2024 KIA EV9 launched in Malaysia from RM369k - GT-Line, 2 variants, 505km range, your choice of 6 or 7 seats

The KIA EV9 has received its Malaysian launch as Dinamikjaya Motors, the Korean marque’s official Malaysian distributor, has shown off the brand’s flagship SUV in its Malaysian guise.

It will be available in 2 variants priced from RM369,668 starting with the 7-seat configuration and, above this, the slightly better appointed 6-seater for RM374,668.

• 2024 KIA EV9 GT-Line - 7 seater - RM369,668
• 2024 KIA EV9 GT-Line - 6 seater - RM374,668

On the outside, the EV9 distinguishes itself with its decidedly more squared off aesthetic, a rather dramatic departure from the more curvaceous EV6. Other exterior highlights include standard 21-inch wheels and a very futuristic front and LED illumination array.

Both are offered in GT-Line trim and share the same powertrain specifications, that being a 99.8kWh battery that feeds dual electric motors that collectively produce 380hp and an instant 700Nm of torque.

With the EV9 soon to be added as another fully electric feather in Bermaz’s cap, it will be joining another previous award winner, the EV6, with which it shares the E-GMP platform.

That’s enough to shoot the 2.6 tonne EV9 to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds while range is estimated at 647km (NEDC), though its WLTP-cycle range of 505km is more grounded in what most people will see out in daily driving.

Identical to the locally sold EV6, however, the EV9 should be equally offered with a 5-years (or 150,000km) vehicle warranty and an 8-years (or 160,000km) battery warranty.

In terms of charging, because it’s built on the advanced E-GMP platform, the EV9 supports DC charging at up to 350kW, giving it a theoretical 10-80% top up in just 24 minutes while AC charging is supported up to 11kW, enabling a full charge in approximately 10 and a half hours.

The EV9 also supports outputting power via its vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability at a maximum rate of 3.58kWh should you need to power small appliances, devices and accessories.

Inside, the EV9 is equipped with dual 12.3-inch screens, divvied up between driver’s display and infotainment duties, with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto of course. Even better, it’s all hooked up to a 14-speaker Meridian audio system.

Heated and ventilated ‘Premium Relaxion’ are fitted at the front with full electric adjustment massaging functions while the second row seats are merely tagged as ‘Relaxion’ - don’t worry, they are still power-adjustable and come with extendable ottomans.

There’s also 3-zone climate control, digital side mirrors with a feed going to screens on each front door panel, and a sunroof, powered tailgate, and a bevy of ADAS features, including a particularly advanced one called Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist that’s able to utilise AEB (Autonomous Emergency Braking) alongside steering assistance to, in certain instances, avoid accidents on the driver’s behalf by making evasive manoeuvres.

In terms of the competitive landscape in Malaysia, the EV9 shouldn’t have too many rivals to worry about as the majority of automakers are focused on smaller electric models.

The only large SUVs that fall into this ‘zero emissions’ category would be the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, though both of those only offer 2-rows of seating as opposed to the EV9’s 3-rows.