Kia EV9 coming to Australia by October

The 2024 Kia EV9 will arrive in Australia by the fourth quarter of 2023 priced from close to $90,000 as the flagship of the South Korean brand’s fast-expanding electric vehicle range.

The all-new large electric SUV – which so far has only been revealed in concept form and in camouflaged teaser images – will boast seating for seven and a broad range of variants encompassing rear-drive and all-wheel drive configurations.

Kia hopes the EV9 will tempt buyers away from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz SUVs and continue the Korean manufacturer’s surge up the Australian sales charts, to third place overall in 2022.

“It will be August start of production [for EV9],” says Kia Australia’s product manager Roland Rivero. “That means mid-to-late September deliveries.”

All EV9s will come with seven seats, as part of a plan to position the sizeable five-door battery-powered wagon as an EV alternative to the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Audi Q7.

“[Buyers of European cars] will come our way… BMW, Mercedes,” says Rivero, citing the experience with the EV6 that has helped reposition the brand as a tech and performance leader.

But he says the EV9 is unlikely to encroach on the territory of the Nissan Patrol and Toyota LandCruiser off-road wagons, which dominate sales of so-called “upper large” SUVs.

While the EV9 will get drive modes for various terrains – possibly including snow and mud – it will not be positioned as an off-roader. It also won’t have a spare wheel, with the space instead used for a third row of seats and luggage space.

Like the EV6, the EV9 will have a relatively long wheelbase tailored to maximise occupant space by placing the wheels and electric motors at the vehicle’s extremities.

Final specifications are yet to be revealed, although the EV9 will use the 800-volt E-GMP chassis and electrical architecture that also underpins the Kia EV6, Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Genesis GV60 – and the closely-related, upcoming Hyundai IONIQ 7.

Rivero says there will be a choice of single-motor rear-drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains, as confirmed by apparently leaked specifications in the US overnight.

The EV9 will also be offered in Australia with a choice of a smaller-capacity battery expected to give upwards of 400km of WLTP driving range. The larger battery will take that range closer to 600km.

The entry-level Air grade is expected to use the rear-drive set-up and the smaller battery pack, while the GT-Line will use two motors for AWD as well as a large battery pack.

There will also eventually be a higher-output EV9 GT flagship, although it will arrive later than the garden-variety models.

As with the EV6, the EV9 will come with a healthy dose of standard equipment as part of Kia’s play at the premium end of the EV market.

It will also be able to tow up to 2500kg – matching the BMW iX, which currently has the highest tow capacity of any EV sold in Australia – and will be the first Kia with self-levelling suspension to account for additional weight in the rear.

The showroom-spec Kia EV9 is yet to be revealed, although Rivera says it will maintain the bold overall design theme of the concept that, as confirmed by spy shots. One thing that will disappear is the rear-hinged back doors.

The EV9 will also debut the second-generation Kia Connect multimedia system that will not only bring over-the-air software updates and remote connectivity but also the potential for paid upgrades or subscriptions.

“It will have features on demand,” says Rivero, adding “we’re still working out the packages”.

The EV9 will also come with a premium price tag that will make it the most expensive car to ever wear a Kia badge.

“We’re aiming for a number to start with… a higher eight,” says Rivero, suggesting pricing will kick off at something like $89,990 plus on-road costs.

“It’s not as price-sensitive as we would believe it to be,” he says of parts of the EV market for cars that are loaded with equipment and the latest tech.

The most expensive EV9 GT-Line variant will be priced closer to $130,000, which will eclipse the $99,590 plus ORCs price tag for the brand’s new EV6 GT halo performance model – and the so the eventual EV9 GT range-topper could be close to 150,000.

“We are aiming for a range,” says Rivero, suggesting there will be an entry-level Air, mid-grade Earth and more lavishly appointed GT-Line when the EV9 arrives in late September or October 2023.

One big question is how many examples will arrive in Australia. The EV9 has predominantly been created for the American market, which will take precedence in terms of supply.

Rivero acknowledges “we aren’t getting unlimited supply” but said that “the long-term plan is not bad in terms of supply” and confirmed that a couple of thousand EV9s should arrive in Australia in 2024.

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