Kia Malaysia has announced on its official Facebook page that it is now accepting bookings for the Kia EV9. The company is not providing further details like the list of available variants and pricing for now, but a check with some dealers indicate there will six- and seven-seat variants, pricing is expected to be around RM450k and a launch might take place in May (take all this info with a pinch of salt for now).

The arrival of the EV9 has been looked forward to after a unit was spotted in Glenmarie, Selangor last August. We managed to get up close with the brand’s flagship electric SUV recently at the ongoing Bangkok International Motor Show (BIMS) as well as at this year’s Singapore Motorshow. When it launches here, the EV9 will join the EV6 and Niro EV in Kia Malaysia’s electric vehicle (EV) line-up.

In Thailand, the EV9 is offered in two variants, both with a 99.8-kWh lithium-ion battery that can DC fast charge at a max of 350 kW – a 10-80% state of charge (SoC) takes 24 minutes. There’s also AC charging (Type 2) that will take nine hours and 45 minutes to get from the same 10-80% SoC, along with a vehicle-to-load (V2L) system capable of outputting up to 3.58 kW to power electrical accessories and devices.

The base option is the Earth Long Range with 680 km of range (NEDC) and a rear-mounted electric motor rated at 204 PS (201 hp or 150 kW) and 350 Nm of torque for a 0-100 km/h time of 9.4 seconds and top speed of 185 km/h. Meanwhile, the top-spec GT-Line AWD gets a dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup with a total system output of 385 PS (380 hp or 283 kW) and 700 Nm – century sprint in 5.3 seconds, Vmax of 200 km/h and 647 km range (NEDC).

Both variants of the Thailand-spec EV9 come with a 2-2-2 seat layout, although the entry-level Earth Long Range has manually adjustable seats that swivel in the second row, while the GT-Line AWD comes with relaxation seats that don’t swivel but are electrically adjustable and come with heating, ventilation, ottoman and massaging functions. The seven-seat version (2-3-2 layout) of the EV9 has a bench in the second row with one-touch tilt and slide.

Singapore gets the EV9 in GT-Line guise with the AWD powertrain (WLTP-rated 512 km range) and a choice of swivel or relaxation seats. In other markets, the SUV is also available with a standard-range 76.1-kWh battery and a rear electric motor rated at 218 PS (215 hp or 160 kW) and 350 Nm.

With the start of order taking for the EV9, it shouldn’t be too long before the SUV is officially launched here. Looking forward to it?

GALLERY: Kia EV9 at 2024 Bangkok International Motor Show

GALLERY: Kia EV9 at 2024 Singapore Motorshow

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Learn more: Kia EV9