Kia announces autonomous driving technology that it will use in the EV9 SUV

Kia has revealed its plans to add AutoMode autonomous driving technology to the EV9 SUV, launching next year. The company stated that AutoMode is their first step towards fully autonomous vehicles.

AutoMode will include a Highway Driving Pilot feature, enabling the car to travel along highways without the driver needing to operate the SUV. Kia’s AutoMode, described by the company as a “range of autonomous driving technologies”, will continue to be developed, with over the air (OTA) updates pushing the latest version to EV9 SUVs.

The EV9 concept was revealed late last year; the SUV is expected to measure around 16 ft (5 m) in length, with key features including a 27-in (~69 cm) display and a steering yoke instead of a steering wheel. The car will have a 336 mile (540 km) range, and a 6-minute charge will allow the vehicle to travel up to 62 miles (100 km).

According to Kia, the SUV will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 100 kph) in five seconds. Alongside OTA updates, a first for Kia, the EV9 will have a 'feature on-demand' service, allowing customers to buy software add-ons.

Kia has said it plans to roll out this AutoMode technology to other vehicles, though it has not given any timeframe for this wider adoption yet.

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