Kia’s onslaught of new electric vehicles continues with the EV9. The SUV debuted just a few months ago, with the US variant breaking cover in early April. It won’t go on sale until later this year, but a new video captures two versions of the new SUV on US roads in California.
It’s a formidable-looking SUV with its upright front end, boxy proportions, and prominent lighting elements. The vehicle’s design changed little from the concept, and the US version features the tiniest of changes compared to the global model, with American law mandating that the SUV have side marker lights.
In the US, Kia will offer the EV9 with two battery choices. The standard one is a 76.1-kilowatt-hour pack, while customers can choose a larger 99.8-kWh one. Kia pairs the smaller battery with a 215-horsepower electric motor that drives the rear wheels.
The larger battery and a 210-hp rear-mounted motor are available for the EV9 RWD Long Range model. A dual motor setup with 379 hp and 516 pound-feet of torque and the larger pack is available in the EV9 AWD variant. The most potent version is aiming for a 5-second zero-to-60 time.
Those who want the most miles must opt for the EV9 RWD Long Range model, which Kia targets to return 300 miles of range. The other two will most likely offer less than that. However, thanks to the SUV’s E-GMP platform, the EV9 features 800-volt electric architecture that offers 230-kilowatt DC fast charging, which can take the battery from 10 to 80 percent in under 25 minutes.
The 2024 EV9 is expected to go on sale before the end of the year in America. It’ll be imported at first from South Korea before production kicks off in Georgia in 2024, making it the brand’s first battery-electric vehicle built in the US.
Kia hasn’t released any pricing information for the EV9, which likely won’t arrive until closer to the model’s on-sale date. However, we do know that the model’s second-row swivel seats won’t be available here as they do not meet US safety standards.
