Kia EV9 electric SUV

[Kaido]

Official debut next month, but we have pictures for now:

https://www.engadget.com/kias-ev9-electric-suv-features-three-rows-of-seats-and-a-striking-design-070933286.html

Dang, pretty nice for a Kia!



Kind of reminds me of the Volvo XC40. I'm hoping they offer different rims & that it looks less like a Transformer in other colors, haha:

 

[Wreckem]

I agree I hope they offer other rims.

Also hoping for 250+ range.

 

[Commodus]

I'm not normally a big fan of mid-size or larger SUVs, but I want to be all over the EV9 if my budget allows. Looks great, it's spacious, the in-cabin tech should be solid... and those swivel seats will be very handy for getting a little one in and out.

I'm fine with the rims as they are (they're eye-catching), but I'll agree with Wreckem that the EV9 needs good range to be truly appealing. Make it good enough for a drive of a few hours and I'm sold.

 

[Kaido]

I agree I hope they offer other rims.

Also hoping for 250+ range.

iirc the early details was near or at 300 miles of range. That'd be a home run!

 

[EXCellR8]

looks like something out of Detroit Become Human but I kind of don't hate the styling overall, minus the "obviously an EV" wheels

 

[Brovane]

From Arstechnica. Looks like a good 3 row people hauler that is big enough inside. Hopefully they can start production in Georgia so it will qualify for the EV tax credit.
However I have been disappointed with Kia/Hyundia before. They build a great EV and then sell only limited quantities so all the dealers mark them up above MSRP.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/03/heres-our-first-look-at-kias-ev9-three-row-electric-suv/

It's a bit too soon for Kia to officially announce specs or pricing for the EV9, but in January, Car and Driver got ahold of a Kia document purporting to show some of those details. There will be five trims in total, with prices starting at $56,000 for a base rear-wheel drive model with 200 hp (150 kW) and a 220-mile (354-km) range. This may well use the smaller of the two E-GMP battery packs.

A longer-range rear-wheel drive EV9 will probably use the larger battery pack to achieve 290 miles of range (467 km), plus the ability to tow up to 2,000 lbs (907 kg), for $61,000.

Car and Driver thinks you'll need to pay $63,000 for an all-wheel-drive EV9, which boasts twice the power. Range is supposedly around 260 miles (418 km) for this variant, and it can tow loads of up to 3,500 lb (1,588 kg).

The final two trims are slated to cost approximately $68,000 and $73,000—these both have a range of 240 miles (386 km), presumably due to their larger 20- or 21-inch wheels (which replace the standard 19-inch wheels). The most expensive EV9 also has a 4,500 lb (2,041 kg) tow rating.

At launch, the EV9 is unlikely to qualify for the federal clean vehicle tax credit, as the vehicle will be built in Korea, but the Korea Economic Daily reported that Kia is planning to start North American production in Georgia in 2024. As long as the EV9's battery pack contains enough domestic content, that should qualify it for a credit of up to $7,500.

 

[Kaido]

A longer-range rear-wheel drive EV9 will probably use the larger battery pack to achieve 290 miles of range (467 km), plus the ability to tow up to 2,000 lbs (907 kg), for $61,000.

If they can really hit $61k for a 290-mile 3-row electric SUV, they're going to sell a zillion of them lol

 

[Kaido]

Based on the initial pictures, I don't really know what the point of the swivel seats are...it looks like it has about as much legroom as the Tesla Model Y's 7-row back seat!

 

[Brovane]

If they can really hit $61k for a 290-mile 3-row electric SUV, they're going to sell a zillion of them lol

Where do the people in the 3rd row put their feet? That is crazy, their is no where for them to put their feet.

Is Hyundai/Kia ready to build and deliver 100k+ of them per year to the US market? What will probably happen is demand will outstrip supply and then the dealers are going to add "dealer packages" to the cars and sell them for $70k+ on their lots. Hyundai/Kia will then claim that there isn't enough demand in the US market to build more of them.

I would love for someone to build a really good 300+ mile range BEV Mini-van with the interior room of a Sienna.

 

[Commodus]

Based on the initial pictures, I don't really know what the point of the swivel seats are...it looks like it has about as much legroom as the Tesla Model Y's 7-row back seat!

View attachment 78222

I can see the appeal — a parent sits in the back and gets to face their kids.

 

[Kaido]

Where do the people in the 3rd row put their feet? That is crazy, their is no where for them to put their feet.

Is Hyundai/Kia ready to build and deliver 100k+ of them per year to the US market? What will probably happen is demand will outstrip supply and then the dealers are going to add "dealer packages" to the cars and sell them for $70k+ on their lots. Hyundai/Kia will then claim that there isn't enough demand in the US market to build more of them.

I would love for someone to build a really good 300+ mile range BEV Mini-van with the interior room of a Sienna.

I would 100% trade in my ICE for a 300-mile AWD EV minivan with spinny chairs lol

 

[Brovane]

I would 100% trade in my ICE for a 300-mile AWD EV minivan with spinny chairs lol

Even something like this would have been awesome, the Nissan E-NV200 passenger van.
Nissan didn't bring it to the US. You paired this with the 40 or 62kwhr battery from the Leaf and it would have made a great car.
Instead Nissan claimed no demand for a vehicle like this in the US.

 

[Kaido]

Even something like this would have been awesome, the Nissan E-NV200 passenger van.
Nissan didn't bring it to the US. You paired this with the 40 or 62kwhr battery from the Leaf and it would have made a great car.
Instead Nissan claimed no demand for a vehicle like this in the US.

Soccer Moms seem like the perfect demographic for this: AWD for winter, swivel seats for kids, EV for daily plugin, town drives so EV ranges work well. Plus Minivans already go for an insane amount of money; even a Kia Minivan starts at $33k!

 

[Wreckem]

Where do the people in the 3rd row put their feet? That is crazy, their is no where for them to put their feet.

Is Hyundai/Kia ready to build and deliver 100k+ of them per year to the US market? What will probably happen is demand will outstrip supply and then the dealers are going to add "dealer packages" to the cars and sell them for $70k+ on their lots. Hyundai/Kia will then claim that there isn't enough demand in the US market to build more of them.

I would love for someone to build a really good 300+ mile range BEV Mini-van with the interior room of a Sienna.

Happens with every brand that has a hot vehicle because of the American dealership model.

Even when brands threaten dealers with allotment cuts they find a way. Currently there are plenty of Ford dealers doing straw sells and titling mavericks and lightenings then selling them as certified pre owned with less than 100 miles. They list them for $10-30k above new msrp.

It doesn’t happen with Tesla because they are direct sales but they build in their price gouging into their direct sales price.

 

[Wreckem]

Soccer Moms seem like the perfect demographic for this: AWD for winter, swivel seats for kids, EV for daily plugin, town drives so EV ranges work well. Plus Minivans already go for an insane amount of money; even a Kia Minivan starts at $33k!

Kia will probably have the first EV minivan in the US. The Hybrid Carnival launches soon and the EV sometime in the next 12 months or so.