Kia’s new EV9 is the firm’s most expensive car ever

Kia has announced prices and specifications for its new flagship model – the EV9.

Priced from £64,995, the EV9 is Kia’s most expensive car ever and shows this South Korean firm’s jump upmarket in recent years. Despite the high price, it still considerably undercuts rival models, such as the Volvo EX90.

Kitted out with a huge 99.8kWh battery – the largest fitted to a Kia yet – the firm says all versions are capable of 300 miles from a single charge. Thanks to high charging speeds, a 10 to 80 per cent charge could be achieved in as little as 25 minutes when using a 350kW charger.

The EV9 is based around the Hyundai Motor Group’s specific EV underpinnings, also used on Kia’s EV6, as well as Hyundai’s ‘Ioniq’ models. It’s also the largest car to use it yet, coming with seven seats as standard.

Prices start from £64,995 for the standard ‘Air’ model, which comes generously equipped with a three-screen dashboard layout, heated and ventilated front seats, 19-inch alloy wheels a 360-degree camera system and an electric boot. The Air model also comes with a rear-wheel-drive setup producing 201bhp, enabling a 336-mile range.

Above this sits the GT-Line, which is available from £72,495. It gains features like massaging seats, an electric steering column and sportier exterior styling. You also pay for its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that produces 378bhp, and offers a 308-mile range.

At the top of the range, the GT-Line S comes with 21-inch alloy wheels, twin sunroofs and a 14-speaker sound system. Prices start from £75,995, and you can also get it in a six-seat layout, featuring swivelling ‘captain’s chairs’ in the second row, for £78,745.

Order books for the Kia EV9 are now open, with first deliveries expected in early 2024.