Kia begs its US dealers not to hike up the price of the EV9

04 November 2023

EVs are expensive. All of them - even the most affordable ones are still generally more expensive than comparable ICE cars, and that's a problem if adoption is to move past the early adopter phase.

Kia's EV9 is very expensive to begin with ("especially for a Kia", as some might say), and the brand seems to be very aware of this fact, since in a leaked letter it sent to its US dealers it's pleading with them not to sell the car above MSRP (the Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price).

Here's Kia's exact wording from the letter:

The EV9 customer is an important new owner to the Kia brand, and price transparency will be paramount as part of their purchase experience. We ask dealers to retail the EV9 without mark-up over the Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price.

The base EV9 Light starts at $56,395 (including the oh-so-American "destination charge" of $1,495. The EV6, back when it launched in the States last year, was at times being offered by certain dealers for $20,000 over MSRP, which - dare we say it outright - is insane.

Apparently the problem is that the MSRP includes only a very, very small margin for the dealers, so they're fighting back by selling above MSRP. It's a battle between some companies and another company - and it seems like it's the consumer, as usual, who loses.

The first EV9 deliveries in the US are scheduled to take place by the end of the year. The first units will be imported from South Korea but Kia plans to start production in the US, at its West Point, Georgia plant, sometime in 2024.

Source | Via