2024 Kia EV9 review: This big, boxy electric SUV is an absolute game-changer in Australia
The long-awaited Kia EV9 has at last landed in Australia, with the sizeable three-row, seven-seat SUV putting family friendly electric motoring squarely on the table.
It’s big, boxy and stuffed full of tech, and — in its flagship grade — is faster than most petrol-powered hot hatches.
So, does electrification change the full-size SUV game in Australia? Read on.
What does the Kia EV9 cost and what features do you get?
The Kia EV9 arrives in three trim levels — Air, Earth and GT-Line — with the middle trim to follow a couple of months down the line.
For now, you can have an Air for $97k plus on-road costs, which pairs a single-motor, rear-drive powertrain with a 76.1kWh battery, unlocking a WLTP driving range of 443kms.
Or you can have the top-spec GT-Line, at $121,000 plus on-road costs, equipped with a twin-motor powertrain and AWD, as well as a bigger 99.8kWh battery which increases your driving range to 505kms.
The mid-tier Earth, at $106,500 plus on-road costs, gets the same battery and powertrain as the GT-Line, but delivers slower acceleration because it misses out on the flagship’s “Acceleration Boost” function. It does travel a little further between charges, though, with a WLTP range of 512kms.
KIA EV9 AIR
$97,000 (MSRP)
Standard features:
- 19-inch alloy wheels
- Projection headlights with LED DRLs
- LED taillights
- Flush-closing door handles
- Powered mirrors
- Push-button start
- Artificial leather seats (powered in front)
- Second-row tilting for walk-in access to third row
- Vehicle-to-load (V2L)
- Twin 12.3-inch interior screens with 5.0-inch climate panel
- Eight-speaker sound system
- Wireless device charging
- Heated and ventilated front seats
- Smart-powered tailgate
- Kia Connect and OTA
- Fingerprint authentication
- Nine airbags
- AEB Junction Crossing, Lane Oncoming, Lane Change Side
- Highway Drive Assist 2.0
- Tyre-pressure monitoring system
- Lane Keep Assist with Lane Follow Assist
- Multi-collision braking
- Front and rear parking Sensors
- Smart cruise with Stop and Go
- Rear-view Camera
KIA EV9 EARTH
$106,500 (MSRP)
Adds:
- Gloss-black wheel mouldings and side sills
- Ambient mood lighting with illuminated logo on the steering wheel
- Artificial leather seats
- Surround View Monitor
- Blind Spot View Monitor
- PCA – Reverse
KIA EV9 GT-LINE
$121,000 (MSRP)
Adds:
- 21-inch alloy wheels
- LED headlights with LED DRLs
- Roof Racks
- Privacy Glass (rear)
- Digital side mirrors
- Dual tilt-and-slide sunroof
- Remote Smart Park Assist
What is powering the Kia EV9?
It’s a big bus, the Kia EV9, but I can testify that neither the RWD or AWD variant feels in anyway slow.
Let’s start with the rear-wheel-drive Air, which scores a rear-axle electric motor that churns out 160kW and 350Nm. Which, says Kia, will produce a 100km/h run of 8.2 seconds, and a top speed of 190km/h.
Those outputs might not sound life-changing in a vehicle this size, but the zero-RPM torque rush ensures the EV9 Air feels more than sprightly enough when you put your foot down.
Stepping up to the AWD models adds a second front-mounted motor, upping the outputs to a total 283kW and 700Nm. In the Earth, that will see you dispatching 100km/h in 6.0 seconds, but that number drops to 5.3 seconds in the GT-Line, owing to its “Acceleration Boost” function.
All models are built using an 800V architecture, which allows for rapid charging. In fact, Kia says the EV9 will go from 10 to 80 percent charged in just 20 minutes when plugged into an ultra-fast charger.
How practical is the Kia EV9?
In a word? Very. The Kia EV9 is roughly Toyota LandCruiser or Nissan Patrol sized, stretching just over 5.0m long, around 2.0m wide and around 1.8m tall, and falling into the upper-large SUV category.
As a result, every EV9 gets plenty of cargo room – some 573 litres with all seven seats in place, 1233 litres with the third row folded, and a whopping 2314 litres with both the third and second rows folded flat.
Happily, there’s plenty of room for people too, especially in the second row, which is mounted on rails that allows you to slide it forwards or backwards, depending on the area you want to prioritise. Slid all the way back (which, to be fair, eats into the third row massively), and the second row is downright luxurious, with business-class levels of legroom, along with USB charging ports and climate controls and vents.
Now, the third row is less impressive – even in a car this size it’s best reserved for kids – but at least getting into it is a breeze, courtesy of the Kia’s second row, which doesn’t just slide forward but also lifts up and out of the way, allowing you to walk into the third row.
Towing is listed at 2.5 tonnes, and there’s a frunk up front, with RWD models getting another 90-litres of storage, dropping to 52 litres in the AWD versions.
What is the EV9 like to drive?
Honestly, it feels as though electrification has revolutionised the large SUV space, with the Kia EV9 feeling faster, more responsive and more enjoyable to drive than you might expect from such a big vehicle.
It starts with the RWD model – which I think is actually the better, lighter-feeling drive – which might offer less power, but definitely doesn’t feel sluggish when you plant your right foot.
The entire EV9 range has undergone Kia’s comprehensive local ride and handling program, and it’s at its best in the Air, I reckon. The cheapest EV9 feels somehow agile on its feet, despite its weight (2310kg), and even acquits itself admirably in tight bends, with little in the way off body role, plenty of grip, and responsive steering. The AWD version feels a little slower and doughier through corners, but significantly faster, so which you prefer is up to you.
Also really impressive is the cabin insulation, with the interior serene even at freeway speeds, while the ride itself feels well-suited to Aussie roads, though it does lean firm.
If I really want to nitpick, I think the eagerness of the acceleration will take some getting used to, with the EV9 demanding ultra-gentle inputs to keep the speed from rocketing skywards, especially in the dual-motor variants.
And I still struggle with Kia’s overzealous safety systems, which bong when you travel over what your car thinks is the legal limit. I know, it sounds good in theory, but because its speed-sign based, that means bonging every time you pass through a school zone, for example, even if its midnight. You can turn it off, but you’ll need to do it every time you turn the car on.
But on the whole, this is a seriously impressive all-electric family hauler, and there’s very little to fault here.
What is the Kia EV9’s battery and vehicle warranty?
The Kia’s EV9 is covered by the brand’s seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, but the battery and the vehicle’s high-voltage equipment is covered for seven years or 150,000kms.
Kia also caps service pricing, with three years costing $706, five years costing $1351, and seven years costing $1997.
The Kia EV9 verdict:
Bigger, bolder and more premium than any Kia before it, there’s little doubting the EV9 was a risk for the Korean everyman brand. But on first impressions, it appears a well-calculated one, and one that proves electric family friendly electric motoring has well and truly arrived.
