GIIAS 2023: Kia EV9 GT-Line launched – 1st Southeast Asian debut; 385 PS, 497 km EV range; from RM595k
Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian market to welcome the Kia EV9, which first made its global debut back in March this year. The large, all-electric SUV, which is built on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), is being offered in a sole GT-Line variant that is priced at 1.975 billion/miliar rupiah (RM594,888).
In GT-Line guise, the three-row EV9 measures 5,015 mm long, 1,980 mm wide, 1,780 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3,100 mm. With these figures, the EV9 is much larger than the Hyundai Palisade (also sold in Indonesia and the cousin to the Telluride), which is 4,980 mm long, 1,975 mm wide, 1,750 mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,900 mm.
Power is provided by a lithium-ion battery with a usable energy capacity of 99.8 kWh (105 kWh gross), with the quoted range being 497 km following the WLTP cycle. The Long Range battery is connected to two electric motors – one for each axle – that provide a total system output of 385 PS (380 hp or 283 kW) and 600 Nm of torque. Despite weighing in at around 2.6 tonnes, the GT-Line will get from 0-100 km/h in 5.3 seconds.
For charging, there’s an 11-kW onboard charger that will fully charge the battery in 10 hours and 45 minutes. With DC fast charging at the max of 250 kW, a 10-80% state of charge is achieved in just 23 minutes thanks to the 800-volt electrical architecture. There’s also a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system capable of outputting 3.68 kW to power appliances.
This GT-Line variant of the EV9 is differentiated from the Air and Earth by its specific front end that features a sportier bumper design with more black trim and prominent air inlets. There are also rugged rocker panels on the sides and the rear bumper has a different bottom trim as well.
Other exterior bits worth mentioning are the 21-inch wheels and cameras in place of conventional side mirrors, with the latter sending a live video feed to monitors mounted on the top of door cards inside the vehicle.
On that mention, the cabin has room for six passengers split across its three rows, with the second row having two powered Relaxation Seats with Dynamic Body Care massaging functions. Ventilation and heating functions are also available for the first- and second-row seats, with the former also being electrically adjustable units.
Other features include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system which flank a smaller 5-inch screen that serves to display current climate settings. The Indonesian-spec EV9 also comes with a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, dual panoramic sunroofs, a head-up display, a wireless charging pad, ambient lighting and a full complement of advanced driver assistance systems.
These include Forward Collision-avoidance Assist (AEB) with Junction Turning and Crossing, Lane Following Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Smart Cruise Control, Blind Spot Collision Avoidance Assist, Blind Spot View Monitor, High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Safe Exit Assist, Safe Exit Warning, Highway Driving Assist and Highway Driving Pilot.
While Indonesia is the first Southeast Asian country to get the EV9, back home in Malaysia, the all-electric SUV was recently spotted in Glenmarie, suggesting we might get it as well. How much do you think it will be priced at here?
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