Don’t expect a cheaper Kia EV6 or EV9

If you’ve been shocked by the prices of electric cars from value-led brand Kia over the past few years then don’t expect them to change anytime soon.

Kia is sticking to its guns on premium prices for its existing EVs, from the Niro Electric and EV6 to the recently-arrived EV9 – none are expected to get dramatically more affordable in the near future.

While sister brand Hyundai has introduced versions of the equivalent Kona Electric and IONIQ 5 with smaller batteries and sharper price points, Kia isn’t in a hurry to follow suit.

“We thought about it at one stage… but we decided not to proceed,” said Kia Australia product planning general manager Roland Rivero when carsales asked about a smaller battery and a more affordable price tag for the EV6.

Describing EV6 as more of a niche EV and one with a performance focus, Rivero said the electric SUV’s positioning is part of a broader long-term strategy to flesh out the Kia electric vehicle line-up.

“We didn’t want to bring in a car that was substantially cheaper than the current entry price [of the EV6] and we’re mindful of other products that are coming shortly,” he said, hinting at the soon-to-arrive EV5 mid-size electric SUV that’s expected to be priced from about $60,000 – well below $72,590 plus on-roads starting price of the EV6, which extends to $100K for the EV6 GT.

“If another car – EV5 – wasn’t going to come then we probably would have investigated.

“But you’ve got to be strategic in how you approach and how you position each of your respective products.”

It’s a similar story with the Niro Electric, currently Kia’s most affordable electric vehicle, starting at $66,590 before on-road costs.

”We’re going to keep it where it is from a position perspective,” said Rivero of the Niro EV, adding that at the moment there were “no plans” for a version with the 48.6kWh battery available overseas versus the 64.8kWh battery that is currently standard here.

Rivero reasons that any dramatic drop in the price could have a negative impact on residual values (RVs) down the track.

“Now that we have sold it to various fleets you can’t suddenly drop your pants and bring the price down because then you’re going to really, really, really make them angry because RVs and their whole of life calculations get impacted in a negative way.”

Rivero says the bigger challenge with Niro currently is getting enough of them in the country, with supply only just meeting demand.

Then there’s the seven-seat EV9 large SUV, which comes with prices ranging from $97,000 to $121,000, competing squarely against luxury cars from predominantly European brands.

But, again, Rivero is adamant the car is priced in line with its substance and specs.

“EV9 for what it has in terms of features and what it offers, we think it’s not badly priced.”

Of course, where Kia can start getting more creative is with upcoming new arrivals.

While the company has ruled out the yet-to-be-revealed EV2, it has confirmed the EV3 and EV4 will be sold in Australia, each with starting prices below the EV5.

All of which suggests Kia will have plenty of options in the sub-$60,000, where so much of the EV action has been.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

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