• Kia announces details regarding the powertrain of the upcoming 2024 Kia EV9 SUV.
• The all-electric SUV is essentially the gas-engine-free equivalent of the Telluride.
• The model will make its in-person debut next week at the New York Auto Show.
Kia had previously revealed the exterior design and interior layout of the upcoming EV9 EV, but today was devoted to providing more details regarding the powertrain and performance specs of the SUV.
As well, the company showed the GT-Line version of the three-row midsize SUV that is essentially the all-electric counterpart of the Telluride, only with distinct styling. Kia also confirmed it is working on a high-performance version of the EV9, similarly to what it did with the EV6. Details on that are still to come.
The EV9 is built on Hyundai's E-GMP platform, same as used to underpin the EV6 and other of the Korean group’s EVs. A notable aspect of that architecture is the 800-volt charging capacity, which allows for rapid charging on a high-capacity charger; Kia mentions a 15-minute timeframe for returning 240 km or so of range. The system allows for bi-directional charging, so the vehicle can be used to charge appliances as needed.
In some markets, the EV9 will come standard with RWD and a 76.1-kwh battery, with an available 99.8-kwh battery configuration combined with either RWD or AWD. The bigger battery with RWD will deliver the highest official range of which will be available with either rear- or all-wheel drive. The highest range will be with the 99.8-kwh battery and rear-wheel drive, about 480 km according to Kia (using the European cycle figures as a guide). The AWD version with larger battery, which could be a favourite choice of Canadian consumers, will deliver somewhat less than that, but we’ll know more next week.
With that larger battery, output with RWD is 201 hp; the twin-motor AWD version with the larger battery ups the output to about 380 km. In this configuration, Kia promises a 0-100 km acceleration time of six seconds. An available Boost function can cut that down to 5.3 seconds.
The EV9 can be had in six- or seven-seat configuration depending on the selection of captain’s chairs or not for the second row. Those chairs swivel up to 180 degrees to face the third-row seats. Seats in the first two rows recline, while the second and third rows can fold flat. Kia did not provide cargo space figures on that today, but we can expect more on that next week in New York.
The front part of the cabin features two 12.3-inch screens, one for the driver date and one touch screen for the infotainment, with both covered by one long span of glass. Most commands will be done via the touchscreen with a few essentials possible via physical buttons.
Kia plans to start selling the EV9 in certain markets in the second half of 2023. Again, we expect more details on that front next week when the model debuts in the flesh at the New York show.
