2024 Kia EV9 7-Seat Electric SUV Review

Ask someone twenty years ago if they’d pay $100k for a Kia and you’ll be laughed out of the pub quicker than the 5.3 seconds it takes the EV9 GT-Line to dash from 0-100km/h.

Yet, what you see here is the first Kia to breach that mark, almost.

Starting at a touch under $100,000, the EV9 is also the most expensive vehicle Kia has ever offered in Australia as well as being one of the largest SUV’s on the market with three rows of seats.

Packed with technology, it’s a far cry from the Korean brand’s humble beginnings.

As its name suggests, the EV9 is a fully electric vehicle with room for seven people and a claimed driving range of at least 443km.

But like most, we want to find out whether Kia’s latest cyber-age EV has what it takes to justify its steep price tag. We drove all three variants which should provide us with a relatively accurate picture.

How much is the 2024 Kia EV9?

The three-tier EV9 line-up starts from $97,000 for the rear-drive EV9 Air (above) before stepping up to the $106,500 EV9 Earth and $121,000 EV9 GT-Line. All prices are before on-road costs.

The Air gets the smaller 76.1kWh battery which is good for a claimed combined range of 443km, while the Earth and GT-Line are both equipped with a 99.8kWh battery with 512km and 505km of EV range, respectively.

The EV9 comes in nine different shades with all but Flare Red a cost option.

Premium paint ($990):

• Iceberg Green
• Pebble Grey
• Snow White Pearl
• Aurora Black Pearl
• Panthera Metal

Matte Paint ($3,495):

• Ocean Blue Matte (GT-Line only)

What do you get in the Kia EV9?

The Kia EV9 Air comes standard with:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights and daytime running lights
• LED taillights
• Silver roof rails
• Solar Glass windscreen and windows
• Aero wipers
• Power folding door mirrors
• Smart power tailgate with Easy Exit button
• Leatherette seats and steering wheel
• 2-way power lumbar support front seats
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Remote folding 2^nd row seats
• V2L interior outlet
• Integrated Panoramic Display
  • 3-inch driver cluster
  • 3-inch touchscreen infotainment
  • 0-inch climate control monitor
• Kia Connect with OTA updates
• 8-speaker sound system
• Fingerprint authentication
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless smartphone charger
• Remote start
• Standard Range battery (76.1kWh)
• Type 2 charging port

EV9 Earth gains:

• Gloss black wheel arch mouldings and side sills
• Ambient mood lighting
• Illuminated steering wheel logo
• Long Range battery (99.8kWh)

EV9 GT-Line adds:

• 21-inch alloy wheels
• Projector LED headlights
• Intelligent front lighting system with adaptive high-beam
• Rear privacy glass
• Digital side mirrors
• Dual sunroof
• Black suede headliner
• Augmented Reality head-up display
• 14-speaker Meridian sound system
• Digital rear view mirror
• Heated and ventilated outboard rear seats
• Massaging front seats

What’s on the inside?

While the EV9’s interior doesn’t feel as cyber-age as its exterior, it’s still one of the nicest to be around in.

Some might accuse it of being plain, but we like the simplicity and excellent ergonomics, although the backlit steering wheel logo comes across as a tad gimmicky.

Electric front seats with standard heating and ventilation are standard across the range with the GT-Line scoring additional four-way lumbar support and powered bolsters.

The extra outlay also brings nicer interior ambience for the GT-Line, including black suede headlining, contrast upholstery, Premium Relaxation Seats with power leg rests, driver massage function and ambient lighting.

But no matter which variant you pick, you get an exceedingly spacious cabin with three rows of seats, and they are one of the most comfortable we’ve ever parked our derrieres in. The mesh headrests are notably supple while the seats are supportive and lounge-like comfortable.

The second row is super spacious and the flat bench and lack of floor hump means three adults can fit with relative comfort.

The third row of seats are spacious enough for both children and adults, while a ‘Walk-in Device’ on the 2^nd row tilts and slides the seats for easy access. Additionally, it also comes with a one touch flat folding function that drops the 60:40 backrest for even easier access to the third row.

There is a separate roof-mounted climate control and air vents for all rows along with USB-C ports mounted on the front seat back rests.

As part of Kia’s ambition to reduce environmental impact, many of the EV9’s interior elements are made of bio-plastics such as recycled PET fabrics and carpets while its exterior paint is free of benzene, xylene and toluene.

As you’d expect, the EV9 comes with the latest technology including a second-generation Kia Connect with over-the-air-updates for the car’s navigation map, infotainment software and as much as 60 percent of the car’s on-board computers.

A fingerprint reader allows drivers to start the car and bring up their driver profile once their fingerprint have been authenticated.

You can also check on the charge status, lock/unlock doors as well as activate the surround cameras remotely via the app but best of all, you get seven years of complimentary Kia Connect subscription with your vehicle.

The EV9 is also the first Kia vehicle to feature the new Connected Car Navigation Cockpit with two 12.3-inch displays – one for the driver’s instrument and one for the infotainment screen – along with a 5.0-inch screen for the climate control display.

Below the cinematic screen is a row of printed haptic short cut ‘buttons’ for the infotainment controls. They are embossed and backlit on the GT-Line.

Wireless smartphone mirroring is standard for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Away from the technology, the EV9 will fulfill the needs of those requiring a spacious SUV, with plenty of storage options including a large cubby under the floating centre console and a smaller one under the front centre armrest.

Around the back, there’s 333L of boot space with all seats in use. It expands to 828L with the third row folded and balloons to a generous 2,318L with the second row folded.

The EV9 does not come with any spare wheel and is instead supplied with a tyre mobility kit which isn’t great if you’re out of town.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

You won’t find an ‘engine’ or even the electronics goblins underneath the bonnet. Instead, there’s a small ‘frunk’ measuring 90L for the Air, and 52L for the AWD Earth and GT-Line.

It’s where you’d store the Type 2 charging cable.

Away from prying eyes, the RWD Air comes with a single rear-mounted electric motor generating 160kW/350Nm. Kia claims the base EV9 Air does 0-100km/h in 8.2 seconds before hitting a top speed of 190km/h.

It’s married to an under floor-mounted 76.1kWh lithium-ion battery rated at 632V and weighing 463kg. It’ll store enough energy for 443km (WLTP) of driving range with a claimed combined energy consumption of 19.5kWh/100km.

Meanwhile, the Earth and GT-Line get a dual-motor all-wheel drive setup powered by two 141kW/350Nm electric motors mounted on each axle for a combined system output of 283kW/700Nm.

Kia quotes 512km range for the Earth running on 19-inch wheels, and 505km for the GT-Line shot with 21-inch rims. Combined energy consumption is rated at 22.3kWh/100km for the Earth and 22.8kWh/100km for the GT-Line.

0-100km/h takes 6.0 seconds in the Earth and 5.3 seconds in the GT-Line.

The EV9 comes with an on-board charger with 7kW single-phase or 10.5kW three-phase capacity. It will top up from 10-100 per cent in approximately 7 hours for the Air, and 9 hours and 5 min for the Earth and GT-Line with an 11kW Charger.

And thanks to the E-GMP platform’s 800V architecture, Kia says DC charging at up to 350kW is possible, taking just 20 to 24 mins to charge from 10-80 per cent.

The EV9’s towing capacity is rated at 900kg braked for the Air, and 2,500kg for the Earth and GT-Line.

How does the Kia EV9 drive?

The one thing that is apparent in the EV9 is they are all supremely comfortable on long journey. There is very little in the way of road and wind noise, and the seats have enough support (especially lumbar) to ensure you feel relax at the end of the journey.

Of the three variants, the RWD EV9 Air offers the best comfort and refinement thanks to its smaller 19-inch wheel (shod with 255/60 R19 Kumho tyres) and softer suspension.

Like most of Kia’s wider range, the EV9 has undergone extensive local suspension tuning. Kia says the EV9 has been benchmarked against some of its rivals including the popular Tesla Model Y, Audi Q8 e-tron and Jaguar I-Pace.

The EV9 Air’s 160kW/350Nm might seem low on paper but it still pulls away confidently from a standstill and strong enough in the mid-range.

For those thinking of transitioning from an internal combustion engine, the EV9 Air’s output is like a turbodiesel or V6 petrol engine, just without the engine noise. It feels effortless.

NVH is impressive, too, and despite its bluff and squarish proportions, the EV9 has a claimed drag coefficient of just 0.28Cd.

Refinement is further improved with EV-specific foam-insulated tyres, extra sound absorbing materials and laminated glass on both the front and rear doors.

And while the EV9 Air is great around town and on the freeway, it’s no slouch on country B-roads either. Its handling is confident and accurate, and the car feels smaller than it is.

Its brake pedal also feels relatively natural and its one pedal mode (called i-Pedal) is easy to modulate.

After a week in the EV9 Air, we swapped into the GT-Line and there is noticeable different in the suspension tune. The GT-Line feel immediately touter and more focused, turning into corners just a bit flatter.

Its adaptive suspension has a firmer setup, even in comfort mode and it rolls on larger, grippier 21-inch wheels with low profile 285/45 R21 Continental tyres.

That said, we are pleased the GT-Line hasn’t sacrificed a great deal of ride comfort in the process.

It also feels keener thanks to its more muscular dual-motor and all-wheel drive traction.

Meanwhile, the middle child EV9 Earth combines the dual-motor and battery setup of the GT-Line with the suspension spec of the Air. To us, it’s the best of both worlds.

How safe is the Kia EV9?

The Kia EV9 was awarded the maximum 5 stars from ANCAP last year. It scores 84 percent in adult occupant protection, 87 percent in child occupant protection and 76 percent in vulnerable road user protection.

Safety features include:

• Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with
  • Pedestrian, cyclist detection
  • Junction Crossing Assist
  • Lane Oncoming Assist
  • Lane Change Side Assist
• 9 airbags including
  • Front
  • Front side
  • Front centre
  • Rear side
  • Full length curtain (including 3^rd row)
• Blind-spot monitoring assist
• Highway Drive Assist 2.0 with
  • Adaptive cruise control with stop and go
  • Lane centring
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Lane Follow Assist (centring)
• Lane Keep Assist
• Parking sensors
• Rear cross-traffic alert, assist
• Reverse camera

EV9 Earth gains:

• Blind spot view monitor
• Parking Collision Avoidance – reverse
• Surround view camera

EV9 GT-Line gains:

• Parking Collision Avoidance – forward, side
• Remote Smart Park Assist 2.0

Ownership

The EV9 is covered by Kia’s seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty while its high-voltage battery and motor comes with a seven-years or 150,000km cover.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first with Kia offering three-, five- or seven-year service packs at $706, $1,351 and $1,997, respectively.

Verdict