NEW YORK — Korean automaker Kia on Wednesday unveiled the U.S. model of its upcoming EV9, a three-row electrical SUV that may function the model’s flagship mannequin when it launches late this yr.

The EV9 is a midsize SUV that – like many different EVs – has a surprisingly spacious inside for its measurement, on this case with seating for six or seven passengers relying on configuration. It is the second Kia EV to be based mostly on the E-GMP modular EV platform developed with Kia’s company sibling Hyundai.

Kia hopes that the EV9 will construct on the success of its EV6 electrical hatchback, which has received important acclaim world wide since its launch in 2021, and the battery-electric model of its Niro crossover. The corporate offered almost 80,000 EV6s worldwide in 2022, together with greater than 20,000 within the U.S., regardless of a beginning worth of just about $49,000.

Kia is predicted so as to add a 3rd EV, a small crossover known as EV5, to its U.S. lineup subsequent yr.

The automaker is aiming to promote 1.6 million EVs per yr by 2030, CEO Ho Sung Track stated throughout an investor presentation Wednesday. The corporate expects to promote 258,000 EVs worldwide this yr, he stated.

Kia will announce U.S. pricing for the EV9 later this yr.

The EV9 will come normal with a 76.1 kilowatt-hour battery driving a single motor on the rear wheels. An non-obligatory 99.8 kWh battery will provide 300 miles of vary in single-motor configuration. A dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup with 379 horsepower might be non-obligatory with the bigger battery.

The EV9 might be DC Quick charging suitable, with a most charging pace of as much as 230 kilowatts.

Whereas the primary EV9s might be inbuilt South Korea, Kia plans to start producing the SUV at its manufacturing facility in West Level, Georgia, subsequent yr.