Kia EV9 breaks cover: All the technologies and features

Kia has finally uncovered its much-awaited flagship SUV EV9, which was showcased in India earlier this year at the Auto Expo 2023 in January. The SUV appears to have retained similar design elements as the concept car. However, slight changes have been made in the production-spec model. The three-row flagship SUV comes packed with a range of technology and features. Also, the EV9 is expected to play a critical role in the automaker's mission to reach annual sales of 1.2 million units of battery electric vehicles by 2030.

Kia is betting big on the EV9. The South Korean auto giant is considering the EV9 as its new flagship by considering many ways, claimed Kia CEO Ho-sung Song. He said that while the Kia EV6 played an important role in repositioning the Kia brand following its launch in 2021, the Kia EV9 will move the automaker further ahead. As the brand's flagship SUV, Kia EV9 has a wide range of technologies and features. Here are the features and tech that stood out in the all-electric Kia EV9 SUV.

Kia EV9: Lighting

Kia EV9 comes with a unique lighting technology, which is dubbed as a digital tiger face. The car gets a new lighting scheme on the front grille. Adjacent to the twin vertical LED headlamps are dual clusters of small cube lamps that create an animated lighting pattern. Kia claims that the EV9 owners will be able to change the design of the digital tiger face.

Kia EV9: Platform

The Kia EV9 is underpinned by the auto company’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), which is shared with Hyundai Ioniq 5. The EV9 has a 122-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 197 inches, putting it in line with other full-size SUVs in the market. These specifications are similar to the internal combustion engine-powered Kia Telluride.

Kia EV9: Cabin features

Kia EV9's cabin's most exciting feature is the curved digital screen that extends from the driver seat to the centre point. Besides that, the EV that is available in seven and six-seater options comes with various second-row seating arrangements. A unique feature is that the second-row seats come with swivel seats, allowing them to turn 180 degrees. This option can be used when the EV is charging.

Kia EV9: ADAS

Kia EV9 GT-Line comes with an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) onboard. This allows unsupervised hands-free driving on highways. The ADAS system gets a highway driving pilot, which would provide so-called Level 3 automated driving, theoretically allowing the driver to drive hands-free. The ADAS works depending on 15 sensors, which include two lidar, radar and cameras for a full 360-degree field of view.

Kia EV9: Powertrain

Kia EV9 has an estimated range of 541 km on a single charge. It has a 150 kW electric motor that allows the EV to sprint 0-100 kmph in 9.4 seconds. The standard RWD version of the EV9 gets a more powerful 160 kW electric motor that allows the car to accelerate 0-100 kmph in 8.2 seconds, slightly faster than the RWD long-range version. The Kia EV9 has an 800-volt electrical architecture that enables the EV to charge at ultra-fast speed. Kia claims the EV9 can run 239 km with just 15 minutes of charging.