Car shoppers can place a reservation for Kia’s new 2024 EV9 3-row electric SUV starting Oct. 16, the automaker announced this weekend.
Reservations will require a refundable $750 deposit.
Wait – people are lining up and placing deposits for a Kia?
Kia, Reservation for Three Rows?
Perhaps. Kia presents the EV9 as something new and unique in the automotive market — an electric vehicle (EV) with a third row big enough for adults and a non-luxury price tag.
We’d quarrel with some of that — its $54,900 starting price is slightly higher than that of the 3-row Mercedes-Benz EQB ($52,700) or a comparable Tesla Model Y ($50,990 in its cheapest 3-row incarnation).
But the EV9 is larger than either of them — effectively an electric Telluride — making it a more livable electric solution for those who will use their third row often.
It’s also uniquely stylish, with a distinctive look — all hard edges and flat surfaces — and more eye-catching than anything else its size.
Kia expects it to be such a sales hit that dealers will need to take reservations. That will be a new experience for the Korean automaker once known for budget models. But it may be justified. Kia just experienced its second straight quarter of more than 200,000 sales. According to Automotive News, Kia has outsold corporate cousin Hyundai five of the last nine months.
