2024 Kia EV9 flagship SUV capable of parking, driving itself

All-new EV9 can reach up to 541 km of range

After previewing its design a few weeks ago, Kia has finally bared the technical details we've been waiting for with its flagship three-row SUV, the EV9. And indeed, Kia wants nothing but the most advanced tech features for its latest fully-electric model.

Let's begin with the EV9's dimensions. The electric SUV measures 5010mm long, 1980mm wide, and 1755mm tall. With these numbers, the EV9 is almost identical to the ICE-powered Kia Telluride. However, where the EV9 has the edge is in the wheelbase; it's 200mm longer than the Telluride (2900mm vs. 3100mm in the EV9).

As we've previously seen in the leaked photos and official images, the EV9 has boxy styling that exudes strong SUV presence on the road. However, its slim LED lights, minimalist styling and concept-car-like wheels are its most eye-catching features outside.

Inside, the Kia EV9 is available with either six or seven-seat configurations, with four second-row seating options. Those include 3-seater bench seats, basic type, relaxation type where the first two rows recline when the EV9 is charging, and the swivel-type two-seater independent seats that allows the second-row occupants to face the third row.

For powertrain options, the flagship EV9 has three variants – the RWD Standard, RWD Long Range, and the range-topping AWD. Starting with the RWD Standard, it has a 76.1 kWh battery that delivers power to the electric motor that puts out 215 PS and 350 Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the RWD Long Range variant has less power at 201 PS, but has the same torque with the RWD Standard, and can travel longer distances with its 99.8 kWh battery pack.

Last but not the least, the range-topping AWD variant likewise gets the 99.8 kWh battery of the RWD Long Range, but produces more power at 380 PS and 600 Nm combined from its two electric motors. It also has an optional Boost feature that increases torque to 700 Nm, making the EV9 capable of reaching 100 km/h from a standstill in 5.3 seconds.

In terms of range however, Kia only revealed the RWD Long Range variant's numbers, which says it could reach over 541 km on a single charge. Since the EV9 is underpinned by the E-GMP platform that's used by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, it also has an 800-volt charging system that is capable of adding 239 km in just 15 minutes of charging time.

Furthermore, the EV9 also has the vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, making it capable of powering electric devices such as laptops and camping equipment.

When it comes to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), the EV9 is fully loaded with the usual blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control features, but it takes things up a notch with the remote smart parking assist, which enables the EV9 to park itself with the help of ultrasonic sensors.

Also, the EV9 will also have Kia's Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) system soon. This essentially makes it capable of level 3 autonomous driving. However, it will only be available in certain areas of the world which Kia did not specify. The Korean manufacturer plans to offer the HDP in the EV9 GT-Line variant in the future.

As for its public debut, Kia will be revealing the EV9 at the Seoul Mobility Show, followed by a premiere in North America's New York International Auto Show in early April. Kia says they will open pre-orders on the EV9 first to the Korean market by Q2 2023, and is expected to go on sale in select global markets by the second half of 2023.

Kia Philippines just launched the smaller EV6 in the country recently. So should they follow it up with the EV9? Let us know in the comments.