Kia starts delivering electric SUV EV9 to customers

Kia Corp. announced on Sunday that its first large-scale electrified sport utility vehicle (SUV), the EV9, will be available for delivery to customers starting on June 19.

The EV9 is Kia's second electrified model, following the EV6, designed on Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated electric vehicle platform E-GMP.

The EV9 has a large 99.8 kWh battery that can travel 501 kilometers on a single charge. This is the longest range in Kia's EV lineup.

The EV9, Korea's first large electric SUV with a three-row type, offers two options: reclining seats (with relaxation and massage functions) and swivel seats (with second and third rows facing each other).

Kia offers the EV9 base model in two trim levels, “Air” and “Earth”, with a choice of rear-wheel drive (2WD) or all-wheel drive (4WD).

The Air trim includes highway driving assist, steering wheel grip detection with capacitive sensors, a panoramic wide display, and double-laminated acoustic glass for the first and second rows.

The Earth trim offers a more upscale cabin with first-row reclining comfort seats, dual-color ambient lighting and a 12-inch interactive head-up display.

A high-performance trim, the GT-Line, will be available in the third quarter, pending completion of the government certification process.

"With 60% of EV9 pre-orders coming from private customers, 55% of whom are new to the Kia brand, we are very encouraged to see new demand for our flagship model, which has a high brand repurchase rate," said a Kia official.

"We are confident that EV9 will lead the Kia EV brand while pioneering a new segment with its innovative product offering and premium value as a flagship model," he added.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin at binthere@hankyung.com