Kia has struck gold with its all-new three-row EV9 electric SUV. It has ample room for seven passengers, even those who are seated in the last row. With full occupancy, there’s still 20.2 cubic feet of rear cargo space. Recharging is super fast, and the driving range is from 230 to 304 miles, depending on model and configuration. The EV9 is upscale, tech-loaded but user-friendly, quiet, comfortable, and enjoyable to drive. Pricing starts at an attractive $56,395 including the $1,495 destination charge.
There are five EV9 trim levels, varying in horsepower and range: Light, Light Long Range, Wind, Land, and GT-Line. The first two have rear-wheel drive; the remaining three are all-wheel drive. Light and Wind models have bench seating in the second row, for maximum seven-passenger capacity. The Light Long Range, Land, and GT-Line have captain’s chairs in that location, reducing capacity to six.
I drove the GT-Line, a showcase for the bonanza of goodies the EV9 has to offer. It provides 379 horsepower, 516 pound-feet of torque, a range of 270 miles, and an MPGe rating of 88 mpg city, 72 mpg highway, and 80 mpg combined. Nearly every comfort, convenience, tech, safety, and appearance feature a sensible person could want is included.
One pricey option ($2,000) on my tester was a Relaxation Package adding second-row power seats with leg support. The seats are already heated and ventilated as standard equipment.
EV9’s dash is dominated by displays, including a 12.3-inch digital driver display, 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, and 5-inch climate control display. There are physical controls for many functions, on the dash and elsewhere, as options to strictly touchscreen operation. Let it be known, however, that the EV9 touchscreen behaves beautifully, and will get you to the function you seek without forcing you into a rabbit hole of different routes.
One quirky feature of the EV9 is its start/stop button. The gear shifter is on a stalk behind the steering wheel, and the start/stop button is at the left end of that stalk, putting the
button right up against the steering wheel column, where it’s hidden from sight. I’m not sure why it’s there, but in an age when manual transmissions are becoming car-theft deterrents, a hidden start button works well for automatics.
2024 KIA EV9 GT-LINE
Base price, including destination charge: $75,395
Price as driven: $78,430
Mary Lowry is a member of the Motor Press Guild and a member and past president of the Northwest Automotive Press Association. She lives in Snohomish County. Vehicles are provided by automotive manufacturers as a one-week loan for evaluation purposes only. Manufacturers do not control content of the reviews.
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