KIA EV9 ELECTRIC ESTATE 149kW Air 99.8kWh 5dr Auto

The EV9, Kia's largest, priciest electric model, will re-shape perceptions of this Korean brand. Jonathan Crouch drives it.

Ten Second Review

Kia's EV9 delivers a chunky SUV vibe in a huge, luxurious, futuristic-looking electric vehicle. There's decent range, an uber-trendy cabin and space for up to seven. This is the new, more interesting face of Kia.

Background

Kia keeps surprising us. Here for example, in the EV9, the marque's largest and priciest car yet, is a fully-electric SUV that's completely different to anything we've seen before from the brand. It bucks the trend of super-sleek full-battery models, which helps this six or seven-seat luxury contender to be supremely family-friendly. An intriguing mix of the familiar and the futuristic. We'll see this chunky 'Opposites United' look again in smaller form with the brand's forthcoming more compact EV5, a design theme very different from the existing more familiar EV6 and one that does indeed meet its intended brief to re-shape the image that customers have of this growing Korean brand. Kia says it wants to 'take a few risks' with its design going forward but retain a mainstream appeal. Is that what's been delivered here? Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

It doesn't seem likely that a family seven-seat SUV that looks like this will accelerate to 62mph in just 5.3s, but that's what the twin motor AWD 378bhp EV9 variant that most customers will choose manages. If, understandably, you can't see why a huge family wagon like this needs to go that fast, then Kia will offer you a base spec single motor rear-driven 'Air' version with 200bhp, which is considerably more sedate, making 62mph in 9.4s. That tops out at 114mph (10mph less than this Twin Motor EV9) but uses same big 99.8kWh long range battery, which takes the car 349 miles in 'Air' form - or 313 miles in the AWD model. Predictably, like any car of this kind, it's a big thing to manoeuvre about, especially around town and on narrow country roads. Still, at least there's less body roll than the slab-sided looks lead you to expect, helped by the low-down central siting of the enormous 566kg battery pack beneath the floor - positioning that considerably restricts any pretensions this Kia might have otherwise had towards off-road prowess. Steering feel is accurate but quite lifeless, with feedback one of the parameters you can control via the various drive modes - 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport', plus a configurable 'MyMode' setting. Because there's no adaptive damping, these modes can't affect ride quality but Kia does provide standard self-levelling rear dampers. There are also six brake regeneration settings, which can be operated by the steering wheel paddle shifters. Impressively, the EV9 can tow 2,500kgs (as much as a Range Rover Velar); can be had with Level 3 autonomous drive technology; and can be parked remotely from its key fob.

Design and Build

The EV era has prompted a whole fresh approach to design from quite a number of brands and Kia is one of them. The EV9, overseen by ex-BMW stylist Karim Habib, is much like the radical concept shown in Los Angeles in 2021, but has slightly smaller 21-inch wheels. And, contrary to the image suggested by the boxy Defender-like silhouette, a lower ride height (because of the required thick battery pack). With the drivetrain beneath the car, you might wonder why it needs such a big bonnet (there's only a small 'frunk' for the charging leads inside). Or such a wide, vertical nose (Kia calls it the 'Tiger Face'), a smooth panel that can be decorated with customisable 'Star Map' LED light patterns shining through from behind. The headlamps and tail lights are both vertically-orientated and in dimensions, we're talking over 5-metres long and almost 2-metres wide - think Range Rover size. Inside, we're already into a new generation of Kia EV interiors, this cabin less visually dominated by twinkling displays, though there are still plenty of them. The new dashboard gets one large 27-inch instrument panel incorporating a trio of screens, flanked by digital rear view monitors at either end of the fascia, if you've ticked the box for that option. The cabin feel is warmer and more up-market that we've previously seen from Kia, with more cloth and fewer textured plastics. There's a 'D'-shaped steering wheel to make viewing the instrument display easier and the column it's attached to has all the main driver controls to avoid clutter elsewhere. In the rear, there's a choice of six or seven-seat layouts being offered: choose a six-seater (only available with top 'GT-Line S'-spec) and the middle row has two 'captain's chairs' that can swivel to face the third row seats. Or can be swivelled towards the door openings to help elderly folk in and out. There are tray tables on the front seat backs and a digital climate control panel for the middle row. Depending on seat positioning, expect a large boot too - 572-litres in size. With all the seats flat, capacity rises to 2,319-litres.

Market and Model

So what'll you pay for one of these? Well from launch, and at the time of launch, EV9 pricing was starting from around £65,000, but that only gets you the base rear-driven 200bhp 'Air'-spec model that few will want. The AWD 378bhp variants start with the 'GT-Line' version (priced from just over £73,000 at the time our our review), but you'd probably ideally want the top 'GT-Line S' spec level, available as we compiled this from around £76,000 in this seven-seat form - or from around £77,000 with a six-seat cabin format. All EV9s from launch shared the same 99.8kWh battery. Three rows of seats are standard on all models, but with the top 'GT-Line S' variant, special individual 'captain's chairs' can be fitted for an extra £1,000, which drops the total number of passengers you can carry from seven to six - two in each row. All EV9s come with complete LED illumination for the headlights, the LED daytime running lights, the tail lamps and the rear fog lights. Plus you get power-folding mirrors, auto headlamps and wipers, a rear spoiler, rear privacy glass, roof rails and silver front and rear skid plates. Plus fingerprint recognition and 'Digital Key' keyless entry. You also get a 'Smart' power tailgate with height adjustment, all-round parking sensors, rear self-levelling suspension, a Thatcham category one alarm, a heat pump to preserve driving range in cold conditions and a clever Vehicle-to-load (V2L) system that allows you to power external devices from the car's main battery. Inside on all models, you get 12.3-inch driver display screen and a 5.3-inch climate control screen. There's also three-zone climate control, ambient lighting, an electronic rear view mirror, a wireless mobile phone charger and a 360-degree surround view monitor. Plus you get manual window blinds on the second row, six USB-C interior charge ports and a four-spoke heated steering wheel with an illuminated emblem. Media features are taken care of by a 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation with voice control. And all variants get Kia's latest 'highway driving pilot' system that uses 15 sensors (including a couple of lidar sensors) to offer 'Level 3' autonomous driving (where conditions allow).

Cost of Ownership

In our 'Driving' section, we gave you the drive range stats for this EV9's 99.8kWh battery: 349 miles for the base rear-driven version and 313 miles for the dual-motor all-wheel drive variants. Like the EV6 and other larger Hyundai Motor Group products, this electric Kia uses an 800V e-GMP platform electrical architecture that allows access to the new generation of ultra-rapid public chargers that are springing up around Europe. Connect up to one of these and this EV9 is capable of recharging from 10-80% in 25 minutes when plugged into a 350kW high-powered charger; and gaining up to 148 miles of range in just 15 minutes. The EV9 is also able to distribute charge to other vehicles at up to 3.6kW using it's Type 2 socket, as part of an incorporated 'vehicle-to-load V2L' function. We're not quite sure why you'd ever want to do that, but it might conceivably be useful to charge large appliances using the car's battery 'on an outdoor adventure' according to Kia. Like the EV6, the EV9 is fitted with energy-recuperation technologies to maximise driving range. This includes the option of Kia's latest-generation energy-efficient heat pump which scavenges waste heat from the car's coolant system. This ensures that at minus 7 degrees Celsius, the car can achieve 80% of the range that would be possible at 25 degrees Celsius. Also featured is the latest generation of Kia's smart regenerative braking system, which is operated by paddle shifters behind the steering wheel so drivers can quickly and easily slow the car and recuperate kinetic energy to maximise driving range and efficiency.

Summary

The Kia brand's upward trajectory would probably have continued if we'd stayed in the combustion era, but it's really taken off as this new electric age has progressed. We like the fact that the marque isn't afraid to be different - and particularly here. In a segment full of streamlined toothpaste tube-shaped large luxury EV Crossovers, the EV9's bluff, blocky but still-futuristic looks stand out. As Design Chief Karim Habib says, there's an authenticity to it. The cabin's also a selling point, allowed by the squarical dimensions to be the most practical interior in its class. It makes conventionally-engineered similarly-sized luxury segment 7-seat SUVs like the BMW X7 and the Mercedes GLS feel very yesteryear indeed, limited as they are in so many ways by the constraints of their combustion platforms. We wish the EV9 had been equally ground-breaking in its electric driving range: that's not particularly notable. But the 800V electrical infrastructure that trumps most rivals by providing the potential for ultra-rapid charging is. And in summary? Well it's rather refreshing that Kia doesn't particularly want to be perceived as 'premium'; it's a brand that deserves to be recognised as interesting and different. The EV9 is.

Body Glass

Automatic defog system

Electric one touch front and rear windows

Heated rear window

Rain sensing front wipers

Rear privacy glass

Rear wiper

Brakes

Anti-Lock braking system with emergency stop signalling

Downhill brake control

Dynamic brake control

Electric parking brake with auto hold function

Electronic stability control

Hill start assist control (HAC)

Multi collision brake assist

Regenerative braking paddle shifter with iPedal functionality

Vehicle stability management

Chassis/Suspension

Rear self levelling suspension

Communication

Apple car play/Android Auto with voice control

Bluetooth connectivity with voice recognition

E-call

Wireless Mobile Phone Charger

Driver Aids

Fingerprint recognition

Smart and power tailgate

Driver Convenience

360 degree around view monitor

Blind spot collision avoidance assist (BCA)

Drive mode selector

Driver attention warning

Forward collision avoidance assist

Front parking sensors

Highway Driving Assist 2 with hand-on detection (HDA2 w HOD)

Intelligent speed limit assist (ISLA)

Lane Following Assist 2.0 (LFA) with hands-on detection

Lane keep assist

Navigation based smart cruise control with stop and go functionality

Over air updates (OTA)

Parking collision avoidance assist (PCA)

Power assist steering

Rear parking sensors

Rear-Cross traffic collision avoidance assist

Remote Smart Park Assist 2.0 (RSPA 2.0)

Safe exit warning (SEW)

Side parking sensors

Speed limiter

Driver Information

12.3" Driver display screen

12.3" Touchscreen navigation system

5.3" Climate control touchscreen

Blind spot monitor

Low washer fluid warning

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming door mirrors

Body colour door mirrors

Electrically folding/adjustable/heated door mirrors with LED indicators

Entertainment

1 x USB-C charge port on front passenger

4 x USB-C charge port on rear passenger

8 Speaker audio system

Steering wheel mounted controls

USB-C port for connection of a media device

Exterior Body Features

Automatic flush door handles

Black side sill moulding

Body coloured bumpers

Deluxe door scuff plates

Frunk

Gloss black wheel arches

High gloss black door garnish

Rear side wing doors

Rear spoiler

Roof Rails - Low Profile Type

Satin finished beltline

Silver painted front and rear skid plates

Silver roof rails

Silver window surround

Exterior Lights

Automatic headlight control system

High level LED brake light

LED daytime running lights

LED headlights with adaptive driving beam

LED rear combination lights

LED rear fog lights

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Dual zone air conditioning (Front and 2nd row)

Heat pump

Rotating Roof Vents in 2nd & 3rd Row

Interior Features

1 x Front 12V socket

1 x Luggage compartment 12V socket

1 x Luggage compartment 3-Pin socket

2nd Row centre armrest with and cupholders

2nd Row Manual Window Blinds

2nd row passenger grab handle

4-Spoke Artificial Leather Steering Wheel with Illuminated Emblem

Artificial leather upholstery

Centre console with storage box

E-Shift Column Gear Selector

Fabic centre console

Front and rear door storage

Glovebox

Heated steering wheel

Luggage area load cover

Luggage board

Luggage net + hook

Manual telescopic and tilting steering wheel

Metal paint interior door handles

Rear centre armrest with cupholder

Rear row centre armrest with cupholder

Under floor storage in luggage area

Interior Lights

Customisable ambient lighting

Frunk LED lights

LED front cabin, rear and third row lights

LED luggage area lights

Safety

3 point seatbelts on all seats

Active bonnet

Automatic unlocking of doors in case of impact

Dual shell horn

Front and rear curtain airbags

Front and rear side airbags

Front centre airbag

Front passenger airbag cut off switch

Height adjustable front seatbelts

Seatbelt reminder warning

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Seats

2 seats in 3rd row

2nd row sliding seat with reclining function

3 seat bench in 2nd row

50:50 split remote folding 3rd row seats

60:40 split remote folding 2nd row seats

All round height adjustable headrests

Driver + front passenger electric lumbar support

Electric adjustable front seats

Electric folding 3rd row seats

Front seat back pockets

Heated and ventilated front seats and outer rear seats

ISOFIX Child seat top tethers and anchor fixings

Rear seat head restraint

Single front passenger seat

Security

Customisable automatic door locking

Customisable automatic door unlocking

Digital key

Engine Start/Stop Button with Smart Entry System

Locking wheel nuts

Manual child locks

Rear occupant alert

Smart key with motion sensor

Thatcham category 1 security alarm and immobiliser with interior protection

Visible vehicle identification number

Towing

Trailer stability assist

Vanity Mirrors

Driver and passenger sunvisors with illuminated LED vanity mirrors

Wheels - Alloy

19" alloy wheels with aero covers

Wheels - Spare

Tyre mobility kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70

Battery Capacity in kWh: 99.8

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 2435

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 10-100

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 2.3

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 545

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 10-100

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 11

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): 83

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: 50

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): 24

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: 210

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

Charging Port Location: Right Side Rear

Coupler/Connector Type: CCS Type 2

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 210

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 8

Usable Battery Capacity: N

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - City: 14.7

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb: 19.9

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - City: 4.2

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb: 3.1

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - City: 772

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (km) - Comb: 562

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - City: 480

WLTP - Pure Electric Range (miles) - Comb: 349

Emissions - ICE

CO: N

CO2 (g/km): 0

HC: N

HC+NOx: N

Noise Level dB(A): N

NOx: N

Particles: N

Standard Emissions: N

Engine and Drive Train

Camshaft: N

Catalytic Convertor: N

CC: 1

Compression Ratio: N

Cylinder Layout: N

Cylinders: N

Cylinders - Bore (mm): N

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): N

Engine Code: N

Engine Layout: N

Fuel Delivery: N

Gears: 1 SPEED

Number of Valves: N

Transmission: AUTO

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Combined (mpg): N

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: N

EC Extra Urban (mpg): N

EC Urban (mpg): N

General

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Badge Engine CC: 0.0

Badge Power: 200

Based On ID: N

Coin Description: N

Coin Series: Air

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Generation Mark: 1

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 45E

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 24

Service Interval Mileage: 20000

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 100000

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 7

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Performance

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

0 to 62 mph (secs): 9.4

Engine Power - BHP: 200

Engine Power - KW: 149

Engine Power - PS: 0

Engine Power - RPM: 4200

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 258

Engine Torque - MKG: 35.7

Engine Torque - NM: 350

Top Speed: 114

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: N/A

Tyres

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Tyre Size Front: 255/60 R19

Tyre Size Rear: 255/60 R19

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Style: N

Wheel Type: 19" ALLOY

Vehicle Dimensions

Height: 1755

Length: 5010

Wheelbase: 3100

Width: 1980

Weight and Capacities

Gross Vehicle Weight: 3070

Luggage Capacity (Seats Down): 2318

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 333

Max. Loading Weight: 578

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 900

Minimum Kerbweight: 2492

No. of Seats: 7

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 12.3

Exterior Body Features

Premium paint

Paint - Solid

Solid - White pearl

Paint - Special

Premium paint - Aurora red

Premium paint - Lithium silver

Premium paint - Midnight black

Trim - Leather

Artificial leather - Black