Kia, Who Is the First Owner of the EV9?

Choi Jin-hwan, CEO (President) of Lotte Rental, the No. 1 rental car company in Korea, has been selected as the first owner of Kia's flagship electrified sport utility vehicle (SUV), the EV9.

Kia announced on the 21st that it held an EV9 handover ceremony at the brand experience center Kia 360 and delivered the first EV9 to President Choi. The event was attended by Kia Vice President Kwon Hyuk-ho and executives from both companies.

Kia explained that President Choi, who is recognized as an innovative CEO leading the expansion of electric vehicle adoption and the development of customer-centric convenience services, was chosen as the first owner because his image aligns well with the EV9, which embodies future electrification technology.

President Choi stated, "Having long awaited an innovative flagship electrified SUV, I am confident that the EV9 will provide a premium experience and high satisfaction," explaining his reason for purchase.

Choi Jin-hwan, CEO of Lotte Rental, is taking a commemorative photo in front of the Kia EV9.
[Photo by Kia]

The EV9 features a majestic exterior and various second-row seat configurations that offer a new vehicle experience. Equipped with a large-capacity 99.8kWh battery, it achieves the longest single-charge driving range of 501 km among Kia’s electric vehicle lineup.

As the second model based on the electric vehicle-dedicated platform E-GMP, the EV9 is equipped with advanced driving assistance features and key convenience and safety specifications, including ▲ Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2) ▲ Capacitive sensors detecting steering wheel grip ▲ Panoramic wide display seamlessly connecting the cluster, climate control, and infotainment system displays ▲ Dual-color ambient lighting ▲ First-row relaxation comfort seats ▲ Driver’s ergo motion seat ▲ Double-glazed soundproof glass for the windshield, first and second rows ▲ 10 airbags, and more.

A Kia official said, "We confirmed that consumer interest in premium electrified SUVs is high, as individual customers accounted for 60% of EV9 pre-orders. Among individual customers, 55% are new customers choosing the Kia brand for the first time, and the EV9 is expected to newly lead the flagship market, which has a high brand repurchase rate."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.