This week we are looking at a new entry into the Kia SUV lineup, the new all-electric Kia EV9, a large 3-row SUV that has won many awards, such as the World Car of the Year, the North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, and a Car & Driver top 10 best trucks and SUVs, just to name a few.
My review vehicle is the top-of-the-line GT-Line Long Range model, which is $19,000 more than the least expensive version, the Light rear-wheel drive.
Powertrain
Powering this SUV is a 99.8 kWh Lithium Ion High-Voltage battery that powers one motor in the back, and another one in the front. This is the long range battery Kia offers, and with dual motors, this is an all-wheel drive version. You can get a single motor as well, and it is rear-wheel drive in that case.
Specs on this set up are impressive. It has 379-horses and is rated at 506 pound-feet of torque. As you find with all electrics, the acceleration is very good, even for an almost 6,000 pound SUV. 0-to-60 time is just 4.5 seconds.
Exterior
You see the new Kia design language on the outside, abandoning the round or oval look in favor of square and boxy. Door handles are flush and pop out when you get near the EV9 with the key. The overall appearance works well, especially with the Ocean Blue color on this one.
The jury is out for me on the wheels. They are 21” alloy, and as usual with everything else on an EV, they are designed to channel wind and cancel resistance, but I’ve seen wheels I think are way better looking. The front end is attractive with LED lighting, and next to them-actually behind the grill-are a bunch of small lights you see only at night. There are active grill shutters down low to help keep the battery pack cool. Gloss black runs along the bottom and over the wheels.
Interior
When you open the door, you see very attractive dark gray and off-white Syn-Tex seats that are comfortable and highly adjustable. You’ll find soft touch contrasting materials that run across the dash. Both front seats are power, and both are heated and cooled.
There are two 12.3” touchscreens that display the driver info system that is configurable and will give you the battery range left in miles as well as what percentage you’ve used. There is speed recognition for you to see, and all the pertinent info is large and clear.
In what appears to be the second half of the screen, is the infotainment system that displays the navigation system, the Meridian Premium sound with 14-speakers, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, Wi-Fi, and more. Everything is simple to operate, and there are some shortcuts to all the functions built across the dash. A large head-up display is easy to see and will show you when there are any vehicles in your blindspot.
The center console is wide and large, and very soft to the touch. A sliding door opens to adjustable cup holders, and there are buttons on it for Auto Hold, hill descent, rear cameras, and self-parking technology. There is also a wireless charger for cell phones.
For the driver, there is a comfort setting that will recline the driver’s seat and raise a footrest. That seems odd for the driver’s seat but if you are sitting at an EV charging station, you might want to take a nap!
Moving to the second-row captain chairs that are heated and cooled, there are USB ports, air conditioning vents, a slide-out center console, USB and USB-C ports. The second row captain’s chairs also recline, and they have armrests. Buttons on the front passenger seat will allow back seat passengers to slide the seat forward limo-style or to create more legroom. Air conditioning controls are mounted on the headliner and are digital. There are also side window shades you can raise. A button on top of the second row seats slides the seats forward for easy 3rd-row access.
The far back seat is extremely roomy for adults, those occupants also have USB ports and cup holders. The flat floor that houses the big battery makes the 3rd room passengers more comfortable.
Utility
The third row seats fold down manually from the large cargo area and they fold flat and are not cumbersome to operate at all. Cargo area is cavernous even with the 3rd-row seat up, and there is a frunk, a front trunk, that will hold one nice-sized overnight bag.
Features
Neat features on my tester include surround-view camera, a head-up display with traffic sign recognition, two moon roofs (power front and fixed rear glass), power tilt and heated steering wheel, hands-free liftgate opener, Keyless remote start, and the Meridian Premium stereo.
It also has Driver Talk, which allows you to speak directly to the people in the far back, and Quiet Mode, which turns off all the speakers except in the front of the SUV.
Safety
On the safety front, the 2024 Kia EV9 has automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, rear occupant alert, automatic forward collision assist, parking sensors for front and rear, lane departure with lane keep assist, and Blind Spot View Monitor. Cameras in both side mirrors are activated if there is a car in your blind spot or if you engage your blinkers. The picture of what is happening on either side appears in the center of the driver’s display.
Options
Options include the $695 paint, the $2,000 second-row relaxation package which gives you power second row captain chairs with the power footrests that raise, and $240 for carpeted floor mats and a carpeted rear cargo mat.
Ride and Drive
The EV9 drives great, the ride is smooth and in spite of its heavy, bulky looks, lean is minimal in curves and turns. The SUV is incredibly quiet inside and Kia went to great lengths to make sure of that with more insulation and thicker glass.
Is the EV9 essentially a Telluride that is electric? No, actually there are many differences, and the EV9 is slightly larger. It does have many of the features that so many have loved about the Telluride.
Charging and Range
As I’ve said, I love one-pedal driving in EVs, and you can adjust the drag from paddles on the steering wheel, and the resistance helps to recharge the battery.
Range is rated at 270-miles, but the onboard computer after I charged it in my garage was showing almost 300-miles of range. The MPGe rating is 72-highway, 88-city, and 80 combined.
Charging time with a level 2 charger is almost 9-hours from zero to 100%, but with a DC fast charger, you can do it in 1 hour and twenty minutes. With a 110 outlet, it takes 7 days.
What You'll Pay
Total MSRP on this ultra-loaded EV9 is $78,430 before discounts, and this vehicle does not qualify for the Federal Tax Credit.
Verdict
There aren’t a lot of choices in larger, 3-row roomy all-electric SUVs and I will say this one would be an excellent choice.
To view larger photos see the slideshow below.
- What I Liked Most: Acceleration and the great looks of this SUV both inside and outside.
- What I would change: Really nothing, if you want a 3-row electric SUV, this one is wonderful.
- MSRP: $72,900 base price/as equipped $78,430 with transportation.
- Fuel Economy: Rated at 88 MPGe in town/72 highway/80 combined MPGe.
- Odometer reading when tested: 5,500 miles.
- Weight: 5,885 pounds/GVWR is 7,099 pounds.
- Spare tire: repair kit.
- Length-Width-Height: 197.2” long/77.9” wide/70.1” high.
- Fuel Tank Capacity: N/A.
- Towing Capacity: 5,000 pounds.
- Official Color: Ocean Blue.
- 2024 EV9 GT in a few words: An outstanding EV with good range for its size, some really cool features, a beautiful and quiet interior, and a very reasonable price tag.
- Warranty: 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper, 10-year/100,000 mile power train and hybrid battery warranty.
- Final Assembly Location: Gwangmyeong, Korea.
- Manufacturer's website: Kia
