Kia EV9 - an SUV for the green conscience?
The Kia EV9 provided arguments for the SUV category that had previously been less in focus. Space like in a bus, for example. However, its price is really steep.
Among the established manufacturers, Kia is one of the pioneers of e-mobility. The brand gained its first experience with battery-powered vehicles early on with the E-Soul. However, like many of its competitors, the Korean brand initially concentrated on the most popular vehicle classes. Now things are changing. With prices starting at 74,500 euros, the Kia EV9 is making an impressive impression and putting pressure on upcoming SUV competitors such as the Hyundai Ioniq 7, Range Rover EV and Volvo EX90.
The massive, 5-meter-long and 1.75-meter-high SUV is the brand's new flagship, equipped with a new generation of batteries and powerful charging technology. As a family-friendly electric car, it should not only be just as successful as its smaller brand sisters EV6 or Niro. The EV9 also stands for the reorientation of the brand, in which more recycled or sustainably produced materials are used in every new model. Leather, for example, is a thing of the past. So an SUV for a green conscience?
Doubts arise at the sight of the fat ship. You don't have to be a green ideologue to take offense at the EV9. Such a vehicle takes up at least 10 square meters of floor space on its own and with its permissible total weight of up to 3.24 tons, it can only just be driven with a normal driving license. Dimensions that are increasingly overloading our infrastructure. It is thanks to the new Kia design style that we do not turn away in shock. A modern edge shape, large body surfaces and a lack of jagged elements give the model a modern and simple appearance. The appealing product design is also continued in the interior, where high-quality materials and harmonious lines soothe the mind.
Variable rear
A key feature of the Korean SUV, which always comes with three rows of seats, is its variable rear. Row two is equipped with either a three-seater bench or two swivel-mounted individual seats, which makes it easier to fit child seats, for example. Thanks to the integrated belts, it is also possible to sit against the direction of travel. This is more than just a gimmick, because unlike many large SUVs, the long wheelbase of 3.10 meters is put to good use.
As the pinnacle of comfort, there are optional reclining seats. Although these cannot be rotated, they can be adjusted to a reclining position and are reminiscent of feudal business class seats in an airplane. In addition, the rear is packed with comfort features such as power sockets, storage compartments, air vents and controls.
With all three rows of seats in place, the trunk of the EV9 offers around 330 liters - slightly more than an Opel Corsa Electric. If that's not enough for a week's shopping, an enormous loading area of up to 2393 liters can be created. As if that wasn't enough, there is also a 90-liter frunk under the hood, which shrinks to 52 liters in the 4x4 due to the second electric drive in the front.
Like its smaller sister model, the EV9 is based on the special EV platform (E-GMP) and therefore shares many of the Hyundai Group's components, including the multi-link suspension and powertrain elements. The battery technology has been optimized compared to the EV6 compact SUV, which has been on the market since 2022, and has an 8.5% increase in energy density. This means that the EV9 battery stores almost 100 kilowatt hours of electricity, but weighs a whopping 570 kilograms.
Candidate for long, fast journeys
Thanks to its powerful 800-volt charging technology, the Kia is also a candidate for long journeys at high speeds. Provided you tap the power with up to 210 kW at ultra-fast charging stations. When the power runs low, the vehicle can charge for around 250 kilometers in a quarter of an hour. Thanks to the plug-and-charge function, charging stops with the providers Ionity or Aral Pulse are now also a little more convenient. If the account details are stored in the on-board computer, the charging process starts automatically as soon as the cable is connected to the vehicle. Activation via app or charging card is no longer necessary.
There is a choice of three variants with rear or all-wheel drive, maximum power outputs of up to 283 kW/385 hp and up to 700 Nm of torque in the fully equipped GT-Line. With a full battery, the EV9 base model should be able to travel up to 563 kilometers, the all-wheel drive up to 512 kilometers. On our test drive overland, the 4x4 consumed an economical 20 kWh per 100 kilometers, remaining below the specified standard consumption (22.3 kWh/100 km) - amazingly economical for a three-tonner. This is also thanks to the multi-stage regenerative brakes, the intensity of which can be varied via steering wheel paddles and the kinetic energy pumped back into the storage system as electricity.
Sweat-inducing in the city
Out of town, the EV9 moves comparatively smoothly and reacts quickly, and is also whisper-quiet thanks to the noise protection glass. But even Kia cannot outwit physics. Despite a firm chassis with self-levelling dampers on the rear axle, the EV9 cannot hide its pounds on winding roads. And in the city, the handling of the colossus with a turning circle at truck level and unclear overhangs becomes a sweat-inducing exercise. At this point at the latest, you'll be glad of the many cameras on board, which show the Kia and its surroundings from countless angles.
The price is also colossal: the EV9 is significantly more expensive than other Kia models, costing at least 72,490 euros and scraping the 90,000 euro mark when fully equipped. But the brand's long electric experience pays off. If you put the money on the table with Kia, you don't just get a practical family car with space for six or seven. The large EV is packed with high-tech and, thanks to its convincing electric drive, takes the wind out of the sails of EV sceptics and SUV critics alike.
Technical data Kia EV9
- Five-door upper mid-size SUV with six or seven seats
- Length: 5.01 meters, width 1.98 meters (2.26 incl. exterior mirrors), height: 1.76 meters, wheelbase: 3.10 meters, trunk volume: 333-2393 liters, frunk: 90 liters (2WD) or 52 liters (4WD)
- RWD: rear electric motor, 150 kW/204 hp, maximum torque 350 Nm, rear-wheel drive, battery capacity 99.8 kWh, charging power up to 210 kW, charging time from 10 to 80 percent: 24 minutes, range: 563 km, Vmax: 185 km/h, 0-100 km/h: 9.4, consumption according to WLTP: 20.2 kWh/100 km. CO2 emissions: 0 g/km, price: from 72,490 euros
- AWD: one electric motor each at the front and rear, 283 kW/385 hp, maximum torque 600 Nm (GT-Line 700 Nm), all-wheel drive, battery capacity 99.8 kWh, charging power up to 240 kW, charging time from 10 to 80 percent: 24 minutes, range: 512 km, Vmax: 200 km/h, 0-100 km/h: 6.0 seconds, consumption according to WLTP: 22.3 kWh/100 km, CO2 emissions: 0 g/km, price: from 76,490 euros (GT-Line: from 82,380 euros)
- Kia, being one of the leading Korean carmakers, has made significant strides in electromobility. They began with the E-Soul and subsequently focused on popular vehicle classes, but now they are challenging the status quo with the Kia EV9.
- The Kia EV9, priced at 74,500 euros, is not only a competitive electrified SUV but also a testament to Kia's commitment to sustainability. The car is built on recycled or sustainably produced materials, such as the elimination of leather.
- The Korean duo, Kia and Hyundai, shares their electric vehicle (EV) components and technologies, including the Kia EV9, which is based on Hyundai's E-GMP platform.
Source: www.ntv.de
