Electric vehicles, robotics take center stage at Seoul Mobility Show 2023

It's understandable that this year's Seoul Mobility Show is all about electric vehicles and robotics. It seems that everyone forgot about horsepower and acceleration.

EV9s, Kia's second pure electric vehicle, are on display at the Seoul Mobility Show, which kicks off on March 31 at Kintex, Gyeonggi. [KIA]

GOYANG, Gyeonggi - It's understandable that this year's Seoul Mobility Show is all about electric vehicles and robotics.

It seems that everyone forgot about horsepower and acceleration.

The scale of the country’s biennial auto show is around double compared to the 2021 show, with 163 companies from 12 countries participating this year.

Tesla made its first appearance at the show this year, with SsangYong Motor returning three years after rebranding itself to KG Mobility.

Kia filled its entire booth with only electric vehicles. EV9, its full-size SUV, was unveiled at the show for the first time. It is the Korean automaker’s second all-electric vehicle after EV6.

The second-row seats of the EV9 can swivel 180 degrees to face the passengers seated in the third row. [NEWS1]

The Digital Tiger Face grille, which reinterprets the automaker’s tiger-nose design, gives the three-row vehicle a bolder, futuristic look.

The second-row seats can swivel 180 degrees to face the passengers seated in the third row.

“The EV9, Korea’s first all-electric SUV, will offer a totally different driving experience,” said Karim Habib, Kia’s design boss, at a press briefing at the motor show on Thursday, a day before it officially opens its door to the public.

Equipped with a 99.8-kilowatt-hour battery, the three-row, seven-seater vehicle can travel at least 500 kilometers (311 miles) on a single charge. Kia is working to obtain certificates from the Environment Ministry, and the official mileage will be announced in the second quarter.

Sales will start in May in Korea, and in the second half globally, including the U.S. market.

KG Mobility displayed the EVX, the electric version of its Torres mid-size SUV. [KIM JONG-HO]

KG Mobility displayed EVX, the electric version of its Torres mid-size SUV. It is the first ever electric vehicle by the company, previously known as SsangYong Motor.

With six LED dots in the center between the LED lights at the corners of the upper area, the fascia of the battery-powered model is more streamlined than the petrol-engine car.

Equipped with LFP batteries made by BYD, the vehicle is reported to have a sticker price of around 30 million won ($23,100).

“SsangYong has just begun its fresh start as KG Mobility,” KG Mobility Chairman Kwak Jea-sun said at the show. “KG Mobility will now focus more on exports rather than domestic sales.”

KG Mobility Chairman Kwak Jea-sun speaks during a press briefing at the show on Thursday. [KG MOBILITY]

Hyundai Motor introduced the latest facelifted Sonata, despite rumors that it had been discontinued.

An EV charging robot was charging an Ioniq 6 sedan at Hyundai’s booth. The robot comes with a camera that calculates the location and angle of the charging port in the darkest hours of the night.

Hyundai Motor's newly-designed Sonata [NEWS1]

When asked about when the robot will be commercialized, Hyundai CEO Chang Jae-hoon said “in about three or four years.”

Many imported brands are absent at this year's show, despite their growing sales in Korea.

Big names like Volkswagen, Volvo Cars, Ford, General Motors and Toyota have not participated in the local show for at least three consecutive years.

BMW's XM luxury SUV [KIM JONG-HO]

BMW displayed a total of 15 models including the recently introduced XM luxury SUV, its first hybrid model under the high-performance M model.

A prototype of the iX5 hydrogen-powered vehicle is also on display, for the first time in Asia.

Mercedes showed off 11 vehicles including the EQE SUV, which will hit Korean roads in the summer.

Porsche's Vision 357 concept car [NEWS1]

Porsche brought the Vision 357 concept sports car to the show, its Asia debut. Korea is Porsche's sixth-largest market.

The car model is an homage to the first-ever Porsche sports car, the 356, the dream sports car made by Ferry Porsche, the legendary car designer and founder of the German carmaker.

Alpha Motor, a California-based start-up founded by a Korean-American, made its first debut at the show.

It displayed Wolf and Wolf Plus EV pickups at the event for the first time in the world.

The mobility show kicks off on March 31 at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi and runs through April 9.

Wolf pick-up by Alpha Motor [YONHAP]

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]