Contents
Intro
This is the Kia EV9 Electric SUV and it’s a big deal. This is the first three row non-luxury all-electric SUV to hit the market and it’s coming from a company that already makes some damn good electric cars like the EV6 and the And then there’s the Kia Tellurium.
That’s basically the same size as the Kia EV9 Electric SUV and that’s our Edmunds top-rated SUV. So you kind of add all that up together, the EV9.Should be really good. And that’s why I flew all the way to Korea.
To find out for myself. So yeah, the first non-luxury electric SUV with three. Usable rows of seats– that is indeed a big deal. And for those of you who are vigorously reaching for the keyboard right now to tell me about the Tesla Model X or the Rivian R1S, I get where you’re coming from. But the Kia EV9 Electric SUV should have better mass market appeal. With a lower starting price. I say should because Kia hasn’t told us the price just yet.
And speaking of price, go to edmunds.com where you can find great deals and advice on new cars. And also sell your current car.
Kia EV9 Electric SUV Specs
I don’t love giving you vague information but this is just kind of what we have to deal with at the moment. Here’s what I do know. The Kia EV9 Electric SUV is going to go on sale later this year in the States and somebody well-ranked within Kia told me that the price should start with a 5.
That kind of comes with a big caveat because the base model EV9 is very different from the car I’m driving right now. The base version of the Kia EV9 Electric SUV is going to have a 76 kilowatt hour battery pack and one motor. And with that one motor, you will be getting a very modest 215 horsepower, 258 pound feet of torque.
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The hat should be good enough for 0 to 60 in, like, just shy of 9 seconds. Not exactly a speed demon. That means the majority of you will be more interested in this one, which is the dual motor, all wheel drive version, and it has a much bigger 99.8 kilowatt hour battery pack. With that, you get 379 horsepower and up to 516 pound feet of torque with an optional boost mode.
Should be 0 to 60 in about five seconds– a lot more brisk. So, when you look at the different models they’re going to sell, the Range Hero version is going to be kind of between those two.
It’ll be single motor, and it’ll be bigger battery pack. And with those two things combined you’re looking at a potential range of up to 300 miles and the lower trim level should be somewhere around 250.
This is all speculation and just hearing Kia’s estimates. Of course, we will give it the full Edmunds real world range test when we get one back in Los Angeles hopefully later this year.
Driving Impressions
So let me set the table here real quick. It’s currently raining harder than kissing the scene in the notebook. I’m on a road right now where there is a radar about every 5 to 10 seconds with fear of getting a ticket consistently. And the speed limit is slow. This is still an incredible experience because so far, the EV9 Electric SUV is everything There must be more.
When you think about who buys this, what they will come from, and then change in EV9 Electric SUV? Like a Telluride, for example, compared to a Telluride. The amount of athleticism you have here just from acceleration, it’s crazy. I laugh at this idea of people switching from a gas car in that and just snacks flying across the back seat because mom or dad hit her a little too hard from the line at the green light. But this is what you encountered.
It’s not quite as crazy as a Rivian R1S or a Tesla Model X. But the acceleration is up there. If you’re upgrading to this from a Model Y for example it feels just as fast. And if you put it in Sport mode, it really moves.
There’s plenty of torque to go around. I think the difference between a single engine and the twin engine will be massive. Now, something I should say as. I am going around these curves right now
this is a korean spec vehicle. And normally what that means is suspension it is much softer than it will be in the US.
Interior
Now that’s a big, heavy electric SUV. No one expects him to be incredible in the corners. But I have to be honest with you. I’ll wait and save my judgment for a US spec car because this one right now is very, very soft in the corner. There is quite a bit of body roll.
And the way the suspension absorbs bumps it’ you can definitely say it’s just a little bit more laid back and relaxed than the ones we will get. That said, I hope they don’t confirm the US version too much. This is an enjoyable and relaxing driving experience. And yes, it’s a bit of a compromise when you’re quickly going into a corner, but it’s not like that
what is EV9 Electric SUV about.
This is to get people to and from where they have to go with all their stuff in the car, no worries. There is a small paddle on the left side of the steering the wheel. Obviously, it’s not there to shift gears and an engine. Instead, it’s there to give you back brake regeneration.
So this one even has a driving pedal, which means I don’t have to touch the brake to come to a complete stop. Slowly take your foot off the accelerator, off the car it will slow down all the way on it own.
Although the EV9 has very similar dimensions compared to the Telluride, it’s actually bigger on the inside. And this is where it’s starting to look like a winning recipe for families. Up to seven passengers and all of their things should fit on a road trip. This is the biggest test for the EV9 Electric SUV .If you’re buying something this big, you want to fill it up with people and take it on a road trip. So let’s break it down row by row and see how the passenger space is.
I got to say, immediately getting into this car for the first time, I am so impressed by how they divvied up the space in here. There’s just no compromise compared to a Telluride. There’s no place the battery eats up extra space. It’s legitimately comfortable as a passenger. Obviously, front row is going to be best.
We have massage function on the driver’s side, heating, ventilation up here. I got a very comfy chair But look at this. You even get a nice little automatic footrest and, in addition to that, a ton of recline here so you can stretch out in the passenger. Let the driver handle all the hard stuff. Kick back. But we are not done, not even close because the second row, totally a great place to hang out here in the EV9.
Cargo
This is the fun part of the post I remind you that I’m 5 foot 8, and then a bunch of you tell me, that’s not very tall. You know what? You’re right. It’s not very tall. But EV9 Electric SUV got you covered because even if you are a lot taller than I, am look at the space you get here.
They learned something from building the Carnival, which has those seats on the sliders that rock backwards and forwards. I’ve had other specs of this car today, and not all of them are automatic like this. This is obviously a top trim level.
But even the manual slide back and forth, it’s great to get all this legroom. Because the roofline is so flat, it doesn’t taper at all, there’s nothing that impedes my headroom back here.
And just like the [INAUDIBLE],, you get heating and ventilation. So, second row, totally checks out. Now let’s pass the hardest test. This is where you make or break a family vehicle–the third row. You can’t just throw only your smallest kids back here.
Can real, actual-sized adults fit here? The answer is yes, and yes, pretty comfortably too. The legroom isn’t really huge issue. Again, you can move the seat even more forward than it is right now in this position. But I have an air vent right in my face to keep me cool. I have a place to plug in my phone, cupholders, and then check this out–automatic recline, and it’s not just a slight inch or two recline.
This is all the way back. You could legitimately take a nap back here if you want to. So, six, seven people in an EV9 Electric SUV on a road trip, we’re good. Everything around the driver feels very next generation Kia. And that’s a good thing. However, at first glance, there’s a lot of hard plastic.
But at least the upper trim levels of the EV9 Electric SUV offer nice materials on top of it. The seats are fantastic and covered in alternative cow-free materials if you so choose. The twin 12.3 inch displays are bright, beautiful ,and easy to use. However, the infotainment has more menus than I think are necessary. And still, Kia refuses to add wireless Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
They insist that plugging in your phone is the best way to do it. Eh, agree to disagree. Just beneath the touchscreen is a row of buttons that you actually have to press down on the dash to activate. They don’t work as well as real buttons but I guess they look better. At least Kia still offers real, actual switches to activate the temperature and the fan speed. All in all, I still think that this is a better setup than in the EV6.
Cargo So I’ve already mentioned that this is about the same size as the Telluride, and what better way to show that of than random bags full of camera equipment, which you might not be lugging around on a daily basis. But it does show you that a huge, backpack can fit out here no problem at all. And when you unload it, we have one of my favorite features in the entire car. have a power folding third row.
it’s not just the third row that power folds. You can actually do the second row as well all in one shot. Look at that. Edmunds’ Take So the very first thing I said in this video is that the EV9 Electric SUV is a big deal, and it is, both for the industry and for Kia itself. ow having spent the better part of two days straight in the EV9, I can tell you it is the right size. It has the right amount of interior space, and it has the right driving dynamics to go along with it. If, if, they nail the pricing on this like I hope they will, it should be a home run.
Driver Assistance Tech
One other thing I want to mention is the driver assistance tech in the EV9because this is the brand’s latest and greatest in this technology, and it’s going to carry them into the future. The EV9EV9 Electric SUV has something called Highway Driving Pilot. Now, we’re familiar with this brand’s Highway Driving Assistant, which keeps you in the lane.
It uses adaptive cruise control. It’s a really nice, easy to use system. Highway Driving Pilot is the next version. It has LiDAR, radar, and cameras all over the outside of the SUV and means it should be able to level three autonomy. What it doesn’t have is approval from the government to actually work and do that. That’s all going to be sorted out later on. So if you’re one of the early adopters for EV9 Electric SUV,
know that your cash to be ready for level three at some point. But that will come with an upgrade, says, whenever it’s ready.