South Korean car giant, KIA, plans to unveil its all-electric EV9 flagship SUV domestically this week, ramping up its commitment to electrification. KIA, which stands as the nation’s second-largest car manufacturer, announced this initiative on Sunday.
The EV9, a three-row seater, is the company’s second offering based on the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a technology initially used in the EV6 SUV launched in 2021. The novel model will feature a two-wheel drive powered by a 99.8-kilowatt hour battery, offering an impressive range of 501 kilometers on a single charge. KIA also declared the availability of an all-wheel-drive variant of the model.
Scheduled to be released on Monday, the EV9 carries a price tag ranging from 73 million to 82 million won, translating to approximately USD 57,000-USD 64,000, depending on the selected options.
As reported by Yonhap News Agency,KIA is set to debut the EV9 in international markets including Europe and the United States, among others, in the latter half of the year. The company has projected an annual production of approximately 100,000 units of this model at the KIA Autoland Gwangmyeong plant, located south of Seoul, intended for global sales.
KIA’s ambitious strategy involves selling 1 million electric vehicles by 2026 and extending its EV lineup to 15 models by 2027. The forthcoming quarter will see the addition of the EV9 GT-line and the performance EV9 GT models to their roster, catering to a variety of customer needs.
The company is poised to incorporate Level 3 autonomous driving technology into the GT-line model through the Highway Driving Pilot program. This advancement allows the car to independently execute functions like lane changes without requiring the driver’s intervention.
KIA’s EV9 emerges as a manifestation of its new design philosophy, “Opposites United,” symbolizing the company’s transition towards electrification. It boasts a striking and sleek exterior, coupled with a flat-floor EV architecture that maximizes interior space, includes third-row seating, and improves comfort.
The innovative KIA Connect Store allows EV9 owners to consistently update their vehicle by enhancing the SUV’s digital features and services without the need to visit a dealership. Notable features include second-row seats that swivel 180 degrees, facilitating interaction with third-row passengers.
The vehicle also comes equipped with an array of safety systems such as blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, navigation-based smart cruise control, and parking collision-avoidance assist systems.
The firm has set a lofty sales target of 3.2 million units for the current year, an increase from the 2.9 million units sold in the previous year.
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