2024 Kia EV9 First Drive: The New Stanley Tumbler Of The Middle Class?

Back for the 2020 model year, Kia launched a vehicle that would rewrite the future of the brand when giving the world the Telluride three-row SUV. Quickly becoming the most sought-after vehicle in the lineup, the Telluride was to middle-class Americans then what the Stanley Cup is now: a status symbol.

Fast-forward to the 2024 model year and the brand hopes to redefine the perception of Kia once more with the “electric Telluride” in this 2024 Kia EV9. With the boxy styling and similar exterior proportions and dimensions to the popular gas-powered Telluride, the EV9 takes full advantage of the benefits of an EV platform. With a wheelbase that is nearly eight inches longer than the Telluride, the EV9 makes a better chauffeur vehicle with more second-row legroom than the popular Cadillac Escalade. It also doesn’t hurt that the second-row seats of the EV9 have power-extending leg supports.

The added wheelbase also allows engineers the freedom of a larger battery pack versus other EVs built on the Electric-Global Modular platform (E-GMP) like the Kia EV6, with battery sizes ranging from the standard 76.1 kWh battery in the base Light trim to the 99.8 kWh battery offered in long-range and performance models.

For this First Drive, I drove the 2024 Kia EV9 for about 90 miles on a Kia-sponsored event, and did not charge the vehicle. TopSpeed will have an extended two-week test and review later in 2024. For detailed insight into testing procedures and data collection, please review
our methodology policy
.

2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line First Impressions: Getting Time Behind the Wheel

Kia invited me to Napa Valley to experience a top-of-the-line and loaded GT-Line model on a roughly 90-mile loop through northern California. The first challenge with many modern EVs is learning how to turn them on. Brands like Chevrolet and Volkswagen just want you to sit inside and press the brake. Starting the EV9 is accomplished by pressing the brake pedal and a vehicle power button located on the column-mounted drive selector. A quick twist forward of the end of the drive selector engages drive; reverse is a twist backward.

Being a modern EV means regenerative braking and a general need to press the accelerator to engage the vehicle into motion to overcome the friction of the regenerative system. As with other Hyundai/Kia/Genesis EV products, the EV9’s regenerative braking is managed with paddles on the back of the steering wheel. Ramping up through the levels is done through the left paddle, with level 4 being full one-pedal driving. The right paddle lowers the regen down to nothing, allowing for coasting abilities much like a gas-powered vehicle.

Curiously, there was no “Auto” mode like what is found in Genesis EVs, which uses radar-adaptive cruise sensors to monitor the surrounding traffic to adjust regeneration based on proximity to the vehicle ahead. Regen is on par with other E-GMP products and can be mastered in just a few minutes of stop-and-go traffic, though I opted to leave regen off for the majority of my time behind the wheel.

Best Features Of The KIA EV9

• Usable space in all three rows
• Modern, updated technology
• Great visibility thanks to the boxy design
• The most affordable 3-row EV on the market
• Unique storage options throughout
• Smooth, quiet ride

The EV9 Is Quick For A Big, Heavy SUV

Power delivery from the GT-Line’s dual electric motor AWD system was smooth and quick. The calibration of the accelerator pedal adjusts depending on the selected drive mode: Normal, Eco, Sport, Snow, and My Mode. Driving around in Normal is still plenty quick, but to achieve Kia’s claimed 4.5 second 0-60 time, Sport is the way to go. Giving the most power and adjusting the lumbar and bolsters in the driver’s seat, Sport unleashes all 516 LB-FT of torque nearly instantaneously.

Plenty of power available right when it is needed

Real-world driving translates those numbers into plenty of power available right when it is needed to quickly pass slower traffic or to easily merge onto freeways. The EV9 hides its heft well with its quick acceleration. Off-the-line acceleration is where the EV9 feels the quickest. While it does not ever feel slow, passing power just felt adequate.

Performance Specifications

Piloting the vehicle, there is no denying the physics of just how much mass the EV9 is carrying: The battery alone is half the weight of a Mazda Miata. Thanks to that mass of batteries sitting below the cabin and the stretched wheelbase, the EV9 does ride like a much larger vehicle over rough or uneven pavement. The low center of gravity also minimizes but does not eliminate body roll in corners.

The ride is calm and compliant. If anything, engineers made it almost too soft over bumps, giving it a floatier ride. Not 2000s Cadillac floaty, but not EV6 GT firm either. I drove over a lot of windy roads up and down through elevation and never felt carsick (or seasick) in my time behind the wheel or while riding in the front passenger seat. The ride is also surprisingly quiet on the inside, generally devoid of wind noise, which is a feat engineers confessed is difficult in EVs due to the lack of a noisy engine under the hood.

The Interior Is Nice, And The Experience Is Recognizably Kia

The EV9’s steering wheel, which is wrapped in Kia’s Syn-Tex vegan leather substitute and nicely padded on par with some luxury brands, communicates well. Steering is neither too light nor too heavy, making the EV9 just as easy to drive down a windy road as it is maneuvering the school pickup line or Target parking lot. Hiding behind the wheel are two 12.3-inch digital displays serving as the driver information screen and the car’s central infotainment hub.

The graphics have been updated from previous Kia models, but the overall user experience is similar to what Kia has offered for years (though they are now offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a first for the brand). Separating the two large screens is a smaller, 5.0-inch climate display that solves the problem of the dual-function HVAC/Infotainment screen first introduced in the EV6 and other Kia models like the Sportage, Sorento, and Telluride models.

Information like the fan speed, vent position, and dual-zone temperature readings are displayed nicely on the screen though it is partially obscured by the steering wheel. The main HVAC controls are located as physical buttons below the infotainment screen and are quick and easy to adjust.

Visibility And Comfort Are Strong Suits For The EV9

Other sightlines are good throughout the vehicle. Thanks to the boxy design, engineers were able to make the windows large and expansive. Even the third-row seat passengers get a good view out of the EV9. From the driver’s seat, this translates into knowing where traffic is at all times, and when a vehicle is still too hard to see, Kia uses their mirror-mounted blind spot cameras to display a clear view of either side of the vehicle right in the line of sight for the driver.

The Rearview Camera Is Good, But Can Get Dirty

Another technological advance that aids in visibility is the rearview camera mirror. Giving a clear image on the review mirror of what is behind the vehicle, sans headrests, seats, passengers, or cargo. The only downside is the placement of the camera outside of the vehicle. While competitors in the SUV space like the new Toyota Grand Highlander hide the camera inside the rear glass, Kia leaves the EV9’s exposed to the road grime that can accumulate in adverse and wet driving conditions without any way to clean the camera from the driver’s seat.

Seats Are Very Smart, And Very Firm

Seat comfort is excellent. The GT-Line uses Kia’s ERGO Motion function to minimize driver fatigue on long trips, with a default setting to engage lower back posture control after 30 minutes of driving. This could very well be a startling occurrence if unexpected as it feels as though the lumbar support is attempting to empty the driver’s seat of its occupant. Otherwise, between the 10-way power adjustments, four-way lumbar controls, and adaptive bolsters, there is a seating position for just about any body shape and size. Thanks to two person memory, which also includes the position of the outside mirrors, power tilt/telescope steering wheel, and Head-Up display, it is easy to keep preferred settings.

Kia EV9 Cargo Capacity

Range and Pricing

EPA-estimated range varies from a maximum 308 miles in the big-battery RWD model to 280 miles in AWD models carr; while the top trim GT-Line only sacrifices 10 miles of range for its extra performance. Base model Light trims with RWD squeeze 230 miles out of the smallest 76.1 kWh battery. Charging is quick, though we never needed to in our time with the vehicles. Kia claims 100 miles of range can be added in just 10 minutes when connected to a DC fast-charger, or 10-80% charge in just 24 minutes.

This is made possible by the brand’s 800 volt electrical architecture, which allows for incredibly fast charging at a 350 kW DC fast charger. If adding range means a bigger battery and more weight, Kia has the right plan to focus on reducing overall charge times. If you can’t go far, charge quickly. Through my time in the EV9, we did see a consumption swing between 2.7 miles per kilowatt and 3.1 miles per kilowatt, making this a relatively efficient EV, even more impressive by the EV9’s boxy shape.

How The Kia EV9 Compares To Its Competitors

Pricing for RWD Light models picks up where Telluride prices leave off, starting at $55,900. Our loaded GT-Line tester stickered for an MSRP of $78,430, which is a tough pill to swallow for a Korean vehicle not wearing the Genesis wings. In my time in California, Kia made many references to the Telluride punching above its price class and how it is cross-shopped against brands like Range Rover. This EV9 Kia is now playing in luxury vehicle territory.

While I know a majority of the cost is attributed to the battery, I am not convinced that the 10 different recycled plastics and materials used throughout the cabin translate into the most premium experience throughout. It is clear the EV9 stands on the shoulders of the Telluride, but unfortunately, so does the pricing. I do foresee these selling well as the first mainstream three-row EV; however, I am not sure the brand will be moving as many GT-Line models due to its nearly $80,000 price tag.

How The Kia EV9 Compares To The Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV

• 	2024 Kia EV9 GT-Line	2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS 580 4MATIC SUV
  Model	EV9 GT-Line	EQS 580 4MATIC SUV
  Engine	Dual Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor	Dual Permanently Excited Synchronous (PSM) Electric Motors
  Transmission	DIrect Drive	SIngle Speed Direct Drive
  Horsepower	379 @ 4,000-7,800 RPM	536
  Torque	516 LB-FT @ 0-3,800 RPM	633
  Driveline	Dual Motor / AWD	Dual Motor / AWD
  Range	270 Miles	285 Miles
  MSRP	$73,900	$125,950
  MSRP (As Tested)	$78,430	$148,490
  Fuel Economy	80 eMPG Combined	77 eMPG (Combined)
  Charge Time	AC 8.75 hours to 100%, DC 24 minutes 10-80%	AC 0-100% 12.5 hours, DC 10-80% in 31 minutes
  Towing Capacity	1,653 Pounds	3,500 Pounds
  0-60 MPH	5.0 Seconds	4.5 Seconds

There are only two other large, three-row EVs on the market right now that compare to the EV9: The Rivian R1S and the Mercedes EQS SUV, which Kia was proud to announce they compared favorably towards. Having spent time in the Mercedes, I can say that Kia is in very good company. EVs make exceptional luxury vehicles thanks to their smooth, effortless power, low center of gravity, and long wheelbase. Both the EQS and EV9 ride like larger vehicles than they are thanks to the big batteries that rest beneath the cabin, however, the Mercedes EQS SUV packs larger batteries across the board, with better acceleration times, and a brand name more synonymous with luxury and a higher price tag.

The EQS starts at an eye-watering $104,400 for the “base” EQS 450+ SUV variant that packs a 0-60 acceleration time of 6.5 seconds and an EPA-estimated range of 305 miles from its 108.4 kWh battery. EQS 450 4MATIC SUV models get all-wheel drive and the same battery but sprint to 60 miles per hour in a scant 5.8 seconds for a starting price of $107,400 while only sacrificing 20 miles of electric range for the AWD traction.

Top spec EQS 580 4MATIC models rip to 60 miles per hour in 4.5 seconds while still maintaining the 285 miles of EV range of the 450 4MATIC model. Kia claims a software purchase and over-the-air update will unlock 4.5 second 0-60 runs in the GT-Line and Land trims.

Inside, the EQS SUV feels futuristic and space-age with its optional MBUX Hyperscreen which comprises three separate screens under one continuous 56-inch layer of glass. The twin 12.3-inch screens in the EV9 feel more in line with modern offerings and make the Kia feel more approachable. Also making the Kia more approachable is the usability of the third row of seats. I rode less than five miles in the back seat of the EQS SUV and that was about all my 5’10” frame could handle. The EV9 takes a lesson from the Telluride and ensures passengers are comfortable no matter where they sit.

Does The Kia EV9 Have What It Takes?

Does the EV9 have what it takes to rewrite Kia’s brand perception for the second time in half a decade? Who knows, with Stanley tumblers cresting the $50 price point, maybe the world is ready for a more expensive electric Telluride sibling.