Kia has officially launched the EV9, the new flagship EV SUV that is poised to arrive in Singapore in the second half of 2023. This is the second Kia EV model that utilises the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), following in the footsteps of the EV6.

The first thing you’ll immediately notice is just how big the EV9 actually is. Spanning 5.01m long, 1.98m wide and 1.76m tall, with a wheelbase of 3.1m, it is the largest SUV that Kia has ever produced, even beating the likes of the Telluride and sister company Hyundai’s Palisade.

Futuristic Looks 

The overall design of the all-new Kia EV9 is similar to the original EV9 concept car that debuted at the 2021 Los Angeles Motor Show, with squared-off proportions and utilitarian looks.

Black fender panels, a unique front LED cluster, and sleek 21-inch alloys accentuate the futuristic-centric looks. Should you want to appear even more tech-savvy, there is also an option for digital side mirror cameras instead of the ‘old’ side mirrors.

Cavernous Interior

The large boxy size of the Kia EV9 bestows occupants with a commodious interior, with a variety of seating configurations offering seating for either 6 or 7 passengers.

A trio of digital screens dominates the driver’s immediate view, consisting of a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment display, and a tiny 5-inch segment display. Kia knows that we prefer physical buttons for key features, hence there are type-touch buttons included that control settings like start/stop and the HVAC systems.

Speed and Power

Kia will offer the EV9 with a few launch variants. These include:

• Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) Standard Range
• RWD Long Range
• All Wheel Drive (AWD) Long Range

Even in its Standard Range guise, the EV9 will tout a sizable 76.1kWh battery, powering an electric motor that punches out 214 bhp and 350 Nm of torque. The Long Range variant takes this capacity up to a ludicrous 99.8kWh, but it drops the power to 200 bhp whilst still maintaining 350Nm of torque.

Spring for the AWD model, and the dual motor setup pumps out a respectable 380 bhp and 600 Nm of torque, Interestingly, prospective customers can opt for a Boost feature that can be purchased as an optional downloadable upgrade from the Kia Connect Store (yay add-ons…). This bumps the torque up to a whopping 700 Nm, dropping the car’s century sprint time from 6.0 seconds to 5.3 seconds. 

Kia is confident that the EV9, in its Long Range variant, is capable of achieving up to 541 km of range on a single charge. The car also accepts 800V fast charging, allowing it to gain about 239 km of range in just 15 minutes.

Similar to the EV6, the EV9 will also feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, allowing the car to power external outlets if needed.

The Autonomy Continues

Kia is aiming to introduce its Highway Driving Pilot system on the EV9 in the future, which will enable the equivalent of Level 3 autonomous driving.

The system will utilise fifteen independent sensors that scan and detect objects with 360 degrees of coverage. The car can then detect and react to the road and other users to prevent potential collisions.

When will it arrive?

The EV9 will be going on sale in the Korean market starting from the third quarter of this year, with other markets to follow shortly afterwards.

Pricing details have not been announced at the time of the presentation.

Want to read more from Kia? Check out our Kia EV6 review!

BeyonCa is exciting news for Singapore, as the new EV brand is founded by one of our own. BeyonCa’s founder is Singaporean Soh Weiming, an auto industry stalwart who built his reputation turning around car companies in China. At the age of 30, he brought Mercedes-Benz into China. He later joined Volkswagen China, spending 16 years with the German auto manufacturer.

Mr Soh is concurrently the CEO of Renault China. Its executive team comprises a team of premium car industry veterans, as well as technology experts from consumer electronics and Internet companies. The company has set up an office in Singapore with plans for a local R&D hub in future and has the backing of China’s Dongfeng Group and other international investors. 

Already in the works in their proposed first model, the new BeyonCa GT Opus 1. It’s built from the ground up as an “out of this world” premium EV experience, and BeyonCa is confident it can stand toe to toe with other current generation high-end EVs already on the market. 

A sleek facade and sharp contours define the GT Opus 1, with doing away with side mirrors in what we presume is to decrease overall drag. These mirrors are instead replaced by small cameras which are mounted at the top of the front doors.

BeyonCa claims that all exterior body parts have a maximum tolerance of just +/-0.3mm, and the entire body has joint and protrusion tolerances of just +/- 0.5mm. A Sport variant of the Opus is rumoured to be in the works as well.

Interestingly, the driver of the Opus will be supported by an AI-based smart cockpit that monitors his or her health status in real time. This will be combined with the world’s first in-cabin cloud doctor service. Only time will tell how efficient this system is, but it is apparently designed to protect drivers from the consequences of abnormal health conditions.

Tying in with the smart cockpit, BeyonCa is also appointing an in-house Chief Health Officer, Dr Tim Guo. Dr Guo will supervise a team of “cloud doctors” and study medical use cases to benefit future car users. Drive a car and get a medical diagnosis too? Interesting. 

BeyonCa is expecting to roll out its first mass-produced car model in 2024, in line with projected future demand for premium smart EVs both in Asia and globally. 

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