The gas-powered Telluride has been a bestseller for Kia. Now the Korean automaker is out with the all-electric version of the popular three-row crossover, the EV9. Like the Telluride, the EV9 is roomy, comfortable, luxurious and loaded with features and tech. It also boasts fast charging times and a relatively low starting price. A drawback is a smaller range than some rivals.
Base Price: $73,900
As Tested: $78,430
Horsepower: 379
Mileage: 88 MPGe city/72 MPGe highway/80 MPGe combined
The Kia EV9 is all new for 2024 and is the brand’s first three-row EV SUV. It’s part of Kia’s plan to have 11 new EVs for sale by 2026.
The 2024 Kia EV9 comes in five trims: Light, Light Long Range, Wind, Land and GT-Line. Starting prices range from $54,900 to $73,900, making it one of the few three-row EVs with a starting price below 60-grand. There’s room for six or seven passengers in three rows of seating, depending on whether you get captain’s chairs or bench seating in the second row.
The Light and Light Long Range trims are rear-wheel drive. The upper trims are all-wheel drive.
The powertrain for the Light trim is a 76.1-kWh battery pack and electric motor with a total output of 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It has rear-wheel drive. The range is 230 miles.
The Light Long Range gets a 99.8 kWh battery, electric motor. Total output is 201 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It has rear-wheel drive. The range is 304 miles.
The Wind, Land and GT-Line are powered by the 99.8-kWh battery, and two electric motors. Total output is 379 horses and 516 pound-feet. These trims all have all-wheel drive. Ranges are between 270 and 280 miles.
The transmission on all trims is a single-speed automatic.
These three top trims boast peppy performance. Acceleration is brisk and smooth. Kia says the Wind, Land and GT-Line models can zip from zero to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds. There’s also plenty of oomph for merging and passing at freeway speeds. Basically, just touch the accelerator and off you go! The ride is smooth with the suspension soaking up bumps and rough roads. The EV9 feels pretty planted around turns – there’s some body lean when cornering due to its tall and boxy build, but it’s not bad. You can set the braking to your liking – from one-pedal driving to braking with a conventional feel.
The EV9 has fast charging times. Every model is equipped with a 10.9-kW onboard charger. The battery can fully charge in seven to nine hours with a Level 2 / 240-volt charger. And with Level 3 / fast DC charging, the battery can go from a 10% to 80% charge in as little as 20 minutes. You can also use a regular 120-volt household plug to charge, but that only adds about three to four mile of range per hour.
I was able to get more range during my week-long test drive of the EV9 GT-Line, getting 338 miles with conservative driving (no jackrabbit starts and stops) and minimizing use of air conditioning.
Fuel economy is good for an EV SUV. EPA ratings for my tester are 88 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) city and 72 MPGe highway with a combined rating of 80.
The cabin is upscale and attractive, but not quite as posh as some more expensive rivals. Although materials look great, there are some hard plastics. Still, there are enough high-end materials, including faux leather and wood trim, nice textures, and attention to detail to give an upmarket vibe. First and second-row seats are comfortable and supportive, with good bolstering. Taller passengers will have good leg- and headroom. Average-size adults will be fine in the third row, especially on shorter trips.
Standard features include digital and proximity keyless entry, finger-print entry with digital key, push-button start, rearview camera, tri-zone automatic climate control, synthetic leather upholstery, power adjustable front seats, heated and ventilated front seats, second- and third-row bench seats, 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, infotainment system with 5-inch and 12.3-inch touchscreens, navigation, eight-speaker audio system, HD Radio, satellite radio, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, six USB ports, wireless device charging, a Wi-Fi hot spot, in-car intercom, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Available features include a surround-view camera system, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, heated steering wheel, 708-watt Meridian 14-speaker premium audio system, heated and ventilated second-row captain’s chairs with power adjustments, rear sunshades, and a dual-pane sunroof.
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, forward automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, speed limit recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, driver-attention monitoring, rear-seat alert, and vehicle exit warning.
Available driver assistance technologies include lidar-enhanced adaptive cruise control, blind-spot camera system, and reverse collision warning.
The infotainment system looks great with its 12.3- and 5-inch touchscreens. Graphics are sharp, menus are sensibly organized, and the system responds quickly to touch and voice commands. Many redundant physical controls make it easy to adjust common settings such as audio and climate.
The EV9 has tons of cargo space for an electric SUV. There are 20.2 cubic feet with all three rows of seating in place, 43.5 cubes with the third row folded, and a cavernous 81.7 cubes with the second and third rows folded. A smart power liftgate is standard. A small frunk (front trunk) has 1.8 cubes (in all-wheel drive models) or 3.2 cubes (in rear-wheel drive models).
The good:
Zippy acceleration
Smooth, refined ride
Fast charging
Lots of standard features and tech
Standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
Relatively low starting price
The not-so-good:
Some rivals have larger ranges
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $73,900. Ocean Blue paint is $695. The GT-Line Second Row Relaxation package is $2,000 and includes second row power seats with leg support. Carpeted floor mats are $225. Carpet cargo mat with seatback protection is $115. Delivery fee is $1,495 bringing the grand total to $78,430.
Bottom line:
The 2024 Kia EV9 takes all the good stuff from the Telluride and puts it in a family-friendly EV SUV form. The EV9 is roomy, comfortable, and upscale with good driving dynamics and a relatively low starting price. Drawbacks are less range than some rivals and pokey performance for the single-motor trims. Definitely check out the EV9 if you’re looking for an all-electric three-row crossover.
