Kia says that the upcoming 2024 EV9 will be more than just a large, luxurious flagship; it will also be a lens into the brand’s technological future, too. The new electric vehicle will be the automaker’s first “Software Defined Vehicle.”
That essentially means that thanks to new, optimized in-vehicle computers and the expanded ability to update the EV over the air, Kia customers will be able to download convenience features on the go.
Whereas over-the-air updates are mostly confined to improving operating systems and the like in current Kias, with the EV9, customers will also be able to order new convenience features from any place, at any time.
Read: Hyundai And Kia Lead New Consortium To Develop Advanced Software Defined Vehicles
Through the newly launched Kia Connect Store, EV9 drivers will be able to download features like Remote Smart Parking 2. This allows drivers to exit their vehicle while it parks itself, and is just one of a number of advanced driver assistance features, such as Highway Drive Pilot (a part-time Level 3 autonomous driver aid) that will be available on demand through the virtual marketplace.
It’s not all ADAS systems, though. Kia will also offer EV9 buyers more aesthetics-focused on demand features. Lighting Pattern will provide drivers with five differed display modes for the clusters of the cube lamps at the front of the vehicle. It also plans to offer entertainment updates, such as games, videos, and more, though the app.
Kia has not yet revealed how much these features will cost, but argues that it is a way for owners not to be limited by the options they chose when purchasing (or leasing) the vehicle from the dealer.
The Korean automaker is far from the first automaker to offer convenience updates over the air, following in the footsteps of others like Tesla and BMW. The latter has been criticized for trying to charge monthly fees for things like heated seats – the hardware for which must be installed in the vehicle for it to be unlocked over the air. Whether customers will embrace Kia’s attempts at creating a “software defined vehicle” remains to be seen.
