat SUV at an event in Seoul, showcasing its unique exterior design, flexible interior layout, long-range powertrain and promising that the range-topping GT-Line will offer cutting-edge Level 3 autonomous driving capability.
Final specifications and prices will be released closer to its showroom arrival in Australia later this year, with Kia Australia announcing it has secured an initial batch of 400 vehicles that should arrive in either September or October.
Already being marketed as the new lighthouse for Kia’s global model range, the EV9 is expected to become the Korean brand’s most expensive model to date and will likely command a starting price north of $80,000 plus on-road costs, with top-spec versions easily capable of eclipsing $110,000.
Utilising a modified version of the familiar 800V e-GMP platform that also underpins a wide variety of Hyundai, Kia and Genesis electric vehicles, the EV9 is the largest of them all, riding on a vast 3100mm wheelbase and measures 5010mm long, 1980mm wide and 1780mm tall.
These dimensions make it 200mm longer, 80mm wider and up to 80mm taller than the current Kia Sorento, and marginally bigger than the eight-seat Hyundai Palisade.
An official ground clearance figure hasn’t been published yet but Kia has confirmed all variants will roll on aerodynamically optimised 19-, 20- or 21-inch alloy wheels as standard.
Three battery-electric drivetrains will be on offer from launch: Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD) Standard, Rear-Wheel Drive Long Range and All-Wheel Drive (AWD) Long Range.
The entry-level powertrain features a single 150kW/350Nm electric motor – mounted to the rear axle – and a 76.1kWh lithium-ion battery, which provides the ability to accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.4-seconds. Kia has yet to disclose an official driving range for the entry-level model.
Opting for the Long Range version adds another 10kW to the equation – reducing the sprint time down to 8.2sec – but, more importantly, includes the addition of a bigger 99.8kWh battery that ensures this particular EV9 can travel up to 541km between recharges.
In classic EV fashion, the AWD Long Range features an electric motor on each axle and churns out combined outputs of 283kW/600Nm. However, an extra 100Nm will be on hand courtesy of an optional Boost function that will become available later via the new Kia Connect Store – an online platform where EV9 owners will be able to purchase additional features either outright or on a subscription basis.
No official driving range for the top-spec powertrain has been locked in yet, but a 6.0sec 0-100km/h claim (5.3sec in Boost mode) has been announced.
As for charging capabilities, Kia says up to 239km of range can be added in just 15 minutes when using DC fast charging. However the brand hasn’t nominated a maximum charging power. The smaller existing EV6 that uses the same platform can be charged at up to 350kW, so odds are the long-range EV9s will at least match that.
Despite its obviously big and blocky proportions, the EV9 boasts a relatively slippery drag coefficient of 0.28Cd thanks to active air curtains, 3D-sculpted and aerodynamically optimised underbody, aero wheels and the longest spoiler ever fitted to a Kia production car.
Inside the cabin you’ll be hard-pressed to find any leather or animal products given it’s the first Kia model to embrace the brand’s ‘Design Sustainability Strategy’, which aims to phase out leather in favour of more sustainably sourced and ‘bio-based materials’ such as corn, sugar cane, natural oils, recycled PET bottles (up to 70 per vehicle) and fishing nets.
The EV9 will be available in both six- and seven-seat layouts, with the former offering two captain’s chairs in the second row featuring an innovative swivel function that allows passengers to turn their seats and face those in the third row.
Whether or not this feature passes local Australia Design Rule certification remains to be seen, but other configurations include a traditional three-position bench and a three-person relaxation pew that can be reclined on-demand, for example when charging.
The range-topping GT-Line model will eventually offer Level 3 autonomous driving technology courtesy of the new Highway Driving Pilot system.
It uses a total of 15 sensors including two lidars to scan for objects in a full 360-degree field of view, “enabling it to detect and react to the road and other users to prevent potential collisions”.
This function won’t be available from launch and will only be offered in select markets where Level 3 vehicle autonomy has been approved by law; more details will be released closer to its rollout.
Other stand-out features include Remote Smart Parking Assist 2, Auto Terrain mode, configurable front lighting signature, curved display comprising a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit, 12.3-inch infotainment system and a 5.0-inch control module, 2500kg maximum braked towing capacity and 3.68kW vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.
Active and passive safety equipment will include blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, lane keeping assist, speed limit assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, Highway Driving Assist 2 and both rear cross-traffic and parking collision-avoidance.
“The Kia EV9 transcends all aspects of traditional SUV thinking and represents the pinnacle of Kia’s design and engineering capabilities,” Kia president and CEO Ho Sung Song said.
“Created to meet the needs of all family members, the EV9 also spearheads Kia’s rapid transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider.”
Kia Australia has promised the EV9, like all of its other vehicles, will have a suspension tune specifically suited to Australian consumer tastes and road conditions, with local testing to commence soon.
Disclaimer: Images supplied by Kia.
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