Kia EV9 (2024)

Introduction

Kia already boasts several SUVs and crossovers in its line-up, with the Niro and the Soul, to name just two. The new Sportage turned heads with its aggressive front end, and soon, it'll be joined by the new EV3. Even the EV6, despite its sportscar-like dynamics, is large enough to be considered a crossover of sorts. And, of course, who could forget the Sorento – offering a seven-seater 4x4 experience which Kia hopes will tempt people away from the the likes of Range Rover – the largest car in Kia’s fleet. 

Until now.

Thanks to Kia's latest brand-new all-electric vehicle, the EV9, the Sorento’s ‘big boy’ reign is now ending. It is longer and taller than the Sorento and offers around a third more space for your bags, all while emitting no harmful gases, and all performed in comparative silence. 

But is it any good? Kia is hoping so – and so are we, as Kia has forged quite a reputation in recent years.

While it isn’t necessarily going to give sleepless nights to the Board of Directors at Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz – let alone Land Rover – Kia has been on the rise for many years, and it wants would-be customers of these brands to give it a chance. The rest of its EV range has won plenty of plaudits and, indeed, awards. 

So, the EV9 already has plenty to live up to. No pressure, then!

At a Glance

If you wanted proof that Kia wants to tempt people away from leasing a Range Rover, you only need to look at the EV9 to see it.

There is something very Land Rover-esque about its shape – it's very much a box on wheels in that respect.

The bonnet extends horizontally outwards, curves slightly towards the front, and then the front end drops vertically away towards the road.

The lack of a combustion lump means there's no need for a grille, and there are no signs of Kia making a fake one to put in its place.

Instead, there’s simply a blank panel, while the unique headlight arrangement sees a light bar extend inwards from the side of the car.

It looks unusual and futuristic and – much like several other cars in Kia’s range, such as the new Sportage – it won’t be to everyone’s tastes.

It is a similar story at the side, where the wheel arches look like something out of Star Wars, while flush, pop-out door handles also add an air of luxury to the design, and creases at the bottom of the doors add plenty of definition to the overall shape.

This follows around the rear, featuring an elaborate taillight arrangement that hugs the car's corners.

It is a bit of a Marmite design, then – love it or hate it – but nobody can accuse Kia of being ordinary.

At a Glance

Kia pledged to simplify its trim levels across all its cars not long ago, which follows on to the EV9.

Three versions are available, starting with the entry-level Air that has just been launched.

This includes 19-inch alloys, a 12.3-inch touchscreen with SatNav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 5.3-inch climate control screen, along with a 360-degree surround view monitor, heated and ventilated front seats, flush door handles and a plethora of safety kit which we’ll come on to later.

The equally new GT-Line (above) jumps up to 21-inch alloys and includes electric steering wheel adjustment, electrically adjustable premium relaxation front seats (with Ergo Motion and memory function for the driver), GT-Line exterior styling elements and LED headlights with adaptive driving beam.

The top-of-the-range GT-Line S gets a sunroof with tilting and sliding function, a heads-up display, and a 14-speaker Meridian premium sound system.

All three trims come with seven seats, although the GT-Line S is also available as a six-seater, adding a console sliding table and swivel seats in the second row, which can face backwards if desired.

Regarding power, the Air version has rear-wheel drive and a single electric motor producing 202PS.

The GT-Line and GT-Line S versions have all-wheel drive and two electric motors, producing 383PS.

If you want to tow a trailer or caravan, it’s worth bearing in mind that the rear-wheel drive Air can only pull 900kg, while the all-wheel drive versions can tow 2,500kg.

Range & Batteries

The EV9’s motors are all powered by a 99.8kWh battery pack.

That is good enough for a 349-mile range in the entry-level Air model, while there’s a bit of a drop for the dual-motor versions, managing 313 miles in the GT-Line and GT-Line S.

Of course, don’t expect to achieve these figures in the real world, as the actual range is influenced by any number of factors, including the weather, road conditions, ambient temperature, and your driving style.

Somewhere in the region of 70 to 75% of these figures will likely be more realistic.

Nevertheless, it’s enough to trump equivalent offerings from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Performance & Drive

If performance isn't critical to you, there's little reason not to go for the newly ushered-in Air version.

Zero to 62mph takes 9.4 seconds, which is hardly eye-openingly quick but still perfectly reasonable for such a large SUV.

You may be tempted by the comparative rapidity of the GT-Line and GT-Line S cars, with their dual motors and all-wheel drive, which manage to shave a full 4.1 seconds off this time thanks to their 89% power increase over the Air model.

Suddenly, the GT models look about as sporty as their names suggest.

The performance is even more impressive because the GT editions weigh about 160kg more than the Air model. Indeed, the EV9 tips the scales at up to 2.66 tons, over half a tonne of which is the battery pack alone.

Despite its claimed athleticism in a straight line, if you’re testing the EV9 to its limits in terms of acceleration, you likely won’t be experiencing the settled ride of a sports car.

It can flutter if you floor it, meaning you'll need to tighten your grip on the steering wheel to keep the SUV in a straight line.

As you’d imagine from such a behemoth of a car, around bends, the Kia’s limits are easily reachable, generating a sizeable amount of body lean if you take things too quickly.

Its suspension setup is very much at the softly-softly end of the scale, meaning it's excellent at absorbing thuds and bangs from potholes but less agile at taking bends.

Admittedly, the premium brands will do a better job in terms of ride comfort, but the EV9 still impresses and will leave you feeling relaxed after a long journey.

The steering wheel doesn't weigh up much in corners, but then there's little point, so it remains light to make the driving experience as relaxing as possible.

Regarding stopping power, the regenerative braking feels predictable and can be adjusted via paddles behind the steering wheel.

When turned up to a maximum, it almost allows one-pedal driving, with the EV9 automatically slowing to a crawl once you take your foot off the accelerator.

Charging

The Kia EV9 has a maximum charging speed of 350kW, which is one of the fastest on the leasing market at the moment.

That means a 10 to 80% top-up of the batteries can be achieved in just 24 minutes – far quicker than any of the premium brands can manage.

Unfortunately, there are hardly any chargers in Britain capable of such speeds, but the infrastructure across the country is constantly improving.

A full zero-to-100% charge on a 7kW home wall box will take around 15 hours.

Running Costs & Emissions

Like all electric cars, the EV9 commands a hefty premium over and above a combustion-engined car.

However, the costs of running it are less, with no emissions to worry about.

As a company car, it'll attract the most significant discounts when it comes to Benefit In Kind tax, too, so if your employer is offering to supply your vehicle, then an all-electric car is a no-brainer.

Servicing are lower, too, as electric motors have fewer moving parts – and they only need maintenance every two years or every 20,000 miles.

Regarding reliability, Kia's all-electric range is still too new to know the long-term outlook. However, early signs are that its electric cars have done well.

Kia has a reputation for making some of the most dependable cars on the planet, regularly finishing high up the league tables for customer satisfaction. 

Interior & Technology

You don’t have to go all that far back in time to find Kia producing interiors that were merely a match for mid-range brands.

Think something middle-of-the-road like Peugeot, Renault or Vauxhall – and Kia would have fitted in nicely.

Not anymore.

Kia has taken significant strides with its interior design in the last few years, and the EV9 easily has its most luxurious cabin layout yet, although it gets some stiff competition from some of its own fleet.

The dashboard features a somewhat minimalistic design, with one unit housing the two infotainment and digital instrument displays perched behind the steering wheel like an ultra-wide tablet.

There is no rotary dial to control the infotainment system, which is a slight drawback, but the system itself is impressive, even if it isn’t quite as crisp or responsive as the class-leading ones.

The climate control is adjusted via its dedicated screen, which sits between the infotainment and digital instrument displays. However, it's in an awkward position as you have to reach around behind the left-hand side of the steering wheel to get to it.

At least the wheel is excellent, featuring horizontal spokes with plenty of buttons, and it looks luxurious to hold.

Admittedly, we’d have liked a bit more brushed aluminium in the cabin to make it look even more premium, but the EV9’s lighter colour scheme does a good enough job of adding to the opulence.

It is certainly more pleasing to the eye than the blackened interiors of most cars today.

Soft-to-the-touch plush surfaces feature heavily, and cheaper plastics are reasonably limited.

While the overall build quality and choice of materials aren't entirely on par with the luxury brands, many of the components are eco-friendly and come from sustainable sources.

Besides, who cares whether it’s superior to an Audi when it looks as good as this?

Any guests you take for a ride are bound to raise their eyebrows in surprised admiration for the job Kia has done.

It is simply lovely.

Space & Practicality

Visibility is notable in the EV9, with large side windows and thin pillars at the front, which maximise your view out of the windscreen, further helped by the commandingly high driving position.

At the rear corners, the bodywork rises, which restricts your over-the-shoulder view somewhat, but front and rear parking sensors, not to mention a 360-degree surround-view camera, mitigate the problem.

The seats are very supportive, too, and there’s loads of space to sprawl out to find as comfortable a resting position as possible.

Our test car featured electrically adjustable seats, making finding a suitable driving position easy. At the same time, the memory function allows you to save your seating position, which is helpful if more than one person regularly drives the car.

The second row has lots of room, too, and is among the most spacious of any SUV on the leasing scene today.

Impressively, even those in the third row won't be too challenged for legroom or headroom unless you have tall people in both the back and middle rows.

Regarding boot space, 333 litres are available to you with all seven seats in place, expanding to 2,318 litres with the rear seats folded down (2,393 litres in the six-seater version).

Kia doesn't provide an official figure for having the second-row seats folded away, but it's gargantuan and probably best described as ‘highly van-like'.

There is also 90 litres of luggage space underneath the bonnet in the Air version (52 litres in GT-Line and GT-Line S) and plenty of interior storage, including a large cubby in the centre console.

Safety

The Kia EV9 was put through its paces by Euro NCAP last year, earning a top five-star result.

It scored impressively in the individual categories, too, being awarded an 84% rating for adults, 88% for children and 83% for safety assists.

These assists include automatic emergency braking, blind spot collision avoidance with rear-cross traffic assist, lane follow assist, and highway driving assist with hands-on detection, which are all standard.

Smart cruise control, which adjusts your speed automatically depending on the speed limit, is also thrown in, as is adaptive cruise control.

Options

Kia offers no shortage of optional extras on all its cars – and the EV9 is no exception.

You can upgrade your alloys, get side steps to help you climb into the car, acquire mudguards, and have chrome trim decorations for various bits of the exterior.

Inside, you can add boot bags, and cargo organisers – even a business suit hanger which fits to the back of one of the seats can be yours if you want.

Extra charging cables are helpful to have, but even roof boxes and retractable tow bars don't complete the many additions you can purchase for your leased EV9.

Rival Cars

If you're specifically after an all-electric seven-seater, then you're a bit limited in choice at the moment.

The Mercedes-Benz EQB and EQS SUV could offer decent alternatives, as could the Volvo EX90 (below), though they can’t match the EV9’s superb practicality, while the Mercedes-Benz EQC is only a five-seater.

There is also the BMW iX and the Audi Q8 e-Tron, but they're both five-seaters, as is the Polestar 3, although seven seats are offered in the Tesla Model Y.

Non-electric cars include the Audi Q7, the Land Rover Defender, the Discovery or Range Rover and the BMW X7, while Mercedes-Benz offers the GLS.

However, most of these will have at least one drawback against the EV9: reduced equipment levels in lower trims, higher price or inferior practicality.

Verdict & Next Steps

Overall, the EV9 more than satisfies the surprisingly high expectations that Kia now has to live up to.

Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are still at the forefront regarding luxury, but the fact that Kia is mentioned in the same sentence as the German giants says a lot.

Seven adults can fit in the EV9 without feeling hemmed in, making it a superbly practical car that still offers luggage space on top – and loads more if the third row of seats isn't in use.

The range is good, the charging speeds are superb, and it's lovely to sit in, both in terms of comfort and the interior's opulence.

We would recommend sticking with the newly launched entry-level Air model, which is still very well-equipped unless you need all-wheel drive, in which case the (also freshly introduced) mid-range GT-Line trim is more than adequate.

Admittedly, the EV9 isn’t cheap, which is one drawback – and at that price point, you’re well into an area where badge snobbery will come into play.

But when you compare it with the leasing price of equivalent models from German premium brands, it’s arguably a bargain for a big all-electric car.

Where to next?

View latest Kia EV9 lease deals - from just £641 per month inc VAT**.

Call us on 0118 3048 688 or hit the green 'Enquire' button for more details.

Looking for a great leasing deal? Check out our incredible range of Special Offers and Lease Deals. 

New SUV? Read our latest Reviews and find the right model for you.

Want to know more about leasing? Take a look at our comprehensive Leasing Guides.

Interested in everything motoring? Why not catch up on all the latest Car Leasing News.

**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Kia EV9.

**Correct as of 08/04/2024. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £5,776.56 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.