Kia has unveiled new details on the upcoming flagship SUV, the Kia EV9. One of the features of the novelty will be the ability to receive paid updates “over the air”, which will significantly improve the characteristics of an electric car – from additional services to the ability to increase torque.
Despite the fact that the EV9 was developed under the same Opposites United design philosophy as the EV6, the models differ significantly in appearance, and the novelty received a more traditional angular look for SUVs. Vertical headlights give the electric car a special appearance, the manufacturer called its front end Digital Tiger Face (Digital Tiger Face), the Tiger Nose radiator grille (Tiger Nose) has built-in light elements with the possibility of additional customization.
From bumper to bumper, the length of the EV9 is 5.01 m, and the competent layout of the E-GMP platform made it possible to increase the wheelbase by 20 cm compared to relatives in the ICE, freeing up interior space for passengers and cargo. The car is 1.98 meters wide and 1.755 meters high.
The EV9 will be available in 6 and 7 passenger configurations. The second row seats can be rotated or slid towards the third row for easier access to the doors. Starting with the EV9 model, Kia does without leather in the interior and instead uses environmentally friendly upholstery materials. The manufacturer will also use less plastic and more recycled or biomaterials.
The electric car’s design offers a low drag coefficient of 0.29, which is said to help maintain range at high speeds on the track. The EV9 has a range of depending on the specification up to 540 km after WLTP test cycle. A more stringent EPA cycle being rolled out in the US is likely to yield more modest results. The electric car will be offered with two battery options, and there will also be both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive models.
The standard model gets 76.1 kWh traction batteries and a 214 hp motor. With 350 Nm of torque, this version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds. For some reason, the variant with a 99.8 kWh battery received an engine with only 201 hp, which developed 100 km / h in 9.4 s, and here the range is 540 km. The flagship version of the GT line with an additional engine for the front axle received a total power of 378 hp. and a torque of 600 Nm and can accelerate to 100 km / h in 6 s.
In particular, EV9 offers paid firmware upgrades when the specifications available are not enough. The Kia Connect Store in the automaker’s app allows you to receive an over-the-air software update with which you can increase the power of the front engine, increase torque to 700 Nm, support for remote smart parking, as well as music can unlock and video streaming services and even alternative lighting patterns.
Like the EV6, the EV9 model is based on the 800-B architecture and supports fast charging – a 250 kW station can travel around 240 km in 15 minutes. The power supply of external electronics and household appliances is also supported, even charging other electric vehicles with an output of up to 3.68 kW is possible. After the premiere, Kia promises to release an update that will allow owners in some regions to sell power to the grid through the Kia Connect Store.
Sales will start in some countries in the second half of 2023, next week the novelty will be shown at the New York Auto Show.
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