Seoul Power '24

KOREA OPENS THE FLOODGATES WITH A TORRENT OF FRESH NEW METAL

WE'RE NOT REALLY used to this. Such is the modern cost of developing a new vehicle line, car makers want the biggest bang for their buck. They want the schedules cleared and plenty of breathing space for their shiny new thing. They don't unleash whole swathes of new metal all at once. But then Hyundai and Kia seem to be changing the script there as well.

Front and centre is Kia's statement electric SUV, the EV9. Perhaps Kia's hand was forced here, Instagram page Shorts Car leaking images of what looked like a production-ready EV9, with Kia then reacting by releasing an avalanche of EV9 photos some 30 minutes later. Predictably, the technical details have yet to be released, but we get a very good look at what may well prove a game-changer in the large SUV market.

The three-row EV9 introduces a number of design firsts for the brand, including a bold new design language and, in the cabin, a column-mounted gear shifter (as seen in stablemate Hyundai) to free up centre console space. What's old is new again...

On the tech front, the EV9 will debut Automode, bringing a number of autonomous-driving features that outshine anything offered in the brand's line-up so far. Kia says Automode will offer a self-driving "Highway Driving Pilot", and while details are still to come, it will likely match Hyundai's Highway Driving Assist 2 system, which is considered a Level 3 system.

Unlike the EV6 and Niro, the EV9 will also introduce over-the-air (OTA) software updates not only to the infotainment system, but also to the driving and battery software to address issues and improve its efficiency and range over time. It's also the first SUV model in the Hyundai Kia family of this size. In concept form, the EV9 was 4927mm long and rode on a 3100mm wheelbase - compared to Hyundai's Ioniq 5, which measures 4635mm long and has a 3000mm wheelbase.