Upstart helped Kia put more charge into the electric-vehicle space.

The financing firm fueled by artificial intelligence highlighted that Kia used Upstart Auto Retail Build & Price Reservations as the exclusive reservation and deposit system for the launch of the new Kia EV9 SUV in the United States.

The feature was available to all Kia dealers across the U.S, according to a news release.

In addition to reserving and placing a deposit on an EV9 directly from a dealer’s website, Upstart Build & Price Reservations allowed customers to choose the trim, colors, and optional packages they wanted included with their vehicle.

For Kia dealers, Build & Price Reservations made it easy to track demand for the EV9 and provided the information they needed to better understand and serve their customers.

“We’re excited that Upstart Build & Price Reservations played such an important role in the launch of the new EV9,” said Alex Rouse, vice president and general manager of auto at Upstart.

“By leveraging the power of Upstart’s connected retailing platform, Kia dealers were able to deliver a fast and seamless experience to help their customers find their desired EV9,” Rouse continued in the news release.

Build & Price Reservations is part of the Upstart Auto Retail suite of digital products for dealer websites and showrooms, which can enable a seamless online to in-store consumer shopping journey.

Kia dealers with the full Upstart Auto Retail solution can provide an end-to-end car-buying experience for the EV9, from online reservation through to vehicle pickup, including financing.

Upstart Auto Retail has been a certified provider in the Kia Digital Certified Solutions program since December 2020.

In addition to Kia, Upstart Auto Retail is an approved digital retail provider for eight other OEMs, including Acura, Honda, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Subaru of America, Toyota and Volkswagen.