Kia's first full-size SUV, called the EV9, has opened for reservations as the company has termed it the flagship of its EV lineup.

Reserving the Kia EV9 costs $750, the company said, and can be rolled into the price of the vehicle.

This is a new approach for Kia to accept reservations on an EV, one the automaker started for the 2022 EV6 sedan. The EV9 is the second vehicle Kia has let customers preorder before deliveries. Of course, that's not a new strategy of the many EV startups selling directly to consumers. Tesla, well past the startup stage, still uses reservations before vehicles are delivered and often takes refundable deposits years before the vehicle is ever delivered.

For those who have ordered the Kia EV9, the wait will be much shorter for them. The EV9 is due to be available in dealer lots during the fourth quarter of this year.

Kia is hoping an all-electric SUV will have the same level of success as its internal combustion engine-powered Telluride has found in the United States. The EV9 is a three-row SUV based on the company's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that comes with a 122-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 197 inches, which puts it more or less on par with other full-size SUVs available today, including the Telluride.

The big selling point besides the size and the software? Kia is pricing the EV9 lower than other similarly sized EVs on the market today, such as the Mercedes EQS SUV and the Rivian R1S. The Kia EV9 starts at $54,900, not including the $1,495 destination fee. The price pops up from there depending on the powertrain and trim.

It brings two options of powertrain to customers. The standard powertrain comes with the car fitted with a 76.1-kWh battery, which is good for a 160-kW (215-hp) motor driving the rear wheels. There's an optional 99.8-kWh battery that will come in a single-motor configuration, 201-hp model, or dual-motor, 283-kW (379-hp) all-wheel drive model.

Customers may choose one of five model trims. The Light is the lowest-range model and is offered with both short-range and long-range batteries. Other trims include Wind, Land, and GT Line, which is at the top of the pricing matrix at 73,900 dollars. For the EV9, powertrain as well as trim will dictate the range, from 230 to 304 miles. The model capable of hitting 304 miles is the Light, rear drive and has the larger battery pack.

The stakes are certainly high for the company. "In many ways we consider the Kia EV9 to be the new flagship for our brand," Kia CEO Ho-sung Song said in a livestream that aired back in March 2023. "While the Kia EV6 played an important role in repositioning the Kia brand following the launch in 2021, the Kia EV9 moves us further forward."