Kia made a bold statement when it introduced the EV6 last year, staking a claim in the burgeoning Philippine electric vehicle segment. And as proof of its commitment to an electrified vehicle lineup, Kia Philippines sent a media contingent to the 2023 Seoul Mobility Show, where we saw the bigger EV9 up close.
Since then the EV9 has been teased and alluded to, and Kia Philippines’ parent company, the Ayala Group, has been steadily beefing up its vehicle charging infrastructure.
At the press conference for the 2024 Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) happening this October 24 to 27, 2024, of which Kia is a participant and a member, Kia Philippines chief operating officer Brian Buendia finally announced that the Kia EV9 will be officially introduced in our market.
The Kia EV9 is a three-row midsize crossover. It looks bigger in real life, seemingly entering full-size territory. There is no confirmation on what powertrains we will get, but in other markets, the EV9 has three trims: Long Range (204hp and 350Nm), Standard (218hp and 350Nm), and a blistering AWD trim (385hp and 600Nm). Based on our experience, don’t hold out hope for the last, most desirable trim.
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If the EV6 and the EV9 are the first and second models in the Korean carmaker’s EV lineup, the EV5 is the latest. As you can surmise from the naming convention, the EV5 comes in a smaller compact crossover form.
Buendia made no mention of the EV5, but we think Kia Philippines might pull off a surprise at PIMS with an unexpected reveal. You see, the EV5 has been spotted around Bonifacio Global City. Coincidentally, this neighborhood is where Kia Philippines’ head office is located. Introducing both the EV9 and the EV5 will make a dramatic impact, as we waited more than a year between Kia EV introductions.
Of course, nothing is sure until the covers are pulled off and we actually see the EV5 under the World Trade Center’s roof. In the meantime let’s cross our fingers and hope we see the EV5 soon, and that it’s priced well.
