The Kia EV9 has finally landed in Australia – and it’s the most expensive model in the Korean brand’s stable, ever.
Prices start from $97,000 before on-road costs for the entry-level Air RWD, and top out at $121,000 plus on-road costs for the flagship GT-Line AWD.
The Air and GT-Line versions are hitting dealerships now, with the mid-spec Earth AWD ($106,500) due to land early in 2024. According to Kia Australia, the mid-tier version was affected by component shortages.
Kia’s Australian division claims it has received over 12,000 expressions of interest for its new all-electric SUV flagship, with over 200 pre-launch orders already placed. First vehicles are arriving this month.
In addition to being the most expensive model the brand has offered in Australia, the Kia EV9 debuts a number of new features for the local range, including a new infotainment system with over-the-air updates, a more sophisticated navigation-based semi-autonomous highway drive assistant, as well as camera-based Digital Side Mirrors on the top-spec variant.
Pricing
- 2024 Kia EV9 Air RWD: $97,000
- 2024 Kia EV9 Earth AWD: $106,500
- 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD: $121,000
All prices exclude on-road costs.
Drivetrains
The base Air RWD features a single-motor drivetrain, with a 160kW/350Nm power unit on the rear axle. Claimed 0-100km/h is 8.2 seconds, with top speed rated at 190km/h.
Both the Earth and GT-Line get a dual-motor AWD drivetrain, with 141kW/350Nm electric motors mounted to each axle – system outputs are 283kW/700Nm. Quoted acceleration times differ slightly for the AWD models, with the Earth claiming 6.0 seconds and the GT-Line cutting that to 5.3 seconds.
In Korea the 700Nm tune (up from 600Nm) is an over-the-air upgrade available for purchase via the Kia Connect store, which brings the faster 0-100 time. Kia Australia maintains both variants get 700Nm locally as standard, though only the GT-Line gets the faster acceleration time.
Efficiency
The EV9 Air features a 76.1kWh lithium-ion Standard Range battery, featuring 348 cells and a voltage rating of 632V. Kia quotes a battery pack weight of 463.3kg, mounted under the floor. WLTP range is up to 443 kilometres for the Air (19.5kWh/100km), which is the lowest of the line-up.
Both the Earth and GT-Line get a dual-motor AWD drivetrain, with 141kW/350Nm electric motors mounted to each axle – system outputs are 283kW/700Nm.
AWD models score a Long Range battery with 99.8kWh of capacity, featuring 456 cells and a voltage of 552V. Battery weight is 566.5kg.
WLTP range is 512km (22.3kWh/100km) for the Earth on 19-inch alloys, while the flagship GT-Line quotes 505km (22.8kWh/100km) on its larger 21-inch rims.
Dimensions
The EV9 Air measures 5010mm long, 1980mm wide and 1755mm tall on a 3100mm wheelbase. The GT-Line is slightly longer (5015mm) and taller (1780mm).
There’s a claimed 333L with seven seats in use, expanding to 828L in five-seat configuration and 2318L with the second and third rows folded. All quoted measurements are VDA.
Servicing and Warranty
As with the wider Kia line-up, the EV9 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The high-voltage battery and motor are covered for seven years or 150,000 kilometres – whichever comes first.
The EV9 requires maintenance every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, with several pre-paid packages available. Kia offers three-, five- and seven-year packages which list for $706, $1351 and $1997 respectively.
Unfortunately Kia doesn’t offer a public charger subscription like many premium brands do at this end of the EV market, though representatives told media it’s working on a “potential supplier” for public and home charging solutions – the former likely for dealers – with announcements to be made next year.
Kia Australia is also looking into a guaranteed future value program to give buyers of such a new and expensive vehicle added peace of mind around residuals when it comes time to trade-in.
Safety
The EV9 is being crash tested by Euro NCAP imminently, but at launch there’s no ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating.
Kia Australia’s team is firmly aiming for a five-star safety rating though, and the EV9 is equipped with one of the most comprehensive suites of safety features and technology in the brand’s portfolio.
Standard safety features include:
- 9 airbags
- Dual front
- Dual front-side
- Dual rear-side
- Dual curtains (incl. full 3rd row)
- Front-centre airbag
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)
- Pedestrian, Cyclist detection
- Junction Crossing Assist
- Lane Oncoming Assist
- Lane Change Side Assist
- Blind-spot monitoring, assist
- Highway Drive Assist 2.0 (HDA 2.0)
- Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
- Lane centring
- Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
- Lane Follow Assist (centring)
- Lane keep assist
- Parking sensors front, rear
- Power child lock
- Rear cross-traffic alert, assist
- Reversing camera
- Tyre mobility kit
EV9 Earth adds:
- Blind Spot View Monitor
- Parking Collision Avoidance – Reverse
- Surround cameras
EV9 GT-Line adds:
- Parking Collision Avoidance – Forward, Side
- Remote Smart Park Assist 2.0
Standard Equipment
EV9 Air highlights:
Exterior
- Standard Range battery (76.1kWh)
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights
- LED daytime running lights
- LED tail lights
- Roof rails, silver
- Acoustic windscreen
- Acoustic window glass
- Aero wipers
- Auto-flush door handkles
- Power folding mirrors
Interior
- Column-type shifter
- Push-button start
- Regen Control paddle shifters
- Leatherette seats
- Leatherette steering wheel
- 2-way power lumbar (front seats)
- Remote folding 2nd row seats
- LED interior lighting
- V2L interior outlet
- LED ‘Frunk’ light
Convenience
- Integrated Panoramic Display
- 12.3-inch driver cluster
- 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment
- 5.0-inch climate control panel
- Satellite navigation
- Kia Connect incl. OTA updates
- 8-speaker sound system
- Fingerprint authentication
- Wireless smartphone charger
- USB-C chargers (in all 3 rows)
- Rain sensor (auto wipers)
- Electrochromatic rear-view mirror
- Heated, ventilated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Smart tailgate
- Remote engine start
EV9 Earth adds:
Exterior
- Long Range battery (99.8kWh)
- Gloss Black wheel mouldings, side sills
Interior
- Ambient mood lighting
- Steering wheel logo illumination
- Leatherette upholstery inc. striped stitching
EV9 GT-Line adds:
Exterior
- 21-inch alloy wheels
- Projector LED headlights
- Intelligent front-lighting System (IFS)
- Rear privacy glass
- Digital Side Mirrors
- Dual sunroof
Interior
- Artificial suede headliner, black
- Two-tone GT-Line leatherette upholstery
Convenience
- AR head-up display
- 14-speaker Meridian sound system
- Digital Centre Mirror
- Heated, ventilated outer rear seats
- Premium Relaxation Seats, front
- V2L exterior outlet
Colours
Standard: $NCO
Premium Paint: $990
- Iceberg Green
- Pebble Grey
- Snow White Pearl
- Aurora Black Pearl
- Panthera Metal
Matte Paint: $3495*
- Ocean Blue Matte (GT-Line only)
*Includes ceramic paint protection
MORE: Everything Kia EV9
