Have you ever dreamed of a day where the journey will be prolonged, the stops at rest stops just a little bit longer and you descend into panic when there is 30% of your tank remaining? Then the KIA EV9 may be the vehicle for you.
This is KIA’s addition to their lineup that represents the brand’s foray into electric vehicles. The EV9 truly does bring a luxurious, high-performance electric SUV to market that doesn’t compromise on space or comfort. It’s great that Kia is not only expanding its electric vehicle portfolio but also setting new standards for what consumers can expect from an electric SUV, blending eco-friendly driving with premium quality and advanced safety features. Truthfully, the EV9 offers an impressive combination of speed, power, handling, and advanced technology that delivers an a really fun driving experience. The only issue is range.
The EPA-estimated range is of up to 304 miles (489.24KM) on a full charge, but in our long range test we got about 257.14KM – or more realistically, we would get about 180KM on 70% of the battery. This was on a trip to Montreal, end of November with the average temperature between 0°C to 5°C. Within those conditions, we expected the battery to have a decrease of 20 to 30%, not the 47.44% that we actually got. Of course, we’re assuming the battery health of the vehicle we were provided was in top form!
For a SUV priced $59,995 to $78,995 (more about the pricing later) it provides an unfortunately short cold climate range. It’s hard to really hard to say this is a wise investment for anyone where range is an important issue. While, we did not experience any battery loss when temperatures dropped overnight and the car was parked outdoors, which was a welcome surprise, it was the 3 charges each way that was a bit much. Extending the drive between Toronto to Montreal from 6hrs with 1 rest stop, to 9.4hrs with 3 rest stops was exhausting. On one stop, we counted a total of 43 cars filling up with gas and leaving in the span of 1 EV9 battery charge, if that helps to show how much time will be spent charging on a trip.
This is the overall issue with electric vehicles: they’re really fun cars, but they’re more suited for city driving. Even some of the features such as the massaging driver’s seat, ventilated seating, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and a Driver Attention Warning (DAW) system that detects when a driver’s attention level is below a certain threshold and displays a coffee cup icon on the dashboard with a message suggesting that the driver take a break — are all features designed for longer range driving. Something by the end of the trip to Montreal, we were firmly convinced this is not the car for that.
We recognize the vehicle has won a number of awards that acknowledge the car’s design (Red Dot Award: Best of the Best 2024. the iF Design Award 2024: Gold Award), the impressive suite of safety features (Top Safety Pick+ by IIHS) as well as walking away as a double winner at the 2024 World Car of the Year Awards. It’s understandable because until Kia launched the EV9, families looking for an electric three-row SUV had few options.
That’s the thing, the EV9 is a great SUV if your commute is short, or if you’re worried about a teenager joyriding to Detroit for a concert or a thief making a quick getaway. If either of those are your concerns then this might be the car to get. Neither the teen nor the thief will get too far without having to stop for a 20-minutes to get back 80% charge. It’s the perfect way to keep joyrides and heists on a short leash.
If you’re looking for a longer range vehicle, it’s really tough to overlook its price when compared to gas-powered rivals. For example, in Canada, the Kia Telluride ranges from $50,695 to $63,395 with the entry-level EX AWD model starting at $50,695, while the top-tier X-Pro AWD model is priced at $63,395. That’s already cheaper than the EV9. Of course must-have Canadian winter features widen the gap further. Adding on the long-range battery pack bumps the SUV’s range and the price. Equip a second motor for all-wheel drive and you’re looking at over $78K.
In all, it is really exciting to watch the market embrace electric vehicles. And as new technology, such as the long range, zero emission hydrogen fuel vehicles gain in popularity, we really look forward to see how Kia will enter the market. So in all even though, the Kia EV9 is a really are fun car to drive, it hard to negotiate the single major downside – you won’t get far and you’ll spend a lot of time charging it up.
Tech specs
2024 Kia EV9
- Base model/as tested: $59,995/$78,995 (plus $3,049 for freight, plus tax)
- Powertrain: Single (rear-drive) or dual electric motors (AWD)
- Battery capacity (kilowatt-hours): 76.2 or 99.8
- Charging time: Level 2 – seven hours (smaller battery), nine hours (larger battery); from 10 to 80 per cent at 350-kilowatt DC fast charger – 20 minutes (smaller battery), 24 minutes (larger battery)
- Horsepower/torque (lb-ft): Rear-wheel drive – 201-215/258; All-wheel drive – 379/443
- Alternatives: Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, Mazda CX-90 PHEV, Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV, Tesla Model Y (with optional third row), Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, VinFast VF9
Marie Nicola
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