Kia has announced details of its EV9 all-electric range-topping SUV, which starts deliveries in early 2024.

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A rival to the forthcoming Volvo EX90 and electric Range Rover, the EV9 delivers up to 336 miles of range along with a three-row, seven-seat layout and ultra-fast charging capabilities as standard.

It takes over from the EV6 as the brand’s ‘halo’ model and is the next battery electric vehicle to arrive as part of the ‘Plan S’ strategy, which will see Kia launch 15 EVs by 2027, of which nine will come to the UK.

Order books in the UK open on 6 July with a three-grade line-up of Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S versions. The top-rung GT-Line S models arrive first, with Air and GT-Line models due to follow later on. All come with a 99.8kWh long-range battery pack with heat pump and vehicle-to-load functionality.

The entry model is the rear-wheel drive Air model, which teams up the 99.8kWh battery with a 204hp motor to give 350Nm of torque. GT-Line and GT-Line S adopt an all-wheel drive set-up with an extra motor that boosts power to 383hp and torque to 700Nm but drops range to 308 miles.

Kia’s 800V ultra-fast charging technology, shared with the EV6, means every version of the EV9 can be recharged at up to 350kW, enabling a 10 to 80% charge in as little as 25 minutes.

Standard equipment across all three includes a three-screen dashboard layout with a 5.3-inch climate control touchscreen and 12.3-inch displays for the driver and infotainment, the latter with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also comes with a wireless phone charger, Kia Connect telematics system with seven years’ free access and three years’ free over-the-air updates, heated and ventilated front seats and outer second-row seats, electric folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors, rain-sensing front wipers, heated steering wheel, dual-zone air con, and smart power tailgate. The EV9 also comes with navigation-based smart Cruise Control, highway driving assist with hands-on detection, front and rear parking sensors and a 360-degree surround view monitor.

The entry Air model with the rear-wheel drive powertrain comes with standard EV9 body styling that includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, body-coloured flush door handles and gloss black door mirrors and door trims.

Next up is the GT-Line, priced from £72,495 and introducing the dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain as standard. It gets bespoke exterior styling including LED headlamps with ‘small cube’ design and adaptive driving beam, plus electrically adjustable front seats and a massage function on the drivers. It also adds in remote smart park assist.

The range-topping GT-Line S variant starts from £75,995, and offers the same dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain while adding in 21-inch alloy wheels, a front sunroof with tilting and sliding functions, second row sunroof with sliding blind, head-up display and 14-speaker Meridian Premium Sound System.

GT-Line S models are also exclusively available with a six-seat interior layout, featuring second row swivel seats. This model is available from £78,745, and replaces the three-seat middle bench with two individual ‘captain’s chair’ seats with adjustable arm rests, able to move forwards and back, recline and swivel outwards towards the doors or 180 degrees to face the third row when the car is stopped.