Professionals: Three adult-friendly rows; road-trip-friendly vary and quick charging; intelligent storage
Cons: Value displays its premium leanings; most variations are six passenger solely; infotainment a bit convoluted
The 2024 Kia EV9 takes an enormous swing on the electrical car market with a mainstream, three-row electrical SUV. There are only a few three-row EVs in the marketplace to date, and in the event that they’re not extraordinarily costly, then their third rows provide meager area. The Kia EV9 is clearly not low-cost, beginning at $60,000, however its refined driving manners and premium, feature-packed cabin that gives real room for six or seven (relying on configuration), means it stacks up favorably to the range-topping variations of mainstream-brand SUVs in addition to luxurious model three-rows.
The EV9 can also be chock filled with helpful and approachable know-how, whereas nonetheless offering respectable efficiency and vary, particularly within the larger trims. It’s basically the electrical counterpart to the favored Kia Telluride, with comparable out there options, together with its glorious security and driver help know-how. It’s roomy, quiet, snug, enjoyable to drive, and succesful sufficient to get you to your winter campsite, when you’re into that form of factor. It additionally affords vehicle-to-load know-how, permitting you to energy lights and home equipment at mentioned campsite, and it will possibly even energy your property throughout an outage with the right gear put in in your storage.
And, for now, there’s simply not a lot to compete with it. However Kia didn’t skimp on high quality or comfort to make the most of a aggressive vacuum. Even when and when different extra fairly priced three-row EVs come about, we’re assured the EV9 will nonetheless be a compelling alternative.
Inside & Expertise | Passenger & Cargo House | Efficiency & Gasoline Economic system
What it is wish to drive | Pricing & Trim Ranges | Crash Rankings & Security Options
What’s new for 2024?
The 2024 Kia EV9 is a totally new mannequin.
What are the EV9 inside and in-car know-how like?
The EV9 inside is spacious, snug and tech-friendly. Its three rows of seating are usable and cozy, with quite a few intelligent consolation and comfort options out there. There are considerate storage choices, together with cupholders that disappear to disclose a multi-purpose bin and an open space underneath the floating middle console. Second-row passengers get a pull-out shelf/cubby within the rear of the middle console (with captain’s chairs). Heated and ventilated entrance seats are commonplace, as is artificial leather-based. It’s a premium-feeling inside total, particularly when outfitted with the out there massaging driver’s seat and second-row energy leg rests.
Digital shows cowl a lot of the sprint, with a 12.3-inch digital driver show, 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and a 5-inch local weather management show between the 2. The touchscreen runs a next-generation interface, which appears to be extra complicated and fewer user-friendly than what you’ll discover in a Telluride and EV6. There are bodily controls for temperature, followers and audio quantity, in addition to haptic “buttons” beneath the infotainment show for navigating infotainment options — they appear and work nice, however will be unintentionally bumped when poking round on the touchscreen above. Wi-fi cellphone charging is commonplace up entrance, whereas every row will get a set of USB-C charging ports. There are additionally 110-volt retailers within the second row and cargo space. Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are additionally commonplace.
Wind EV9 trims have fairly primary interiors in black or gray, with out a lot brightwork or contrasting supplies. The Land perks issues up with ambient lighting and two-tone upholstery, which significantly pops with the rich-looking out there brown leatherette. It additionally introduces some textured panels on the sprint. However the GT-Line is the fanciest trim with extra contrasting upholstery, the GT-Line emblem embossed within the seatbacks, metallic sprint panels and distinctive two-tone colour selections: mild grey and black, black and beige, and black and blue. The Land and GT-Line additionally get distinctive seating. Up entrance is a driver seat with considerably extra seat cushion tilt adjustment and a “leisure mode” that successfully turns the seat right into a recliner, full with leg relaxation. That is meant for use whereas charging or different occasions if you’re ready round. These trims additionally include power-adjustable second-row captain’s chairs with their very own expanded adjustment vary and leg rests.
How large is the EV9?
The EV9 is a three-row SUV, with three truly usable rows of seating. Its beneficiant area is thanks in no small half to the EV9’s total size and wheelbase. The EV9 is 197.2 inches lengthy, which is barely longer than the Kia Telluride, whereas its 122-inch wheelbase bests the Telluride by about 8 inches.
Seating configuration depends upon trim stage, which isn’t excellent because it limits alternative. The Gentle and Wind get a second-row bench and due to this fact a seven-passenger capability, whereas all others get second-row captain’s chairs and a six-passenger capability. The latter are upgraded to power-adjustable “Leisure” chairs within the Land and GT-Line, which is nice for consolation, however they take ceaselessly to motor ahead for third-row entry. Talking of which, that third row solely seats two, however area is adult-friendly in all instructions (not less than by phase requirements.
It is also able to hauling a good quantity of cargo. Its 20.2 cubic ft of quantity behind the third row is among the many most out there in any three-row SUV, and in our EV9 baggage check, we discovered that it may maintain extra/greater baggage than all three-row crossovers we’ve examined besides the Toyota Grand Highlander, Lexus TX, Chevy Traverse, Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride. It expands to 43.5 and 81.7 cubic ft with the third and second rows folded, respectively. There’s additionally a frunk, although it’s greatest suited to holding the charging twine, vehicle-to-load adapter and different hardly ever used necessities.
What are the EV9 gasoline economic system and efficiency specs?
The Kia EV9 Gentle trim includes a single rear motor good for 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Its 76.1-kilowatt-hour battery is sweet for an EPA-rated 230 miles of vary. The Gentle trim’s effectivity is an EPA-estimated 88 miles-per-gallon-equivalent mixed.
Shifting as much as the Gentle Lengthy Vary, it has just a bit much less energy from its single rear motor, at 201 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. The Lengthy Vary in its title is courtesy of a 99.8-kWh battery, which ends up in an estimate vary of 304 miles. This will get 89 mpg-e mixed. Extra battery plus much less energy outcomes on this model of the EV9 being the slowest, with a Kia-estimate zero-to-60-mph time of 8.8 seconds (which is fairly sluggish) versus 7.7 for the bottom EV9.
Wind, Land and GT-Line trims get the identical battery, however differ with a dual-motor all-wheel drive system that produces a complete of 379 horsepower. Wind and Land trims have 443 lb-ft of torque, with 516 lb-ft out there to be unlocked via a bought over-the-air improve. The GT-Line will get the complete 516 lb-ft by default. The Wind and Land trims have 280 miles of vary, and are rated at 83 mpg-e mixed. The GT-Line is rated at 270 miles of vary, with effectivity rated at 80 mpg-e mixed. The Wind and Land will hit 60 mph in an estimate 5.7 seconds, whereas the GT-Line and OTA improve EV9s do it in 5 seconds.
As for charging, the EV9’s 800-volt battery structure permits it to make the most of 350-kW DC quick chargers, making it one of many quickest EVs to recharge. The bottom Gentle trim with its smaller battery has a peak cost fee of 235 kW, and might replenish its battery from 10% to 80% in 20 minutes. The longer-range trims peak at 210 kW, going from 10% to 80% in 24 minutes. Its 10.9 kW AC charger permits for speedy house charging, too, do you have to spend money on a wall-type house charging station and have {an electrical} field succesful to pumping out that a lot juice. At this pace, you would totally recharge the battery in a single day.
What is the EV9 wish to drive?
Whether or not you are driving the present quickest (and most costly) GT-Line or only a Land or Wind, the EV9 impresses, if not excites (although the upcoming GT might change that). For one factor, it’s a really quiet car. Yeah, it’s electrical, so there’s no engine rumbling (except you rely the unreal “lively sound” noises), nevertheless it additionally makes use of low-noise tires and acoustic entrance glass. This makes for simple dialog, but additionally means you’ll hear any rattling out of your water bottle within the cupholder. It additionally has the form of clean, composed journey high quality you may broaden from a big, German luxurious SUV. It offers good compliance over bumps and imperfections with out feeling totally disconnected from the street.
The GT-Line is surprisingly fast, too, with its two electrical motors offering sufficient energy for a 4.5-second 0-60 dash — spectacular for a three-row SUV weighing 5,800 kilos. The Land and Wind with all-wheel-drive have a bit much less spunk resulting from their decreased torque. Nonetheless, they’re removed from sluggish, accelerating confidently and easily. Experience and dealing with are principally unchanged, too. The one gap in our expertise is how the EV9 drives with only a single, 201-horsepower and 258-pound-foot motor. Contemplating the burden of the EV9, that one’s certain to really feel sluggish and will not be definitely worth the enchancment in vary.
All trims function Eco, Regular and Sport modes, in addition to a customized “My Mode.” Land and GT-Line additionally function a snow mode for slippery circumstances. And as Autoblog Contributor Mark Takahashi famous when given the chance to drive the EV9 off-road, its restricted floor clearance is balanced by good method and departure angles, and its all-wheel-drive system. Large rocks or deep mud may pose a problem, however steep grime hills aren’t an issue.
What different Kia EV9 opinions can I learn?
2024 Kia EV9 First Drive Evaluation: Lightning strikes once more
Kia’s three-row EV is yet one more achievement.
580 miles, 0 issues. How I drove an EV to Chicago stress-free
Joel’s fully uneventful street journey in a Kia EV9.
10 options within the Kia EV9 that make you go ‘wow’
These convey some spice to this three-row EV.
What’s the 2024 Kia EV9 worth?
The EV9 begins at $56,395 (together with $1,495 in vacation spot charges) for the bottom Gentle trim. This trim’s commonplace gear embody the smaller battery and rear-wheel drive, a second-row bench, 19-inch wheels, LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, acoustic entrance glass, energy liftgate, artificial leather-based seating, heated and ventilated eight-way energy entrance seats, tri-zone local weather management, digital key system, Wi-Fi hotspot, a wi-fi cellphone charger, 12.3-inch infotainment and driver shows, Freeway Drive Help 2 with stop-and-go adaptive cruise management, and quite a few driver help options (see the Security part, beneath).
The Gentle Lengthy Vary provides, along with the larger battery, will get operated by hand second-row captain’s chairs (and, thus a six-passenger configuration), a rear middle armrest with cupholders, and Hyundai Homelink buttons on the rear-view mirror for controlling storage doorways, gates, or house lighting. The Wind trim reverts to the second-row bench, and provides all-wheel drive, commonplace warmth pump, twin sunroof, heated steering wheel and a Snow drive mode.
Issues begin to get a little bit extra luxurious within the Land trim, with 20-inch wheels, digital sample lighting grille, some gloss black exterior accents, power-operated “leisure” second-row captain’s chairs (pictured beneath), an influence steering column, digicam show rear-view mirror, a second-row drawer that extends from the entrance middle console, rear window shades, multi-color ambient lighting (pictured beneath), driver leisure seat, heated and ventilated second row, Meridian premium audio system, vehicle-to-load exterior outlet, lively sound design, auto-dimming facet mirrors, and extra useful security programs like a surround-view parking digicam and blind-spot digicam.
The GT-Line is essentially the most sporty, luxurious and distinctive, with that further energy, 21-inch wheels, particular exterior and inside design cues (together with a singular entrance and rear fascia, extra exterior accents, distinctive seating design with GT-Line logos, and sueded headliner), massaging driver’s seat, a head-up show and distant good parking.
Pricing for the 2024 Kia EV9 trims, together with vacation spot are as follows:
- Gentle (RWD): $56,395
- Gentle Lengthy Vary (RWD): $60,695
- Wind (AWD): $65,395
- Land (AWD): $71,395
- GT-Line (AWD): $75,395
What are the EV9 security scores and driver help options?
The Kia EV9 comes commonplace with a sturdy suite of driver help tech, together with ahead collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping help, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning programs, pace restrict monitoring, entrance and rear parking sensors, Secure Exit help, rear occupant alert and “Freeway Driving Help II” adaptive cruise management with stop-and-go functionality, lane-centering steering help, partially automated lane adjustments and machine studying that adapts its acceleration habits to yours. Additionally out there are blind-spot digicam view, surround-view parking digicam, parking collision avoidance and distant parking help.
The EV9 had not been crash-tested by a 3rd occasion as of this writing.
