The flagship Kia car, the EV9 electric SUV has been spotted for the first time in India; Comes with a claimed range of up to 541 kilometres
Kia has always been vocal about its future plans and last year in 2023, it was confirmed that the EV9 will be launched in the Indian market. In the latest development, the EV9 EV SUV has been spotted testing in the country for the first time, suggesting its imminent launch in the near future.
As a part of the brand’s Kia 2.0 strategy, the Korean carmaker committed to introducing a slew of new products in the domestic market and the EV9 flagship SUV is one of them. For reference, Kia currently has only one electric car in its portfolio, the EV6.
The Kia EV9 concept was showcased at the 2023 Auto Expo and the final production version made its global debut last year. The upcoming electric SUV will be positioned above the existing EV6 in the company’s portfolio. Based on the E-GMP platform shared with the EV6 and Hyundai IONIQ 5, the EV9 is available in multiple powertrain combinations internationally.
The base-spec version gets a 76.1 kWh battery pack with a claimed range of 358 kilometres paired to a 215 bhp electric motor mounted on the rear axle. There’s also a long-range variant on offer which uses a 99.8 kWh battery pack, claiming a range of 541 kilometres on a single charge. This battery pack will be offered with a single as well as dual motor setup and the latter puts out a maximum power output of 380 bhp.
Going by the spy shots, the design of the electric SUV looks familiar with a blanked-off front grille paired with Kia’s signature tiger nose element, flanked by a set of vertical LED headlamps and a beefy front bumper. The side profile gets flush door handles, squared-off wheel arches and massive 21-inch alloy wheels. Towards the rear, the vertical treatment continued to the tail lamps along with a sleek high-mounted stop lamp.
Inside the cabin, the three-row electric SUV will pack dual connected screens, a 4-spoke steering wheel and a clean layout along with a host of modern tech features. The Kia EV9 will most likely be sold in India via the CBU route and we expect it to price around Rs. 1 crore (ex-showroom) in the domestic market.