Kia EV9 Infotainment System - Ki | 2023

Designer: Infotainment UX Development Team, Kia, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Manufacturer: Kia, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Kia EV9 has an infotainment system that emphasizes Kia brand identity and the usability of electric vehicles base on a new OS.

Based on the design philosophy of 'Bold for Nature', the visual concept which is called 'Ki' stem from the philosophy. 'Ki' means the reading sound when you read Chinese character 起 in Korean, 起 means to rise, or to begin. And the diagonal line emphasizing visually rising tendencies is applied to infotainment elements, icons, and fonts as key visuals.

In particular, the concept and form of 'Ki' are also applied to icon and font designs, and Kia's own Slanted edge is applied to be a unique and unified shape while considering recognition. In addition, by creating a new Kia Signature UI font only for the Kia Infotainment System, it increases visibility and awareness in driving environments and can be used in overall infosystem. We have diversified font-weight and prepared various languages and emojis for worldwide.

The 'Ki' color system is a nature-inspired color centered on Forest green and Afternoon Yellow, and faithfully expresses the characteristics of EV vehicles and the identity of Kia to determine the impression of the infosystem along with the diagonal shape.

The first one, welcoming scene to be seen when getting in EV9 is a dynamic sharpness with diagonal metaphors that are the main of the visual concept, providing a strong first impression and rich experience for the user.

Cluster varies in color and gauge shapes depending on the three drive modes. First off, gauge shape of each mode is a simple three-piece design incorporating the principle of 'Ki' and matches the drive mode characteristics (COMFORT-ECO-SPORT). And the animation effects shown during drive mode transitions can help you recognize the mode transition while emphasizing each form. Sub-panels symmetrically located inside the gauge are tilted with speed, the faster the angle is tilted, making it better a sense of driving and more aware of the speed.

HDP which is autonomous driving level 3 recognizes passenger car, commercial car, motorcycle, bycycle, human, and rubber cone depending on the surrounding objects through the sensor, and these are represented as 3D objects in the cluster. The color of the top indicator and the background color change depending on the HDP situation, and it can be reliably delivered to the user when handle operation is required.

Improved autonomous driving technology provides a hands -free driving experience and enables additional TASK. One of the advantages of panoramic wide displays is that Climate area, a major vehicle experience, is placed between the CLUSTER and Center Display, making it quick and easy to use and expandable, allowing intuitive adjustment for detailed operation.

Kia Connected Store provides a convenient experience by allowing you to download and customize features.

The charging scene, which is essential for electric vehicles, uses wider screen area than the previous version to view charging information quickly and intuitively, whether in or out of the vehicle. EV Home mode in the Center Display changes information contextually depending on the vehicle condition. If the status is ON, it would be enabled by synchronizing information with the cluster, more intuitive recognition is possible.

The Vehicle-to-load feature allows both clusters and Center Displays to see how much more electricity will be available and how much distance to drive remains after using them when using electronic devices as EV9 batteries.

EV9 with a powerful seating system can operate in two or three rows through the infosystem.

Starting with the idea of harmonizing with nature, we have developed a consistent visual concept from cluster to Center Display and Climate. Kia Infosystem 'Ki' not only pursues a perfect centripetal concept, but also captures improved UX for intuitive usability, electric vehicle driving, and charging usability.

As a result, Kia's unique brand experience was completed by supporting Kia's brand image and discovering a graphic style that goes well with vehicle design, and applying comfortable and recognizable colors in the car. Optimized for both driver safety and usability with Kia's bold graphics, the EV9 infotainment system was first mass-produced in April 2023 and will be approached in a more diverse and evolved form with the wireless update system.