Polls | The Area News | Griffith, NSW

The Kia EV9 has finally landed in Australia – and it's the most expensive model in the Korean brand's stable, ever. Prices start from $97,000 before on-road costs for the entry-level Air RWD, and top out at $121,000 plus on-road costs for the flagship GT-Line AWD. The Air and GT-Line versions are hitting dealerships now, with the mid-spec Earth AWD ($106,500) due to land early in 2024. According to Kia Australia, the mid-tier version was affected by component shortages. Kia's Australian division claims it has received over 12,000 expressions of interest for its new all-electric SUV flagship, with over 200 pre-launch orders already placed. First vehicles are arriving this month. In addition to being the most expensive model the brand has offered in Australia, the Kia EV9 debuts a number of new features for the local range, including a new infotainment system with over-the-air updates, a more sophisticated navigation-based semi-autonomous highway drive assistant, as well as camera-based Digital Side Mirrors on the top-spec variant. All prices exclude on-road costs. The base Air RWD features a single-motor drivetrain, with a 160kW/350Nm power unit on the rear axle. Claimed 0-100km/h is 8.2 seconds, with top speed rated at 190km/h. Both the Earth and GT-Line get a dual-motor AWD drivetrain, with 141kW/350Nm electric motors mounted to each axle – system outputs are 283kW/700Nm. Quoted acceleration times differ slightly for the AWD models, with the Earth claiming 6.0 seconds and the GT-Line cutting that to 5.3 seconds. In Korea the 700Nm tune (up from 600Nm) is an over-the-air upgrade available for purchase via the Kia Connect store, which brings the faster 0-100 time. Kia Australia maintains both variants get 700Nm locally as standard, though only the GT-Line gets the faster acceleration time. The EV9 Air features a 76.1kWh lithium-ion Standard Range battery, featuring 348 cells and a voltage rating of 632V. Kia quotes a battery pack weight of 463.3kg, mounted under the floor. WLTP range is up to 443 kilometres for the Air (19.5kWh/100km), which is the lowest of the line-up. Both the Earth and GT-Line get a dual-motor AWD drivetrain, with 141kW/350Nm electric motors mounted to each axle – system outputs are 283kW/700Nm. AWD models score a Long Range battery with 99.8kWh of capacity, featuring 456 cells and a voltage of 552V. Battery weight is 566.5kg. WLTP range is 512km (22.3kWh/100km) for the Earth on 19-inch alloys, while the flagship GT-Line quotes 505km (22.8kWh/100km) on its larger 21-inch rims. The EV9 Air measures 5010mm long, 1980mm wide and 1755mm tall on a 3100mm wheelbase. The GT-Line is slightly longer (5015mm) and taller (1780mm). There's a claimed 333L with seven seats in use, expanding to 828L in five-seat configuration and 2318L with the second and third rows folded. All quoted measurements are VDA. As with the wider Kia line-up, the EV9 is covered by a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The high-voltage battery and motor are covered for seven years or 150,000 kilometres – whichever comes first. The EV9 requires maintenance every 12 months or 15,000 kilometres, with several pre-paid packages available. Kia offers three-, five- and seven-year packages which list for $706, $1351 and $1997 respectively. Unfortunately Kia doesn't offer a public charger subscription like many premium brands do at this end of the EV market, though representatives told media it's working on a "potential supplier" for public and home charging solutions – the former likely for dealers – with announcements to be made next year. Kia Australia is also looking into a guaranteed future value program to give buyers of such a new and expensive vehicle added peace of mind around residuals when it comes time to trade-in. The EV9 is being crash tested by Euro NCAP imminently, but at launch there's no ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating. Kia Australia's team is firmly aiming for a five-star safety rating though, and the EV9 is equipped with one of the most comprehensive suites of safety features and technology in the brand's portfolio. Standard safety features include: EV9 Earth adds: EV9 GT-Line adds: EV9 Air highlights: Exterior Interior Convenience EV9 Earth adds: Exterior Interior EV9 GT-Line adds: Exterior Interior Convenience Standard: $NCO Premium Paint: $990 Matte Paint: $3495* *Includes ceramic paint protection MORE: Everything Kia EV9 Content originally sourced from: CarExpert.com.au

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