What is it ?
The EV9 is Kia’s flagship electric SUV & at 5 metres long it makes a big impression.
Battery & range
A single 99.8kWh battery is offered with 96kWh of that usable. Large batteries equal longer range, so expect up to 359 miles between charges with the bonus of an on board heat pump too.
Model choice
Three versions are available. Entry level Air cost’s from £64,995 & comes with with rear-wheel drive, 200bhp & 350Nm. Or there’s a dual-motor four-wheel drive version, offered in GT-Line or GT-Line S trim, with 380bhp & 700Nm of torque.
Equipment
All versions come with a triple-screen dashboard layout, twin 12.3″ displays, a 5.3″ climate-control panel in between, six USB-C sockets two per row, front & rear parking sensors, a powered tailgate, second-row window blinds & raft of safety features including smart cruise control, drive mode terrain mode select, downhill brake control, ABS, ESC, DBC, HAC, Trailer Stability Assist & Lane Keep Assist.
Air features 19″ alloys, 8-speaker audio, LED headlights, power adjustable front seats & gloss-black exterior trim & is a 7-seater. GT-Line is also a 7-seater & retails at £73,425 adding 21″ alloys, a massage drivers seat, two-tone upholstery, electric steering wheel adjustment & adaptive beam headlights. Range topping GT-Line S which is offered in 6 or 7 seat configuration, will set you back £76,025 as a 7-seater & features front & second row sunroofs, a 14-speaker sound system & a heads-up-display.
Looks
Hard to miss really. Rectangular, chunky, long with vertical corner LED headlights, a narrow front bonnet line, rear roof spoiler, high corner tail lights & black roof rails.
Inside & controls
The quality is excellent with the dash seemingly hewn from solid stone. The seats are incredibly comfortable, especially the pillow-like front head rests. The large infotainment screen is clear & the Kia set-up & screen icons will be familiar to existing Kia customers & are very logical. As with most new cars, you have to access the screen to turn off lane departure & speed limit warning for example, every time you re-start the car, which is frustrating. Otherwise, the system is easy to work & to use. Wireless Apple CarPlay & a wireless charging pad make connecting your iPhone a doddle too. There’s a touch-sensitive panel beneath the screen, with options including Home, Set Up, Media, Search & Map, but it requires a proper hard prod to register your input choice, which isn’t as easy as it could be.
Practicality
The cabin is huge & most importantly both the rear 60:40 seats slide back & forth which increases the third row legroom. The seats are very heavy, with the rear 50:50 row remote folding flat into the floor. You get a second row armrest with cupholder, roof located rear climate controls, front, second & third row overhead LED lights & 2 USB’s per row too, plus there’s two 12v sockets & a luggage compartment 3-pin socket. Under the boot floor there’s storage where you can tidily pack away the rear parcel shelf, with a net & hooks as well.
Up front there’s a 52 litre frunk to store your charging cable, easily opened via the key fob. Front passengers benefit from a centre twin cupholder, large glove box & door pockets. In 7-seat mode the boot offers 333 litres of space & a massive 2,318 litres if you fold the rear seats down.
Range
We were testing the dual-motor version with a combined range of 313 miles. Kia have a number of battery saving aids to help you get the most from your EV9. Firstly there’s driving modes; Eco, Normal & Sport. Each does what it says on the packet. Which brings us to the i-Pedal. Alongside the driving modes, the EV9 has several levels of regeneration; Zero, 1, 2, 3 & then the i-Pedal. Being someone who wants to get as much range out of my electric cars battery as possible, we spent our week driving almost always in Eco mode. If you select the i-Pedal, this offers the highest level of regeneration & reduces your need for the brake, perfect for the city. Venture onto 40mph roads & Level 2 or 3 gives you a bit more zip, whilst on the motorway, Level 3 or Zero, allows you to drive the EV9 unhindered. Having said that we utilised iPedal, even on the motorway & it really isn’t intrusive at all.
Plainly, when battery range isn’t your paramount concern, turning off the regeneration & driving in Sport mode, opens up the performance one associates with electric cars & the EV9’s a revelation ! The cars ability to iron out the shakes associated with large battery EV’s also shines through. Kia have done a great job of masking the batteries effects on the cars ride & it handles nicely.
Charging 10-100%
As most EV drivers charge at home, we’ll begin with a 7kWh charging time of 9 hours 5 minutes. Away from your charger a 50kW fact charge will take 1h 23m or on a super-fast 350kW charger just 24 minutes ! As ever plug-in at home at night to utilise the discounted overnight charging rates.
On the road
The EV9 thanks to it’s amazing torque & 5.3 second 0-62mph acceleration, doesn’t feel large or heavy in a straight line. It’s focused on comfort & glides over the tarmac, with the huge battery incredibly well hidden even over the worst of UK road surfaces. This is quite something as the EV9 doesn’t feature air suspension nor any sort of adaptive dampers.
Driving on narrow tight roads with plenty of corners, you’ll notice the oversteer as you over compensate for the cars 5m length & 2.6 tonne weight. Shifts of direction may need some attention as the steering is very light for such a long vehicle. Over time you’ll realise that the EV9 ‘s weak body control is actually a blessing in town & no hindrance at all on the motorway.
If you’re sat in the front the EV9 it doesn’t feel large either. When you glance back though you’ll appreciate it’s size & even though all around visibility is decent, you’ll be glad of the cars parking aids when reversing. Those on board will have few complaints about head & legroom, even in row 3 as the EV9 feels bright & airy. We can’t think of a better car for a large family to take for a long journey.
Real world range
The battery range in the Kia & sister brand Hyundais electric cars is one of the best there is for driving normally in an EV. What we mean by that is that if you want to drive at 70mph on a motorway, the EV9’s range won’t drop dramatically, something that definitely can’t be said of other electric cars.
For example, we took a trip to Liverpool & back which entailed around 60 miles of motorway driving & at motorway speeds, we used 60 miles of range. With two on board & luggage, we drove in Eco mode at all times & also utilised the iPedal. We’d expect a range of between 250 – 280 miles without much trouble, an excellent return for an electric 7-seater.
Pros
Comfortable, spacious, well equipped, impressive range & charging times & for it’s size, surprisingly enjoyable to drive
Cons
Expensive. Long, it only just just fits into some parking spaces.
Verdict
Kia’s EV6 is one of the best electric cars out there, so it’s no surprise that the EV9’s pretty good as well. Despite both it’s size & it’s weight, it handles like a smaller, lighter car, especially useful in town. Real world range thanks to it’s enormous battery is also excellent. The rear-wheel drive Air will cost you less & will go further, whilst the GT-Line S adds all the bells & whistles for those that want them. As for negatives, the light steering comes with a bit of oversteer & none of the model’s in the range are cheap. However, when compared to what’s out there it’s not really expensive at all & there’s not much competition either. It will be interesting to see how others respond.
A Lee Je-hoon 4.25/5
