Kia EV9 officially launched in Malaysia – GT-Line AWD dual-motor, 505 km range, 6 or 7 seats, from RM370k

The Kia EV9 was officially launched by Dinamikjaya Motors, a subsidiary of Bermaz Auto, at The Exchange TRX today. The eye-catching big electric SUV is the main star of the Kia Exclusive Showcase, which will be at the mall’s Central Exchange from tomorrow till this Sunday, June 16.

The 2024 World Car of The Year will be offered in two fully-imported (CBU) variants, both in GT-Line guise and with the same powertrain. The difference is in the number of seats – the seven-seater is priced at RM369,668 on-the-road without insurance while the one with six seats goes for RM374,668. A five-year/150,000-km vehicle warranty and an eight-year/160,000-km battery warranty is included.

The EV9 for Malaysia comes with a dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup rated at 385 PS (283 kW) and 700 Nm. This hauls the big SUV from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds. Top speed is 200 km/h.

A 99.8-kWh lithium-ion battery supplies WLTP range of 505 km. The max DC charging rate is 350 kW, so a 10-80% state of charge can be reached in just 24 minutes in the best case scenario. Max AC charging is is 11 kW, with a full charge requiring 10.5 hours. There’s also a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system that can output 3.58 kW to electrical accessories and devices.

Equipment-wise, both variants are nearly identical and come standard with 21-inch alloys, cube-design automatic LED projector headlamps, LED DRLs, LED taillights, rear LED fog lamps, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry and start, a sunroof, a powered tailgate and all-around parking sensors. Interestingly, we’re also getting cameras in place of traditional side mirrors – the video feed is shown on dedicated displays near the A-pillars.

The kit list continues with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a rear-view mirror that doubles as a display for a rear camera, selectable drive modes, paddles to control regenerative braking, a head-up display, three-zone climate control (dual-zone front, single-zone rear) with all-row vents, leatherette seat upholstery, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen (with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay) and a 14-speaker Meridian sound system.

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As for safety and driver assistance systems, the EV9 comes with seven airbags (dual front, sides, curtains and centre side), a surround view monitor, the usual array of passive systems (ABS, EBD, brake assist, traction control, ESC), hill start assist, a tyre pressure monitoring system, brake auto hold, rear occupant alert, safe exit assist and ISOFIX child seat anchors for the second and third row.

No shortage of ADAS either, including High Beam Assist, Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist (front, rear and side), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, driver attention warning, Lane Following Assist, adaptive cruise control with stop and go and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist.

The last system is can engage autonomous emergency braking or provide steering assistance to avoid or mitigate collisions when dealing with junction turning/crossing, oncoming traffic lane changes, oncoming traffic and side lane changes.

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As you can see, the EV9 we’re getting is very well stocked with kit regardless of variant, so the only thing left for you to decide is how many seats. Go with the seven-seat option and you get a 60:40 split-folding bench in the second row with one-touch sliding function.

With the costlier six-seater, you get two individual Relaxion seats that are powered and come with ottomans. The difference is RM5,000, which isn’t very significant for a car at this price level.

It should be noted the front seats on both variants are Premium Relaxion units that come with power adjustment in addition to massaging, ventilation and heating functions – memory is only for the driver’s seat.

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By the way, the EV9 is Kia’s second EV to be based on the E-GMP with an 800V architecture to be sold here after the EV6. It’s not just obviously more square in design, it’s much larger too at 5,015 mm long, 1,980 mm wide and 1,780 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 3,100 mm.

Buyers will have five colours to choose from, including Snow White Pearl, Pebble Grey, Aurora Black Pearl, Iceberg Green and the Ocean Blue you see here. It’s visually arresting, jaw-dropping even, but if the EV9 is too big or too expensive for you, wait for the smaller EV5, which we’ve detailed here. Last month, Kia unveiled the compact EV3, and all have the same design theme.

So, what do you think of the EV9 and Kia’s EV design language? Check it out at TRX.

GALLERY: 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD 7-Seater

GALLERY: 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line AWD 6-Seater

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