KIA Australia has introduced pricing and specs for the EV9 electrical SUV, with the headline mannequin kicking off from $97,000 +ORC.
Described by Kia Australia because the “new flagship” mannequin within the model’s vary, the primary three-row electrical SUV from a mainstream model won’t essentially attraction to mainstream budgets.
The Air rear-wheel drive variant is the one sub-$100K tackle the EV9 theme, with the all-wheel-drive Earth mannequin itemizing at $106,500 +ORC, and the range-topping GT-Line topping the record at $121,000 +ORC.
The Air RWD makes use of a single electrical motor on the rear axle with 160kW/350Nm, whereas the dual-motor Earth and GT-Line fashions have mixed outputs of 282kW/700Nm. The GT-Line is the heaviest, but quickest of the vary, with a 0-100km/h declare of 5.3 seconds. Its kerb weight is 2636kg, whereas the Earth weighs 2552kg, and the Air single-motor 2312kg.
Throughout the three EV9 seven-seater grades, all supply totally different claimed EV driving vary, too.
The entry-level Air RWD mannequin has a smaller 76.1kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a WLTP rated vary of 443km, whereas the Earth AWD is the hero for driving vary functionality, with its 99.8kWh battery providing a WLTP rated vary of 512km, and the range-topping GT-Line AWD with 505km WLTP.
The battery weight for the Air mannequin is 463kg, whereas the bigger battery within the AWD fashions is 566kg.
For the quantity crunchers on the market, the effectivity figures for this upper-large SUV are fairly spectacular, with the Air RWD providing a 19.5kWh/100km ranking, with Earth (22.3kWh/100km) and GT-Line (22.8kWh/100km) paying a penalty for his or her further weight and efficiency.
“The eagerly anticipated EV9 is a pivotal mannequin for Kia that turns standard SUV – and EV – considering on its head,” mentioned Kia Australia chief government officer, Damien Meredith.
“EV9 is an particularly vital mannequin as a result of it marks a step change in our evolution right into a supplier of superior mobility options.
“As the primary all-electric Higher Massive SUV in Australia, EV9 is exclusive in giving giant households a daring and assured automobile that includes an array of superior expertise, with expansive battery vary and efficiency, and a refined regionally tuned suspension.”
As for normal specs, the EV9 is handsomely geared up to assist justify its lofty asking worth – simply don’t go anticipating Nappa leather-based trim or actual suede inside, because the model has gone the ‘eco’ route for the inside supplies, with ‘vegan’ leather-based and ‘imitation’ suede finishes.
Beginning with the Air RWD, the usual gear record contains 19-inch alloy wheels with aero covers, pop-out door handles, full LED lighting exterior and in, a pair of 12.3-inch screens – one for media (together with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat nav and extra), and the opposite for driver data – a smaller five-inch panel for local weather settings whereas there are electrically adjustable entrance seats with heating and cooling, vinyl trim, recycled inside supplies used, a wi-fi cellphone charger, USB-C ports for all three rows, an electrical tailgate, a fingerprint scanner to start out the automotive, plus smartphone app connectivity (with automobile controllability) and related over the air updates.
The Earth grade – on account of arrive within the coming months – scores the bigger battery and longer driving vary, but in addition stands aside gloss black exterior finishes, inside ambient temper lighting and illuminated ‘KIA’ badge on the steering wheel, totally different inside trim – and, crucially, a couple of further security objects which ought to arguably be normal in a big, heavy, and costly SUV – a surround-view digital camera, rear collision avoidance auto braking, and the Blind Spot View Monitor digital camera system that exhibits up on the dashboard.
The extra performance-oriented GT-Line mannequin, introduces 21-inch alloy wheels with aero covers, tinted rear glass, a pair of sunroofs, faux suede headlining, two-tone seat trim with GT-Line embossing, a head-up show, massaging entrance seats, heated and cooled second-row window seats, a digital digital camera mirror inside, and digital facet mirrors are normal – you’ll be able to’t decide out of them in case you favor actual mirrors. It additionally will get facet and entrance low-speed collision avoidance braking.
The EV9 is obtainable solely with three rows of seats, together with ISOFIX factors within the outboard second-row, and third-row seats, for a complete of 4. There are additionally 5 top-tether factors.
The massive household SUV has an array of security expertise as normal, and whereas there is no such thing as a security ranking for it as but, the model anticipates a five-star Euro NCAP rating based mostly on 2023 standards.
Because of that, it’s fitted with a lot of normal expertise objects, corresponding to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, bicycle owner and junction detection, blind-spot monitoring with help, rear cross-traffic alert with braking, lane departure alert, lane preserving help, a reversing digital camera and entrance and rear parking sensors. There are additionally a few applied sciences which will frustrate house owners, together with a driver monitoring digital camera and visitors signal recognition system, each of which default to ‘on’ once you restart the automobile.
The EV9 has 9 airbags fitted, together with twin entrance, entrance centre, entrance facet, second-row facet, and full-length curtain airbag protection.
The EV9’s cargo capability is 333 litres with the third-row seats up, and that expands to 828 litres with the again row down. There’s a tyre restore equipment for all fashions underneath the boot ground, and Kia additionally affords a ‘frunk’ cupboard space with 90 litres of cargo house within the RWD, and 52 litres within the AWD fashions.
All Kia EV9 fashions include a seven-year/unlimited-kilometre guarantee for the automobile, with seven-year/150,000km cowl for the battery pack (assured to 65 per cent battery well being). Servicing intervals are each 12 months/15,000km and there are pay as you go servicing plans to select from – three years/45,000km for $706, 5 years/75,000km for $1351, and 7 years/105,000km for $1997.
Kia Australia estimates it should have 100 models monthly of the EV9 for the primary yr of gross sales, with examples of the massive electrical SUV rolling into vendor showrooms within the coming weeks.
The EV9 sits nicely above the next-most costly Kia mannequin, which additionally occurs to be an electrical automobile – the EV6 GT mannequin lists at $99,590 +ORC.
Kia is trying to broaden its EV footprint in Australia even additional, with the Korean firm lately showcasing a lot of shrunken-look variations of the EV9 within the type of the EV5 manufacturing mannequin (due in Australia in 2024) and EV3 Idea SUVs.
