RAY MASSEY: Kia goes for broke! New EV9 has price tag of £70,000

Would you pay up to £70,000 for a Kia? That’s about £10,000 per seat for the forthcoming seven-seat all-electric Kia EV9 crossover, seen here as a prototype close to production.

The Korean car company, once known for value-for-money cars but increasingly mobile, will officially launch the striking new EV9 early this year, ahead of first deliveries in the UK towards the end of the year.

The current EV6 electric crossover was launched last year – along with a new generation Niro and new Sportage SUV – and costs from as little as £45,345, with a sporty GT variant from £62,645.

The new EV9 will sit up there and is just one of 14 EVs to launch globally by 2027. Nine are coming to the UK ahead of an all-electric lineup by 2030, with some being built in Slovakia from 2025. Famous for its groundbreaking seven-year warranties, it’s a sign of how things are going at Kia, which has broken the 100,000-car-a-year mark in the UK for the first time. It is now our sixth largest seller, with sales up 10.3 percent last year against a market decline of 2 percent.

I stopped by Kia’s UK headquarters in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, this week to see energetic UK President and CEO Paul Philpott, who told me how far they’ve come over the last 15 years – and where they are next to go.

Kia celebrated a record 100,191 sales in 2022 – four times more than in 2007. Last year’s top-selling vehicles were the Sportage SUV, the Niro family and the Ceed family. Philpott says 20 percent of this year’s advance bank is already for electric vehicles — and that’s expected to rise.

Sales of Kia’s “electrified” vehicles are now 43 percent of the mix (16.3 percent pure electric, 22 percent hybrid and 5 percent plug-in), with 54 percent gasoline and just 4 percent diesel.

The average electrified mix in the UK is 34 per cent.

And while total sales of electrified Kias rose 48 percent year-on-year, those of traditional combustion engines fell 7.4 percent.

Kia celebrated record sales of 100,191 in 2022 – four times the number of 2007

While total sales of electrified Kias rose 48 percent year-on-year, those of traditional internal combustion engines fell 7.4 percent

As a result, average CO2 has fallen from 164 g/km in 2007 to 106 g/km in 2022, compared to an industry average of 111.4 g/km

In 2025, it will launch the first of its fully electric eLCV commercial vehicles

Kia has sold nearly 1.4 million cars in the UK since launching in the UK in July 1991

As a result, average CO2 emissions have fallen from 164 g/km in 2007 to 106 g/km in 2022, compared to an industry average of 111.4 g/km.

And in 2025, it will launch the first of its all-electric eLCV vans.

With 191 dealerships undergoing renewal, Philpott is aware of competition from emerging Chinese brands such as MG and Polestar, and recent significant price cuts by Tesla.

He said: ‘China is a big competition. Anyone who thinks otherwise is sticking his head in the sand.’

But he adds that many are switching from premium brands such as BMW, Audi and Jaguar: “They can get a highly equipped EV6 for £58,000 and consider it fantastic value.”

Kia has sold nearly 1.4 million cars in the UK since its launch in the UK in July 1991.

Philpott said: ‘Since Kia first entered the UK car market 32 ​​years ago, the brand has gone from strength to strength.’

Jeep Avenger is European Car of the Year

The fully electric Jeep Avenger has been named European Car of the Year 2023 by an international jury.

It is the first time that the American brand – now part of the giant Stellantis group – has won the accolade to mark the 60th anniversary of the award, which was presented at this year’s Brussels International Motor Show.

Slim: The all-electric Jeep Avenger has been named European Car of the Year 2023 by an international jury

Electric vehicles took home the top three, with VW’s electric ID Buzz voted second by the 57-member jury from 22 European countries.

Pre-orders for the compact, zero-emissions Avenger 1st Edition are open in the UK from £36,500 ahead of the full range launch in June. Powered by a 156 hp (115 kW) electric motor, Jeep claims a range of 248 miles.

Features include six terrain modes, hill descent control, voice recognition, 360-degree parking sensors, automatic tailgate and intelligent speed assist.