Kia recently revealed complete details of its fully electric 2024 Kia EV9 crossover, along with a statement that the “EV9 accelerates Kia’s transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider.”
The 2024 Kia EV9 is a full-size three-row electric utility vehicle. GM does not yet have such a vehicle in its lineup, but its electrification plans mean it will eventually launch at least one alongside its other EV models.
Kia says the crossover’s exterior is designed to convey a futuristic aesthetic while maintaining the company’s distinctive style. This starts with a combination of headlamp shape, cube lamp clusters near the headlamps, LED daytime running lights, and grille design Kia says creates a “Digital Tiger Face” look. The Digital Tiger Face will appear on future Kia EVs also to provide an instantly recognizable visual theme.
The 2024 Kia EV9’s interior offers several different seating configurations, including a choice of bench seats, swivel seats, and two other seating options. The vehicle can therefore seat either six or seven occupants depending on the chosen setup. Kia says the cabin will offer six different colorways.
The 2024 Kia EV9 includes several features intended to boost its aerodynamic efficiency and thus its range. These include front bumper air curtains and an underbody cover reducing the undercarriage’s drag. As a result, the vehicle has an aerodynamic coefficient of 0.28.
Kia will produce the EV9 with two different electric drivetrains. As standard, the crossover will draw power from a 76.1-kWh battery coupled to a single motor motivating the rear wheels only, developing 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque.
A longer-range variant will be equipped with a 99.8-kWh battery and the single, rear-mounted electric motor. Meanwhile, a dual-motor variant of the 2024 Kia EV9 with AWD and the bigger battery will boast 379 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The longest-range combination can reach 300 miles on a single charge, with 800-volt electrical architecture enabling a recharge of the battery pack from 10 to 80 percent in less than 25 minutes if connected to a Level 3 DC fast charger.
Initially, GM will indirectly compete against the 2024 Kia EV9 with a pair of upcoming two-row EV crossovers, both produced under its Chevrolet brand. These include the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV in the compact crossover segment and the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV for the mid-size crossover category.
The Chevy Blazer EV will be the first of the two crossovers to become available, with start of regular production (SORP) slated for Spring 2023. It will include variants meant for a wide range of different customers, with front-, rear-, and all-wheel drive configurations available.
The range-topping SS trim of the Blazer, scheduled to go on sale later this year, develops up to 557 horsepower and 648 pound-feet of torque. GM has not yet released power figures for the Blazer EV RS, but it will offer an estimated driving range of up to 320 miles.
The first-generation Chevy Equinox EV will launch second in Autumn 2023. It will boast a starting price of roughly $30,000 for the base 1LT trim level. At launch, only the sporty 2RS trim level will be available, while the 1LT, 2LT, 3LT and 3RS trims are expected to debut later in the 2024 calendar year.
All Equinox trim levels will be available in an eAWD configuration, with maximum range measured at 300 miles in FWD configurations. As for output, FWD models will develop 210 horsepower and 242 pound-feet of torque, while eAWD models will be rated at 290 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque.
Both the 2024 Chevy Blazer EV and the 2024 Chevy Equinox EV will ride on the GM BEV3 platform, with power and propulsion supplied by GM Ultium battery and GM Ultium Drive motor technologies. Production of both electric crossovers will take place at the GM Ramos Arizpe plant in Mexico.
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Comments
215 hp to move that big @ss ev. what a joke
It’s almost like you didn’t read that was the base RWD configuration. If it can get to 60 in 7.5 seconds or just over it’s fine for what it is.
You should have seen the HUGE number of young people who just loved the 58 hp VW Microbus, which could carry 2,200 lbs.
It lost every race it entered but a used one in only fair shape got $100,000.00.
GM has NOTHING that competes with the Kia EV9, certainly not the electric Blazer or Equinox.
Would be interested in knowing if the current Traverse and Enclave will go electric to compete with these.
Maybe a Suburban Diesel with 750 mile range and a refill of just over 4 minutes?
Kia can’t design this any better than that? This design is a huge step backwards and looks similar to a new Volvo BEV offering with Cadillac lighting signatures in the front and rear which comes across that the Volvo and Cadillac mated and results more of the genetic side of Cadillac as an offspring.
Fugly inside and out.
Yeah well,. American car manufacturers NEVER understood why a 1930’s design German Car complete with running boards became the best selling car model EVER from a design idea, and directive from a German Chancellor.
GM thought the rear-mounted engine was the key so it’s first Compact was the Corvair.
The basic problem was no one in authority at GM actually bothered to actually Drive the car to see what the appeal was.
I don’t think gm, sorry to say, is even as competent as they used to be – Verified by their worldwide market share falling off a cliff.
Neat. I see a lot of the Ford Flex in this. The Flex has a cult following and given that it’s now discontinued, I could see a decent amount of those fans getting this instead.
Kia and Hyundai are everywhere in my small NE MS town even though the closest dealers are 50 miles away. Their small ice cars and their new full size SUV’s are all over the roads. As per their small cars, gm chose to give up that market and I imagine their large SUV’s are much cheaper than GM models also. I sister from TN showed up at my Mother’s in a small KIA SUV or CUE. whatever, (used to have a Acadia) and they can buy any vehicle they want. I asked her if it was hers or her husband’s company vehicle and she replied hers. I asked if she knew that they had recently extended the warranty on the powertrains to 10 years as their motors were failing left and right and of course she didn’t, sad. There are more of these South Korean name plates around here than Japanese brands. Many people have to look at price first to buy new in these times and most small SUV/CUE’s look the same otherwise.
A bit dramatic? The engines that were failing are about 10 years old now and Kia did what’s right, fixing them. They’re currently not having any of those issues and rated top among reliability. So long as she doesn’t have key ignition she is good.
Do you want to pretend like GM didn’t have a much longer rash of 2.0T and 3.6 engine failures? The 3.6 was a timing chain issue under 75k typically and was thousands of dollars to fix only to happen again. 2.0T was popping pistons left and right. Let’s go to the 8 speed next that they never admitted fault on.
Those that live in glass houses, shouldn’t throw rocks.
Dare I say the Kia EV6 and EV9 are extremely nice
Wow
Incredible how the author said, EV9 is a competer of the GM 3 Row EV. What a farce.
This article is published in April, and now in July, Kia already has the tester for vlogger on the road.
Where GM is at? They are super late, if you are late, don’t expect a competitor, because you are already lost to the competitor being late in the game.
Kia only took 3 months from launch to tester on the road.
Look at what happen to Blazer and Equinox, over 1 year, still no signs of tester for review on the road. What a shame for america.