Kia already gave us a look at the design of its EV9, with its boxy shape and three-row seating, but now the Korean manufacturer has revealed all of the relevant technical data of the flagship SUV. And that includes the 541 km driving range of the most efficient version, thanks to a new-gen battery used for the first time by the manufacturer.

Starting with the exterior, the Kia EV9 is 5,01 meters long, 1,98 m wide, and 1,755 m tall (1,78 m for the GT Line with its larger roof rails), with a generous wheelbase of 3,10 m.

Despite its boxy shape, the Kia EV9 still achieves a drag coefficient of 0.28 cd, which is quite impressive for such a large SUV. It’s the same value as the current Skoda Fabia and Toyota Corolla, although the EV9 has a much larger frontal area, which this value does not account for.

Level 3 autonomy

Moving on to the inside, Kia will offer the choice between six or seven seats in the EV9, with a swiveling second row for the former option. In addition, thanks to a lidar-assisted sensor array, the EV9 can theoretically offer level 3 autonomous driving, although European regulations don’t allow this yet on public roads. The exception is Mercedes, which has permission to use its Drive Pilot system if there’s slow traffic on the German Autobahn.

The Kia EV9 will also be the first model of the brand to feature the Kia Connect Store, which is the manufacturer’s solution for activating optional equipment after purchase. The options include a special lighting pattern for the illuminated grille and a boost function for the AWD model, which adds 100 Nm of torque.

Up to 541 km

Regarding technical details, the Kia EV9 will be offered in Europe with a new ‘Long Range’ battery of 99,8 kWh on an 800 V architecture. In addition, there will be two drivetrain options: an RWD model with 150 kW (204 hp) and 350 Nm, which accelerates to 100 km/hour in 9,4 seconds and achieves an estimated WLTP range of 541 km.

The second option is an AWD model with 283 kW (385 hp) and 600 Nm, which makes the same sprint in just 6 seconds, but sacrifices a bit of driving range in exchange – although Kia doesn’t share how much yet. A pit stop at an ultra-fast charger allows up to 239 km of added range in just 15 minutes.

The only thing left to know, apart from the AWD’s driving range, is the price of the Kia EV9. But that should follow quite soon, as presales start in the second half of 2023, with deliveries expected before the end of the year.