Kia’s flagship electric vehicle (EV), the Kia EV9 has made its official launch in Thailand. Offered in two variants, the Earth Long Range RWD and the GT-Line Long Range AWD, the EV SUV is priced at 3.5 million baht (approx. RM463,322) and 3.9 million baht (approx. RM516,208) respectively.
On the outside, the Kia EV9 in Thailand is equipped with the brand’s Small Cube projection LED headlights, which come with automatic high beam assist, LED taillights, an LED-illuminated digital grille, as well as flush door handles. The Long Range RWD variant is fitted with 20-inch alloy wheels, while the GT-Line AWD variant gets larger 21-inch alloys.
Powering the Kia EV9 Long Range RWD in Thailand is a rear-mounted single-motor setup that puts out 204 hp (metric) and 350 Nm. This allows the EV SUV to sprint from a standstill to 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds and achieve a top speed of 185 km/h.
The top-spec Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD in Thailand features a dual-motor AWD setup that produces 305 hp (metric) and 600 Nm. This results in a century sprint time of just 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 200 km/h.
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Both variants of the Kia EV9 in Thailand are fitted with a 99.8 kWh lithium-ion battery, allowing the Long Range RWD to travel as far as 680 km (NEDC). Due to its more powerful dual-motor setup, the EV9 GT-Line AWD’s all-electric range is slightly shorter at 647 km (NEDC).
Charging-wise, the Kia EV9 can be charged via AC charging at a maximum rate of 10.5 kW across the range. DC charging on the other can be done at a maximum rate of 350 kW, which can juice up both variants of the EV9 from 10 to 80% state-of-charge (SoC) in under 24 minutes.
Inside, the Kia EV9 in Thailand sports a 6-seater layout. Standard equipment included here consists of leather upholstery, 8-way electrically powered front seats which are both ventilated and heated, and a telescopic heated steering wheel.
Also available is a twin 12.3-inch display setup, which serves as the instrument display and the infotainment display with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, an automatic 3-zone air conditioning system, and a Qi wireless charging pad. Kia has also thrown in an ambient lighting system and an 8-speaker sound system as standard.
Moving up to the Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD variant adds goodies such as leg cushions for the front seats, memory function for the driver seat, electrically adjustable second-row seats with ventilating and heating functions, and a head-up display (HUD). The Thai-spec EV9 GT-Line AWD also sports an electrically adjustable telescopic steering wheel, sports pedals, and a 14-speaker Meridian sound system.
On the safety side of things, the Kia EV9 in Thailand is equipped standard with features such as smart cruise control (SCC) with stop & go, forward collision-avoidance Assist (FCA) with junction assist, and blind-spot view monitor (BVM). Rear cross-traffic collision avoidance (RCCA), lane following assist (LFA), and lane keeping assist (LKA) are also included.
Customer delivery for the Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD in Thailand will start in April 2024. The Long Range AWD variant on the other hand will be delivered starting from June 2024.
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