Five months ago, the futuristic-looking Kia EV9 electric SUV broke cover and here we are in the present on the month of Merdeka and someone spotted the bigger brother to the EV6 right here in Malaysia.
This UK-registered EV9 is a prototype as the model is not yet launched in the UK
Technically, the full-size EV which was spotted on Facebook by Nazrul Ihsan was on a flatbed truck but does this mean that the EV9 will be making its way to Malaysia? Well, not exactly and besides, it’s not launched in right-hand drive (RHD) markets yet.
Sources close to the matter told WapCar that the EV9 does not belong to Bermaz (Dinamikjaya Motors) but rather Kia Motors Asia Pacific (Kia APAC) which has a headquarters in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
In the past, Kia APAC has brought along various Kia models that eventually did not launch in Malaysia, even when the Korean carmaker was distributed by Naza. One example is the left-hand drive (LHD) Kia K9 which became a part of Kia APAC's company car fleet.
The EV9 is designed by Karim Habib who also penned the F30 BMW 3 Series and amazingly, it has a drag coefficient of 0.28 Cd despite the blocky exterior. For comparison, the Toyota Prius has a drag coefficient of 0.27 Cd.
UK prototype shown
There are 3 variants of the EV9 announced at launch, two rear-wheel drive (RWD) variants and a sole all-wheel drive (AWD) variant. The most powerful variant, the dual-motor AWD has a combined output of 380 PS and 600 Nm but if opt for the Power Boost feature and torque is increased to 700 Nm! For a subscription fee, naturally.
In Korea, the Kia EV9 is priced from KRW 77.28 million (~RM 268.5k) which is KRW 1.44 million (~RM 5k) more than the EV6 GT AWD. Back home in Malaysia, the sole EV6 GT Line AWD is priced from RM 319,668.
Traded advertising for a career that fits his passion for cars. Enjoys spotting cars during his free time and has a soft spot for Japanese Kei cars but drives a thirsty manual sedan.
