Kia sees a gap to dominate the full-size electrical SUV phase with its massive, boxy EV9

Kia is able to pull the wraps on its subsequent massive electrical automobile (emphasis on massive): the EV9 three-row SUV. The EV9 can have a correct North American debut on the New York Worldwide Auto Present subsequent week, however earlier than it does, the automaker is rolling out a listing of key specs to whet our urge for food.

Kia revealed the manufacturing model of the EV9 earlier this month in South Korea, however in doing so, it disregarded a number of essential particulars. We’ve seen the inside with its swiveling second-row seats in addition to the very Soul-like exterior design. In the present day, the corporate is filling in a number of the gaps in addition to outlining its technique to dominate the full-size electrical SUV phase, which it claims is completely up for grabs.

Full-size three-row SUVs are massive sellers within the US and all over the world, however there aren’t many which can be totally electrical. For a very long time, it was the Tesla Mannequin X — and that was about it. However that’s beginning to change, with the latest introduction of the Hummer EV SUV, Rivian R1S, Volvo EX90, and Mercedes EQS SUV. Kia thinks it might swoop in and seize the market by emphasizing its dedication to design and sustainability, in addition to its means to market itself as a extra widespread — and maybe reasonably priced — model.

“We at Kia are dedicated to the idea that sustainability must be on the forefront of the whole lot we do,” Kia CEO Ho-Sung Track mentioned throughout a briefing with reporters earlier this week. “And this perception has pushed us to create a full-size SUV that isn’t solely trendy and genuine, but in addition environmentally pleasant.”

How environmentally pleasant an enormous SUV might be — even one which runs on electrons — is definitely up for debate, particularly with regard to mineral extraction and non-exhaust street air pollution. Not like the EV6’s refreshingly modest footprint, the EV9 appears primed to win over Telluride and Cadillac Escalade prospects with its aggressive dimensions and copious inside area. However Track didn’t handle any of these issues, as a substitute specializing in the EV9’s benefits over the competitors.

To say that the EV9 is essential to Kia’s lineup could be an understatement. The EV9 will “not solely provide one thing new” to prospects fascinated with a full-size SUV however may also “play a key function in how the Kia model is outlined going ahead,” Track mentioned. “In some ways we think about the Kia EV9 to be the brand new flagship for our model.”

Kia, and its dad or mum firm, Hyundai, have been on the forefront of manufacturing EVs which can be fast to cost due to the 800-volt structure constructed into its shared E-GMP (Electrical World Modular Platform) platform. The EV9 will likely be no totally different, gaining 239km (148 miles) of vary in simply quarter-hour when plugged right into a DC quick charger. The automaker mentioned it’s concentrating on a WLTP vary of 541km (336 miles) — however extra conservative EPA-estimated vary is more likely to be lower than that.

Automotive consumers can have a lot of battery configurations to select from, together with a rear-wheel drive Normal mannequin with a 76.1kWh battery and a Lengthy Vary mannequin in each RWD and all-wheel drive variants with a much bigger 99.8kWh battery. The RWD Lengthy Vary will make the most of a 150kW / 350Nm electrical motor, giving it the power to dash from zero to 100 kilometers per hour in 9.4 seconds (based mostly on Kia’s preliminary information).

The AWD model will clearly be extra highly effective, partaking two motors for a mixed output of 283kW and 600Nm of torque, giving it a zero to 100 kilometers per hour acceleration of simply six seconds. An non-obligatory Increase characteristic out there by means of Kia’s Join Retailer will increase the torque to 700Nm, enabling the EV9 to speed up from zero to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds.

Just like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, the EV9 can have vehicle-to-load capabilities, remodeling it right into a cell energy generator. Like these different E-GMP automobiles, the EV9 will have the ability to provide as much as 3.68kW of energy, which is greater than sufficient for powering small electrical gadgets, like laptops and tenting gear. Kia isn’t touting the EV9 as an answer to energy outages, like some EV truck makers have been doing, however the characteristic must be helpful for individuals who wish to use their automobile to energy their gadgets.

The EV9 may also be Kia’s first automobile to characteristic Freeway Driving Pilot, the model’s Stage 3 autonomous driving system that enables for “unsupervised” driving on highways. That characteristic will solely be out there in “sure world markets,” Kia says, however the expertise that underpins the characteristic definitely sounds spectacular on paper.

Kia says it would obtain Stage 3 “partial autonomy” due to the EV9’s array of 15 — that’s proper, 15 — sensors, together with two lidar laser sensors, cameras, radar, and ultrasonics. Freeway Driving Pilot will likely be out there on the EV9’s GT-line mannequin sooner or later, and Kia says it would have extra particulars to share at a later date.

That and different options will continually enhance due to the EV9’s over-the-air software program updates. The Kia Join Retailer is just like the automaker’s personal app retailer, the place EV9 homeowners will have the ability to buy new options like a “Digital Sample Lighting Grille,” for instance. There may also be efficiency enhancements out there, just like the Increase characteristic for added torque.

Kia is boasting a bunch of extra security and comfort options, like hands-free driver help, distant parking, and clever pace restrict help that’s designed to mechanically decrease the pace of the automobile based mostly on the regulated pace restrict.

But when Kia needs to grab the full-size electrical SUV crown from the Tesla Mannequin X, it might want to make a case for itself by means of its value. And sadly, Kia isn’t prepared to speak about that but.

With most luxurious three-row electrical SUVs retailing for effectively over $100,000, there’s an actual alternative for Kia to slip in with a extra reasonably priced value. The EV9 should begin underneath $80,000 with the intention to compete with the Volvo EX90 and Rivian R1S, and even that’s not a assure — particularly with Kia jamming a ton of tech and premium options into this factor.

“Our model will nonetheless be positioned to attraction to a wider viewers,” Track mentioned. “We are going to present [a full range of] EV merchandise throughout all segments, from smaller to excessive finish. So we’ll by no means go away our current prospects behind.”