SEOUL: Kia Corp unveiled a large new electric sport utility vehicle that it said can run for 541km on a single charge, and as many as 239km with about 15 minutes of ultra-fast charging time.
Pre-orders for the EV9 - Kia’s first three-row electric SUV - begin in South Korea in the second quarter this year, before sales are expanded to "selected global markets” from the second half, the company said in a statement today.
The vehicle, which is about 5 metres long and 1.7 metres high, is equipped with level-3 autonomous driving technology, Kia said.
"The Kia EV9 transcends all aspects of traditional SUV thinking and represents the pinnacle of Kia’s design and engineering capabilities,” chief executive officer Ho Sung Song said in the statement.
The EV9 will be displayed at the Seoul Mobility Show later this week.
Such a large EV marks a newer phase for the industry, said Jin-Woo Kim, an analyst at Korea Investment & Securities.
"The vehicle is definitely targeting the US,” which would be the biggest market for such a segment, he said.
General Motors Co.’s electric Hummer EV or Cadillac Escalade could be potential rivals to the EV9, once they are released, Kim said.
FULL DETAILS ON KIA EV9
