Kia does two issues very properly proper now: three-row crossovers and electrical automobiles. The favored Telluride has helped drive the automaker’s highest-ever common transaction costs and residual values, whereas the EV6 has a formidable vary and one of many trade’s finest DC charging charges.
Mix these two philosophies – three-row house and a future-proof 800-volt EV platform – and also you get the 2024 Kia EV9. Based mostly on the identical Electrical International Modular Platform (E-GMP) because the EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Genesis GV60, the EV9 largely performs to its siblings’ electrified strengths whereas including a couple of tips of its personal, wrapped up in sheet steel that appears prefer it belongs in Blade Runner or Ghost In The Shell. No must bury the lede right here: The Kia EV9 is a good electrical crossover.
19 Pictures
| Fast Stats | 2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line |
| Battery | 99.8-Kilowatt-Hour Lithium-Ion |
| Motors | Twin Everlasting-Magnet Synchronous |
| Output | 379 Horsepower / 516 Pound-Ft |
| Vary | 270 Miles |
| Value As Examined | $77,090 |
| On Sale | Now |
Pushed Wild
The EV9 is a big car, measuring 197.2 inches from bumper to bumper and 122.0 inches between the entrance and rear wheels. That’s greater than the Telluride by 0.3 and seven.8 inches, respectively. And with the 99.8-kilowatt-hour battery discovered within the long-range rear-drive mannequin and all dual-motor fashions, the Kia is fairly heavy as properly – the loaded GT-Line I drove was 5,800 kilos.
Sadly, the massive SUV feels underdamped and oversprung, a mixture meaning massive undulations flip your passengers into bobbleheads and small imperfections yield a chattery experience. The flagship trim’s customary 21-inch wheels most likely add to the issue, although it could be price it for his or her bizarre Lego-peg design. No less than the EV9 feels does its finest to attenuate the drama from these imperfections, hitting bumps with a whoomp as a substitute of a crash. Talking of sounds, there isn’t a lot to talk of within the EV9. The rearmost passengers could encounter some tire roar at excessive speeds, however in any other case, wind and street noise are restricted.
The dangerous information begins and ends with these experience high quality complaints. By just about each different dynamic measure, it’s an excellent machine. I used to be solely capable of drive the GT-Line throughout my time with the massive Kia, which meant I had 379 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque to play courteously of a normal “Enhance” bundle. Lesser dual-motor trims will provide Enhance as an choice, and with out it, they make the identical energy however 73 fewer pound-feet. In the meantime, the single-motor, short-range EV9 will get 215 hp and 258 lb-ft, whereas the long-range variant will get 201 hp and 258 lb-ft.
The EV9 GT-Line doles out energy easily in Eco and Regular modes, with a well-tuned throttle that ought to really feel approachable for electrical newbies. However toggling over to Sport turned my proper foot into an acceleration on-off change, particularly after I had the regenerative braking set to its most aggressive I-Pedal one-pedal drive. Hoofing over winding roads was extra enjoyable (and environment friendly) than anticipated, with the regen making path braking easy and loads of grunt on nook exit. The suspension additionally takes a set somewhat properly when pushed on this method – can’t say that about too many three-row crossovers.
All Dolled Up
Amongst its dynamic skills, the EV9 additionally cuts a imply first impression. A lot of its attraction comes from its daring rolling inventory, whether or not you get the four-squares on the GT-Line, the Tron-chic pyramids on the middle-tier Land, or the slicing pinwheels on the Wind and Gentle trims. Glowering headlights and a tall, bluff hood greet you as you strategy. And while you go for the Land or the GT-Line, you additionally get slick pixelated lighting accents throughout the entrance finish, including just a little visible curiosity and breaking apart the large grille-less face.
Edgy wheel arch extensions and an upkicked beltline towards the rear seem like they’re ripped from a Tremendous Nintendo online game, and the T-shaped taillights that stretch up the D-pillar additional the cyberpunk resemblance. This futuristic-meets-retcon development may get outdated quickly, however for now, I like it.
Inside, the EV9 is way extra conventional-looking – in a great way. A large, low sprint and flat flooring give front-seat passengers nice visibility and a great deal of manspreading house, and the massive heart console has two-tier storage and is open to the ground forward of the sprint for a bit extra wiggle room. The seats are soft and supportive, and the mesh-fabric headrests are nearly excellent. Supplies are additionally fairly good, with artificial leather-based upholstery and plenty of matte-finished plastics dressing up the ethereal styling properly.
The Land and GT-Line get customary second-row bucket seats which might be nearly as snug because the entrance, and so they alter for tilt to counteract the shortage of thigh assist that many pancake-battery EVs have within the rear seats. Heating, air flow, and power-operated leg rests enhance consolation additional, spoiling the children with first-class lodging. The middle console up entrance has a deep, helpful cubby dealing with the rear-seaters, with cupholders and door pockets that’ll preserve road-trip necessities shut at hand.
And whereas the two-position third row isn’t as commodious, it’s definitely not dangerous both. I had sufficient knee and headroom for an hour-long jaunt, and the EV9 consists of two USB-C chargers again there. With all seats in place, there’s a formidable 20.2 cubic toes of cargo house, rising to 43.5 behind the second row and 81.7 behind the primary row. The gas-powered Telluride has extra passenger and cargo room – in addition to seating for as much as eight, not seven – however the distinction is fairly slim. Rear-drive EV9s additionally get a 3.2-cubic-foot storage space beneath the hood, although the dual-motor model cuts that right down to 1.8, simply sufficient for a charging cable and never a lot else.
Plug And Play
On the backside of the EV9 vary, the single-motor Gentle incorporates a 76.1-kWh battery and a 215-hp motor, giving it a decent 230 miles per cost. Go for the Gentle Lengthy Vary and also you’ll get the 99.8-kWh unit and a 201-hp rear motor, though a 304-mile EPA ranking could ease the sting of the ability loss.
The twin-motor Wind and Land each get the bigger battery and may hit 280 miles in EPA testing, whereas the flagship GT-Line can do 270 miles. These numbers don’t fairly stand as much as the Tesla Mannequin Y Lengthy Vary’s 310 miles or the Mannequin X’s 335 miles.
One of many E-GMP structure’s best benefits over different EV platforms is its 400/800V charging system. The high-voltage battery within the long-range EV9 can settle for DC quick charging at as much as 210 kilowatts, giving it a 10-80 p.c quick cost time of 24 minutes. Curiously, the smaller battery can do 235-kW charging. When utilizing an 240V/48-amp AC house charger, the bigger battery will recharge in eight hours and 45 minutes, whereas the smaller battery cuts two hours from that point.
Not like different E-GMP automobiles, the EV9 is able to vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid charging. Kia says the SUV will preserve a median house operating important features powered up for 2 days in a blackout. Extra apparently, the EV9 may even backflow any leftover battery cost into the house when electrical charges are excessive – equivalent to the center of the afternoon on a scorching summer time day – then draw energy to recharge the battery when charges drop. Kia says it will assist mitigate a few of that in a single day charging price, for the reason that automotive powers the house when electrical energy is pricey.
As on the smaller EV6, the EV9 can do vehicle-to-load charging by means of a intelligent energy inverter that plugs into the charging port. Hyundai Motor Group can also be partnering with different automakers on a brand new, nationwide charging community to ease the ache of discovering a plug, and its EVs may even be appropriate with the SAE J3400 charging customary, mostly referred to as NACS/Tesla.
Pay Up, Squirt
Go for the bottom, 230-mile Gentle trim and also you’ll need to spend $56,395 together with $1,495 vacation spot for the pleasure of EV9 possession. That’s not a foul deal for folk buying and selling in an internal-combustion three-row, offered they take their holidays on airplanes, not in automobiles, particularly given the Kia’s spacious inside and spectacular tech suite comprising two 12.3-inch screens, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and EV-specific navigation routing.
Those that want extra vary or dual-motor all-wheel drive will really feel a pricing pinch, with the middle-tier Wind costing $65,395 to begin. On the high quality is the GT-Line, which begins at $75,395 and rises to $78,090 as examined with a rear-seat improve and extra-cost paint. For comparability, the Tesla Mannequin Y begins at $43,990, though getting aggressive vary and seven-passenger seating drives that value as much as $51,990. The $79,900 Tesla Mannequin X will get nearer to the Kia by way of house, nevertheless it does price extra, particularly with the $3,500 non-compulsory third-row seat.
Styling (and cult-of-personality politics) is a matter of style, however I discover the Kia EV9 rather more enticing general than any Tesla. It additionally drives properly, with higher physique management and noise insulation than Fashions X and Y, with extra cargo and passenger room as properly. And the charging expertise guarantees to be nearly as good or higher as soon as Kia and different automakers undertake that on-board Supercharger port.
No matter its impact on profitability, Tesla’s fire-sale pricing is definitely making use of stress to EV newcomers just like the Kia EV9 relating to shopper {dollars}. However the three-row E-GMP nonetheless has so much to supply, with cost-cutting bi-directional charging, a formidable DC fast cost time, and above-average car dynamics. It’s additionally essentially the most spacious EV on the market – no less than for now – so households seeking to minimize the petrochemical twine will take pleasure in driving within the EV9 as a lot as I loved driving it.
