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.
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.
