Kia EV9

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Awards Galore

The 2024 EV9 has won the coveted "Best of the Best" award by Red Dot, has been named World Car of the Year and World Electric Car at the New York Auto Show, it took the Gold Trophy at the IDEA 2024 Design Awards, and has been named the Best Electric Car by What Car? It has also taken a Top Safety Pick award by the IIHS and a Ten Best Award by Car & Driver. Not too shabby for an all-electric three-row SUV.

Similarly, Kia won a slew of awards for its 2020 Telluride thanks to its comfortable ride, three-rows of seating, and advanced driver assist technology. Now the EV9 takes the Kia line up another notch with a big SUV that is remarkably good looking and hard to fault. With all those awards hanging from its rear-view mirror, could this be the EV for you and your family?
World Car of the Year
Those who purchase an EV9 model will get the Tesla NACS charger plug beginning with the 2025 model. This remarkable seven-seater debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show as a concept vehicle in 2021. The production version was previewed in March 2023 with second row seats that rotate 180 degrees. It was the first Kia to debut the Connected Car Navigation Cockpit and triple panoramic digital displays.

It included such available features as Digital Exterior Side Mirrors which uses video cameras instead of traditional side mirrors. It also included massaging seats, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, and Remote Smart Parking Assist. Cargo room is a whopping 85 cubic feet of space with the second and third row seats folded down.
The EV9 arrived in America's dealerships in October 2023 and was available in the base model rear-wheel drive or with extended Long Range all-wheel drive powertrains. It combines excellent range, fast charging, and can tow 5,000 pounds. With the kind of design-forward styling that makes you stop and look back at the SUV after parking it, it's easy to see why the EV9 is an award-winning favorite.

New for 2025

Having taken every modern automotive award known to man, Kia decided to leave the 2025 model alone for the most part. The only notable changes are the addition of several new colors including Ebony Black and Glacial White Pearl. The Light Long Range trim version comes with a sunroof as standard, and a new high performance GT trim is coming soon. Starting MSRP is estimated to be $56,395 for the base model and heads north to around $80K depending on the trim level and options you choose.
Power and Range
Trim levels begin with the Light model that comes with a single electric motor that is rear-mounted and produces 215 horsepower. All-wheel drive models offer dual electric motors, one up front and one at the rear for a combined 379 horsepower. An available Boost Mode increases torque for peak acceleration. When the GT version hits dealers, rumor has it that it will show up with 576 horses. Stay tuned. When it comes to zero to 60 mph times, the all-wheel drive version will get you there in an estimated 4.5 seconds. Pretty speedy for a three-row SUV.

All versions of the EV9 use Kia's 800-volt architecture for fast charging, adding 100 miles or range in about 13 minutes of DC Fast Charging. You can go from a 10 percent to 80 percent charge in 23 minutes. The base Light model arrives with a 76.1-kWh battery pack that the EPA tells us will take you 230 miles before you need a charge. The Dual Motor versions as well as the Light Long Range model have a larger 99.8-kWh battery that will take you 304 miles.

In the Cabin

The interior of the EV9 is a place of luxury and refinement with comfy faux-leather seats and every bell and whistle. It may be ordered with your choice of room for six or seven passengers. The six-passenger version includes second row heated and massaging Captain's Chairs and the seven-passenger version switches those out for bench seating. Rear cargo space behind the third row holds 20 cubic feet, 82 cubic feet with the second and third row seats stowed away. There's even extra room in the frunk up front.

You'll notice a minimum of physical knobs to twist. Just a few for the air conditioner/heater, and the radio volume knob. Everything else comes via touch-sensitive controls on a pair of 12.3-inch screens. One is used as the digital gauge cluster and the other is an infotainment touchscreen. The system is intuitive, offering quick responses and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included.

When it comes to safety and driver assist features, the EV9 comes with automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitoring all as standard. There's even a hands-free driving feature available. 

On the Road

We drove a Land all-wheel drive version of the EV9 and were highly impressed with this seven-seater. Just stand near the back of the vehicle with the key fob in your pocket and it automatically opens to take on groceries or whatever might be filling your hands. Driving modes include Eco, Normal, Sport, My Drive, and Snow.

This dual motor version is plenty fast off the line. There's lots of "oomph" when you need it. We found the EV9 quiet and calm while driving around town. It feels like a true luxury car. The driving dynamics are firm but still very comfortable. There is very little body roll or dive and batteries under the floor give it a low center of gravity. It weighs in at 5,300 pounds and you can feel that heft during hard cornering but why shake the kids up in the back? This isn't NASCAR.
You can dial the regenerative braking up or down to suit your needs. Set on low, it will coast forever but by turning it all the way up and taking your foot off the accelerator will slow the big SUV down to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal.
Visibility is excellent in the EV9. There's lots of tall glass to see out of and you sit high but the vehicle doesn't feel like a three-row SUV when you are driving it. It is actually very easy to maneuver, and it can tow 5,000 pounds. Also, just so you know, there is remarkable space in the third row, unlike many three-row SUVs. 
The Wrap Up
The Kia EV9 carves out a unique space in the EV market, and though the base price is $56,395, the EV9 is a bargain when compared to the Rivian R1S and upcoming Lucid Gravity. It gives you great space, utility, comfort, performance and quick charging. Plus, the excellent Kia warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles with a powertrain warranty that covers ten years or 100,000 miles. When it comes to all-electric SUVs, this may just be the perfect family hauler. *See dealer for limited warranty details. All mileage is EPA estimated.