Kia’s first car with Level 3 self-driving capability will be launched in 2023.

The breakthrough was announced by the executive chair of parent company Hyundai Motor Group Euisun Chung at a meeting at the Namyang R&D Center in South Korea, and the model in question will be the new EV9 SUV.

Level 3 is defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers as automated driving under certain conditions, although human drivers must be prepared to take control when required…

But the EV9’s Level 3 functionality will probably be restricted to Kia’s home market of South Korea initially. Regulatory approval for Level 3 production cars has been limited to date, with only Mercedes and Honda gaining permission to sell vehicles with the tech. Mercedes launched the Level 3 Drive Pilot on S-Class and EQS models in Germany last year, while Honda received permission to offer a limited number of Level 3 Legends in Japan in 2021.