At over five meters, the KIA EV9 is a real colossus. Visually, the electric car is impressive. However, when it comes to range, it falls short of expectations.
The EV9 doesn't just stand out because of its dimensions, the design is also polarizing. Viewers' reactions ranged from great enthusiasm to total rejection, although surprisingly the positive feedback predominated. The team around Kia chief designer Karim Habib did everything right, because it's important to talk about appearance. A Russian university has also developed an electric car that is being talked about - only it is called the ugliest electric car in the world. The smooth surfaces with retractable iron door handles and the eye-catching Ocean Blue Matt paint (1,800 euros extra), in which the GT-line Launch Edition version we drove in the everyday test came, catch the eye.
The Kia EV9 has four individual seats and a three-seater bench
Our example was equipped with four individual seats - all of which were heated and air-conditioned - and a three-seater bench seat in the rear. The middle two seats can be easily rotated by 90 degrees using a lever, so that you can easily get in and easily get to the back or strap your little one into the child seat comfortably and without straining their backs. Because of the significantly reduced space available there, it is best for only very agile people or young people who do not require full space to sit at the back. According to the manufacturer, the entire chair is vegan.
The second and third row seats can be folded down from the trunk at the push of a button. The luggage compartment volume ranges from a modest 333 liters with seven seats to 2,318 liters with full use of the load space. In order to load, an 82 centimeter high loading sill must be overcome. The 52 liter compartment under the front hood offers additional storage space, for example for charging cables. In the version without all-wheel drive, the Frunk even holds 90 liters. The bonnet is supported with a telescopic rod to open it, which avoids annoying fumbling under the bonnet. The maximum payload is 625 kilograms. If this is fully exploited, you will be traveling with a 3.3-ton truck.
Lush dimensions: 5.01 meters long, 2.26 meters high and 1.78 meters high
In city traffic, you naturally drive the Kia SUV, which is five centimeters shorter than a BMW 5 Series, cautiously, but confidently after a short period of getting used to it. Only when parking you have to pay particular attention to the width of 2.26 meters. Fortunately, and to calm your nerves, there are also plenty of beeping and glowing electric helpers on board. However, the turning circle of 12.8 meters always requires a good sense of proportion in combination with intensive cranking of the steering wheel. There are three driving programs to choose from plus an additional individual program. In addition, the EV9 offers options for critical surfaces such as sand, snow and rain.
Thanks to 385 hp, the Korean colossus can reach speeds of up to 200 km/h
The electric motor delivers 385 hp and 700 Nm of torque. This power can be easily tamed, and the 1.78 meter high EV9 is designed more as a fine travel sleigh than as a sporty vehicle. Nevertheless, driving an all-wheel drive SUV is very stable even at high speeds, but you should always be aware of the mass that is being moved. However, as you approach the top speed of 200 km/h, you can see the dwindling range in the display in the cockpit, and strong wind noise is also annoying.
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Although we rarely drove faster than the recommended speed, we didn't come close to the range of 512 kilometers specified by Kia. With more than 350 kilometers per charged 99.8 kWh battery, we were never able to calculate with any peace of mind. We stayed far away from the manufacturer's stated consumption of 20.2 kWh per 100 kilometers; with moderate driving style almost throughout, we ultimately achieved an average of 27.8 kWh per 100 kilometers. With a few tricks you can get a few additional kilometers of range thanks to recuperation.
Proud price and luxurious amenities
The basic price for the EV9 AWD in the GT-line configuration is 83,190 euros. There is a car with luxury equipment for this. For example, the EV9 has two sunroofs, a large, sliding storage compartment is hidden in the center console for the second row of seats and there is a 230-volt socket in the trunk. What's also classy and user-friendly is that the lid of the charging socket closes at the push of a button. What is not entirely ideal, however, is that the steering column lever with the start button and the driving program selection is covered by the steering wheel. It takes quite some time until you intuitively understand how to use this without errors. The fiddly rotary controls on the steering wheel are also not very user-friendly.
Conclusion: Due to its dimensions, its comfort features and its generous amount of space, the Kia EV9 is primarily suitable as a travel giant. But this is counteracted by consumption that is too high and a range that is too short. And it's not cheap either. However, experts assume that prices for electric cars will fall in the coming years. Reason: The batteries can be produced cheaper. By the way, Kia is not the only manufacturer that offers a seven-seat electric van. However, some of them still have more of the charm of a commercial vehicle.