Lotte Rental CEO becomes first owner of Kia EV9

The first owner of Kia Corp.'s EV9 large electric sports utility vehicle (SUV) is Mr. Choi Jin-hwan, President and CEO of Lotte Rental, South Korea's No. 1 car rental company.

Kia delivered the first EV9 to Mr. Choi at Kia 360, a brand experience center in Seoul, the company said on Wednesday.

Kia explained that Mr. Choi, who has led the way in expanding the spread of electric vehicles and developing customer-centered convenience services, was chosen as the first EV9 owner because he is in line with the image of the EV9.

The EV9 is the second model based on E-GMP, a platform dedicated to electric vehicles, and is equipped with a large capacity battery of 99.8 kWh, enabling it to travel 501 kilometers on a single charge. It is also the first Korean full-size electric SUV.

"I have been waiting for a flagship electrified SUV for a long time, and I am confident that the EV9 will provide high satisfaction," said Mr. Choi.

"We have seen a high level of consumer interest in premium electric SUVs, with the proportion of individual customers accounting for 60% of EV9 pre-orders," said a Kia official.

Write to Jung-Dong Roh at dong@hankyung.com