TEST Kia EV9 (2024): boldness and innovation are the envy of many German car brands.

In the days when only petrol and diesel engines rumbled on the road, the German car industry was known as non plus ultra. But since the rise of the electric car, there has been some problem Volkswagen really in trouble. Brands from South Korea in particular continue to come up with innovative technology. Come on has built an impressive track record of plug-in service over five years. First came the e-Niro, which was cheap and had a wide range. In 2021, the EV6 was an interesting calling card for an electric car. Thanks to the charging power of 240 kW, you can charge its large battery pack from 10 to 80 percent in less than 18 minutes. And the range of 528 km was also impressive.

Kia EV9 provides energy for 10 days

Now Kia is taking the next step in innovation with the EV9. Not only its appearance stands out, the brand is also an innovation under the skin. If it’s up to Kia, the EV9 will soon play an important role in electrification. Thanks to V2G technology, the car becomes part of the electric grid, because it can transmit energy back. Don’t underestimate how much energy is involved. When the 99.8 kWh battery is charged, the Kia EV9 provides enough power to run a household for 5 to 10 days.

Specifications Kia EV9 Dual Motor GT Line

• 2 electric motors, 384 hp, 700 Nm
• 0-100 km/h in 5,3 s, 200 km/h
• battery 99.8 kWh (505 km range), 22.8 kWh/100 km
• L/W/H: 5010 / 1980 / 1780 mm, trunk space: 333 – 2318 l, 2564 kg
• price NL 78,895 euros, price BE 80,890 euros

Star architect Karim Habib, who previously worked there BMW it worked, signed the Kia EV9. He came up with a daring design, a large box of blocks and round shapes here and there for comparison. It’s certainly a matter of taste, but we appreciate Canadian courage.

7 regular seats

The EV9 is not only technically exciting, it also has a lot to offer in terms of space. And that’s an important addition in the post-MPV era, because it seems to be the last thing in the budget of car brands in recent years. Like an invasive alien species, the inefficient SUV has sent all MPVs into the eternal hunting ground. What do you do with children’s parties, your soccer team’s away games or transporting your older children to Sunday church service?

But thanks to Kia, mass transportation can now also be done electrically and in a more advanced manner. The EV9 has seven seats as standard. It is more than five meters long and has a big wheel of more than 3 meters. This means that if you are not very tall you can even sit very comfortably in the back. The six-seat version (GT-Line only) has swivel seats in the second row that can rotate 180 degrees when the car is stationary. This option costs 1000 euros. Kia takes good care of its occupants. In rows 1 and 2, passengers sit on heated and ventilated seats, and there is separate climate control in all rows. The third row of seats can be folded directly.

A sniffer dog to find luggage

Everything is great about the unabashed EV9. Its 99.8 kWh battery, for example. But its mass of 2564 kg is also impressive – for EV9 drivers it is hoped that the road tax for electric cars in 2025 will be determined on the basis of the weight without that mega battery of 566 kg. The luggage compartment of up to 2393 liters is equally impressive you have to use a sniffer dog to find your boxes. And then under the hood there’s also a 90-liter (RWD) or 52-liter (AWD) trunk for more stuff.

There will be two versions of the EV9. One has rear-wheel drive and one electric motor, which produces 204 hp. The most powerful EV9 has an additional electric motor, four-wheel drive and 384 hp. Fast charging is possible at 210 kW, which is surprisingly slower than the EV6. If you take fifteen minutes, you will get an extra 249 kilometers. Charging the battery from 10 to 80 percent takes 24 minutes.

Heavy but fast

When driving, you don’t notice the EV9’s heavy weight. This is due to the generous torque of 700 Nm. Even with all the extra weight, the 384 hp EV9 still manages to complete a typical sprint in 5.3 seconds. The silence is very attractive; sounds from the busy city, tires or wind cannot penetrate inside. Air suspension would take the comfort level to a higher level, but the EV9 doesn’t get it. You usually don’t miss it, unless you hit a high speed bump. Processing could have been smoother. On the other hand, despite its obvious numbers, the EV9 does not lean even in bends.

Kia EV9 loss

The XXL car also has disadvantages. So you shouldn’t have high expectations for power consumption. That’s high even by WLTP standards, at 22.8 kWh/100 km. With practice, you have to work hard to achieve that. Plus, you don’t make good friends in Dutch city centers. Driving is a nerve-wracking exercise, with a line of honking taxi drivers and sad DHL delivery people behind you. Clarity is poor, the B-pillar is so large that it obscures your view of your blind spot. To compensate for this, the EV9 has a camera in the blind spot and displays images on the instruments.

The interior mirror may have been invented by Hans Klok, because it can do the trick and has both analog and digital modes. We are usually not fans of the latter, but it is important in the EV9. The camera is mounted behind the car, giving you a better view of the traffic behind you than when looking through an analog mirror. The distance to the cars behind you is so great, you have the feeling of looking through a telescope.

Kia EV9 price: forty extra euros

The Kia EV9 is well equipped and not cheap. The basic EV9 Air version with 204 hp costs 67,995 euros. The more powerful EV9 with 4WD and 384 hp is only available as a GT-Line Launch Edition. The price then rises to 78,895 euros. Little consolation for the Dutch buyer: Belgians pay more (80,890 euros) and that is usually the other way around.

The joy of shopping is limited by the bad side of Kia: you pay an extra 40 euros if you want to receive your 80 grand car with a full battery. None of the competitors have more seats and impressive dimensions; they are cheap and small (Mercedes EQB) or more expensive (Volvo EX90, BMW XM). Perhaps the Hongqi E-HS9 is the most important contender. The luxury brand of the communist party bosses is no less than 5.21 meters tall and almost the same price as the EV9.

Our judgment

Kia puts an end to the image that cars are becoming more and more alike. EV9 is not only unusual and daring, but also has innovative technology. It can supply electricity to the electricity grid when the sun is not shining or the wind is not blowing enough. The 7-seater EV9 is a great car for a large family, even in the back you can sit (relatively) royally. But at the same time the SUV is heavy, thirsty and clumsy to use. And the price is high…