$90K-plus Kia EV9 coming in 2023 with 7 seats, two battery capacities

The Kia EV9 will hit Australian dealerships by October as the new hero in the brand’s expanding electric car stables.

Kia confirmed that the yet-to-be-revealed EV9 will begin Australian production in August before arriving in September and filtering its way out to dealerships.

The new EV9 will share its 800-volt electrical E-GMP architecture with the EV6 (and others such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60) that has helped reshape perceptions of the Kia brand.

But with seven seats as standard and a large SUV body it will not only be the largest vehicle Kia sells here – also potentially offering more space than many ICE three-row SUVs – but also the most expensive.

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“We’re aiming for a number to start with … a higher eight,” said Kia Australia product planning manager Roland Rivero in suggesting the start price will be close to $90,000.

The top-of-the-range EV9 will be “closer to the $120-130,000 mark,” according to Rivero.

That’s because Kia sees the EV9 as a potentially category-busting large SUV that will not only give the brand an EV alternative to the Toyota Kluger, Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai Palisade but also draw some buyers from luxury brands such as Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

“Euros [buyers] will come our way,” said Rivero, referencing the brand’s experience with the EV6, which has drawn many buyers from the premium space.

The EV9 – which has so far only been revealed as a concept car – will be officially classified as an “upper large” SUV, something that would put it in the same category as the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol.

However, with only mild off-road ability and no spare tyre, Rivero doesn’t see the EV9 as a rival for those two titans of the bush and outback.

Key to the EV9’s appeal will be a big dose of technology, including broad digital screens across the dash and the latest driver assist systems.

The EV9 will debut the second generation of Kia Connect. It not only includes remote connectivity and over-the-air software updates but also allows for subscriptions and features-on-demand.

Plus, the EV9 will have self-levelling rear suspension and a towing capacity of up to 2500kg.

However, it will also be offered in the broadest model range of any Kia EV currently available in Australia.

Rivero says the EV9 will be offered in two battery capacities.

The smaller will offer upwards of 400km of WLTP range and be the price leader/ Rivero says pricing should kick off below $90,000 for what will be a rear-wheel drive single-motor model.

There will also be dual-motor models as well as a larger battery pack that will take the WLTP range closer to 600km.

Model grades will include the entry-level Air, mid-grade Earth and more highly-equipped GT-Line.

Rivero says there will also be a high-performance GT model, although that’s will arrive later than the core model range.

One of the key questions is how many EV9s will arrive in Australia, especially as the EV6 has to date been available in such small numbers.

Rivero says that there should be a couple of thousand available here in 2024.

“We aren’t getting unlimited supply,” he says, “(but) the long term plan is not bad in terms of supply”.