Kia EV9: we take a ride in the electric super SUV that wants to—and can—compete with the best

What a machine! That’s the first impression the Kia EV9 gives when they lift the cover that hides it. I hadn’t had the chance to see it in person until now, and the truth is it impresses far more than in the photos. Especially in this GT Line trim, with 21-inch wheels and an eye-catching matte blue finish. It feels like a luxury car, yet modern and very robust.

To start with the introductions, the EV9 is the production version of the Kia EV9 concept. It uses the E-GMP platform developed exclusively for cars that will only be offered with electric propulsion—and which the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 also use—and it sits at the very top of the Korean brand’s range, in size… and in price. Because we’re looking at a car 5 metres long, with a 3.1-metre wheelbase, almost two metres wide and 1.75 metres tall; it is, therefore, much bigger than a Kia Sorento. And because its price exceeds 85,000 euros. Big words.

Kia wants to compete with the best premium SUVs in this segment. And from what we’ve been able to see and touch—although you still have to wait to drive it, we already know what this platform can do—the EV9 has no shortage of arguments. It offers a lot of onboard technology, a distinctive design, and promises a superior user experience. Of course, it will have to face cars like the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, the Volvo EX90 or the Tesla Model X, which are not badly served either. That said, all of them exceed—some by a long way—100,000 euros, so the EV9 has one more trump card in its favour. There are also other electric SUVs with three rows of seats, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQB and the BYD Tang, but they are clearly smaller, and also cheaper.

Two motors, 384 CV, up to 497 km of range

In some markets the Kia EV9 will offer a single rear-motor variant with 150 kW (204 CV) and a range of around 540 km, but for now it is not planned for the Spanish market, where all the Kia EV9s will initially arrive with two motors and all-wheel drive. Each of the motors delivers 141 kW, with a maximum torque of 350 Nm on the GT Line (in the entry version the front motor’s torque drops to 250 Nm). The total system power reaches 283 kW (384 CV), which allows a top speed of 200 km/h to be announced, and a 0–100 km/h acceleration in 6 seconds for the entry variant, and 5.3 seconds on the GT Line. Another interesting figure is its towing capacity, of up to 2,500 kg.

The Kia EV9 debuts a fourth-generation battery with a gross capacity of 99.8 kWh, which allows a WLTP range of 497 km to be announced, a figure still pending homologation. There are no official consumption figures yet, but efficiency must be greatly helped by a surprising—given the car’s “boxy” shape—drag coefficient of 0.28.

A distinctive feature of this platform is its 800-volt architecture, a technology used by cars such as the Porsche Taycan or the Audi e-tron GT. The important thing here is that it allows charging at very high power. Kia does not disclose the figure, but it does ensure that going from 10% to 80% of its capacity will take barely 25 minutes plugged in, and that a quarter of an hour is enough to recover 219 km of range, roughly what the first Kia e-Soul offered with a full charge, which required many hours of waiting. Electrification is moving fast…

A first-class user experience

The EV9 will also offer bidirectional charging. This allows, with a simple adapter, energy to be supplied to electrical devices—a bicycle, an e-scooter—or even to recharge other vehicles. Later it will also be possible to connect the vehicle to the home so that it can supply the energy that, for example, has been stored in its batteries using photovoltaic panels, to be used when there is no sunlight. This is one of the features with which Kia wants to offer a new experience to users of its future electric cars. But the list of firsts this model incorporates is much longer.

The EV9, for example, is also the first Kia to offer an advanced route planner that takes care of preparing the journey by considering where, when and how to recharge, scheduling stops and the type of charge to use depending on the availability of charging stations, the route, traffic, etc. And we are also looking at the first model from the brand that is prepared for level 3 autonomous driving. That said, since for legal reasons this functionality cannot yet be used in Spain, for now it will not include some specific sensors required.

To finish the list of novelties and interesting features that make the level and direction of the EV9 very clear, the electric SUV debuts a triple screen for the infotainment system, optional virtual rear-view mirrors, vehicle access and remote parking from a mobile phone (now also with diagonal manoeuvres), or the possibility of adding optional equipment wirelessly after purchase. Kia has thought of everything to make life on board easier, and the EV9 even features a new function that, at the press of a button, prepares the car for a car wash, closing all the windows and folding the mirrors.

By the way, the virtual rear-view mirrors, which so far have not usually convinced me in the cars where I’ve tried them, have a good chance of being an interesting option here, thanks to the placement of the interior screens in a position very similar to where you would direct your gaze to see the reflected image in a conventional rear-view mirror.

And although it may seem less relevant, but some will take it very much into account, the EV9 is also the brand’s first model to bring into the interior the strategy of what Kia calls “sustainable design”, with up to 10 types of recycled materials, completely ruling out the use of any type of animal-origin leather.

First impressions of the Kia EV9

When you approach the EV9 you realise how big it is. And that sensation has its counterpart in the cabin, where there is plenty of space. We are probably looking at one of the electric—and non-electric—SUVs with three rows of seats in which the two seats in the last row are genuinely usable by adults. And they are so both for ease of access (the second-row seats have longitudinal adjustment and the rear door is huge) and for the headroom and legroom dimensions, the very configuration of these seats, and the fact that the floor is not very high relative to the bench, as is usual in most seven-seat SUVs.

The unit with which we had this first hands-on contact had a six-seat configuration, with two individual seats in the second row, which can also be ordered in our market. Ventilated and heated seats with multiple adjustment options that are very comfortable for travelling. And the boot is also very capable, with almost 830 litres when the third row is folded (which is stowed or “activated” electrically from a control panel in the boot itself), and more than 330 litres with all three rows in use, which places the EV9 among the best in its class. In addition, under the front bonnet there is an extra space of about 50 litres, ideal for carrying charging cables.

Seated at the controls and “fiddling” around here and there, the attention to detail, the magnificent finish and very careful fit are evident, with materials that are pleasant to the eye and touch. Between the 12.3-inch instrument cluster screen and the touchscreen of the multimedia system of the same dimensions sits a third 5-inch display from which the climate control system can be operated. Moving the gear selector to the steering column allows for a huge central console between the seats which, besides acting as an armrest, slides and even has some controls, and some “hidden” buttons debut that are fully integrated into the dashboard and only light up when the car is switched on. They are activated by touching the surface directly, and have tactile confirmation feedback.

Of course, all the driver-assistance systems now common in high-end—and not so high-end—cars that you can imagine are present, such as intelligent cruise control, emergency braking assistants, motorway driving assistant, lane keeping and lane tracking assistants, blind-spot monitor, frontal collision prevention system with turn assist, 360-degree camera, safe exit assistant or intelligent lights, among others.

The price of the Kia EV9 for the Spanish market is 85,100 euros for the GT Line trim with seven-seat configuration, and 86,200 euros with the same trim and six individual seats.

Kia EV9 – Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

Off-RoadKIA EV92 versions · from 85,185 €