The all-electric Kia EV9 has arrived in Australia and while it won’t be in dealerships until October, local engineers are working on it to ensure that the suspension and steering tune perfectly suits local roads.
Like many other vehicles from Hyundai and Kia, the EV9 is receiving local ride and handling optimizations to ensure that it meets the high expectations of customers. Work first started at Kia’s global research and development center in Namyang, Korea before Kia’s Korean suspension experts traveled to Australia to join the local team to dial everything in.
“Overall, we are very happy with how the EV9 drives,” Kia Australia chief ride and handling engineer Graeme Gambold said. “It is comfortable, confident and surprisingly nimble despite its dimensions and mass. In line with the vehicle’s size and versatility, our local tuning program focused on marrying the unique demands of Australian road conditions with making the EV9 a very comfortable and effortless family cruiser. We aimed to make it capable not only in the urban jungle but, also enjoyable on a long drive and on challenging rougher roads. It does a great job absorbing bumps around town and soaks up the rough stuff at higher speeds on typical country roads, whilst maintaining good body control.”
Read: Kia Invests Over $200 Million In Georgia Plant For EV9 Production
Gambold added this was the first time his team of engineers have tuned the ride of an EV underpinned by Hyundai’s E-GMP platform that comes with self-leveling shocks at the rear. This setup keeps the vehicle level despite heavy loads and helps to maximize traction regardless if there is only a driver onboard or a whole family plus cargo.
Further details on local specifications for the Kia EV9 have not yet been announced but the carmaker has confirmed it will be offered in standard range, rear-wheel drive configuration with a 76.1 kWh battery and in long-range, AWD guise with a 99.8 kWh battery. The SUV will also be the first Kia sold in Australia with the carmaker’s Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2), which improves on adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capabilities and lane-following assist. The HDA2 system can also automatically perform lane changes once the turn signal is pressed.
“Kia is about to liven up both the Upper Large SUV segment and electric vehicle market, with the addition of the all-new and very unique, Kia EV9,” Kia Australia chief executive Damien Meredith said. “It’s big, full electric on a dedicated EV platform, provides seven seats, equipped with some really impressive technology and it’s locally tuned; there really isn’t an apples-to-apples competitor in the local new car market. As with the arrival of the EV6 range, consumer interest in the Kia EV9 has been extraordinary but thankfully, we will be receiving better supply of the EV9 and planning for 100 per month.”
