Kia EV9 2024 review: EV test

The Kia EV9 is landing in dealerships now, with two of the three grades, the Air and GT-Line, available immediately. A third trim level, the mid-tier Earth, has been delayed by a couple of months.

Anyway, Kia’s big electric SUV will kick off from $97,000, before on-road costs, for the Air, making it among the best-value (on a dollar-per-square-metre basis) electric vehicles in the country.

For that, you get a single rear-motor, along with 19-inch alloy wheels, projection headlights with LED DRLs and LED tail-lights, flush-closing door handles and vehicle to load (V2L) functionality.

Inside, there are synthetic leather seats that are powered, heated and ventilated up front, twin 12.3-inch interior screens with a 5.0-inch climate panel in the middle, an eight-speaker stereo, wireless device charging and a powered tailgate.

You also get 'Kia Connect' and over the air updates. In fact, Kia says some 60 percent of car’s onboard computers can be updated remotely.

Next is the Earth, which lists at $106,500, and adds better seats, gloss black exterior detailing, ambient interior mood lighting, a light-up logo in the steering wheel, and some extra safety kit.

Crucially, you also get a twin-motor powertrain that makes more power, and a bigger battery.

Finally, you have the GT-Line, which lists at $121,00, and builds on the Earth’s inclusions with 21-inch alloys, LED headlights, roof racks, privacy glass, digital side mirrors, a dual tilt-and-slide sunroof and remote park assist.

Very practical. The Kia EV9 is just over 5.0m long, a little under 2.0m wide and a touch below 1.8m tall – dimensions that push it into the full-size SUV camp – and there are three rows of seats providing genuine room for seven.

The middle row is especially spacious, helped by the rail system that allows you to slide it forwards or backwards, depending on where you need the space.

And it's swimming with niceties, like USB ports in the sides of the front seats, and a roof-mounted climate control panel to take care of heating and cooling.

There are ISOFIX attachment points in the middle row window seats, cupholders in a pull-down divider, and storage cubbies galore.

Things get a little tighter once you move to the third row, where legroom disappears and it feels a little tighter for full-grown adults.

That said, it might be the easiest third row I've ever climbed into, with the second row not just tilting forward, but lifting up and towards the front, creating a space you can walk through.

Towing is rated at 2.5 tonnes, and RWD models get a 90-litre frunk, dropping to 52 litres in the AWD versions.

All EV9s get a heap of boot space, growing from 573L to 1233L and 2314L, depending on whether you have seven, five or two seats in place.

It's not so much what's under the bonnet as it is what's at each axle.

Rear-wheel drive models get a single rear-mounted motor good for 160kW and 350Nm - producing a sprint to 100km/h of 8.2 seconds and a 190km/h top speed. (GT-Line featured)

Rear-wheel drive models get a single rear-mounted motor good for 160kW and 350Nm - producing a sprint to 100km/h of 8.2 seconds and a 190km/h top speed.

The AWD models add a second motor at the front axle, and the outputs jump to 283kW and 700Nm. (Air featured)

The AWD models add a second motor at the front axle, and the outputs jump to 283kW and 700Nm. But because the GT-Line is equipped with an 'Acceleration Boost' function, it's faster to 100km/h than the Earth – 5.3 seconds versus 6.0 seconds.

There are two battery sizes on offer. The RWD models (for now, just the Air) get a 76.1kWh lithium-ion battery which delivers a WLTP driving range of 443km.

The AWD Earth and GT-Line get a bigger 99.8kWh battery, upping the driving range to 512km and 505km, respectively.

The AWD Earth and GT-Line get a bigger 99.8kWh battery, upping the driving range to 512km and 505km, respectively.

All models are equipped with 800V architecture, which the brand says – when plugged into an ultra-fast charger – will help the EV9 go from 10 to 80 percent charged in just 20 minutes.

Kia is targeting a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, so you can expect nine airbags and a full suite of active safety tech.

Kia is targeting a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, so you can expect nine airbags and a full suite of active safety tech.

On the Air, that includes AEB with 'Junction Crossing', 'Lane Oncoming' and 'Lane Change' functions, 'Highway Drive Assist 2.0', lane keeping assist (with 'Lane Follow Assist'), multi-collision braking, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control (with stop and go) and a rear-view camera.

The Earth then adds a surround-view monitor, blind-spot monitoring and reverse AEB. Finally, the GT-Line scores 'Remote Smart Park Assist'.