KIA EV9 – A LITERAL BIG DEAL

When a certain American brand ditched right-hand drive production of their larger vehicles, along with it went options for seven-seat electrified vehicles.

Mercedes-Benz has a couple of great options, but for many, they will be too small, too premium, or too pricey.

There are vans, which offer a few too many compromises, or the LDV Mifa 9 – which is a solid car, with poor software.

So, what does the big family – or small family with a lot of stuff and a caravan – do?

Enter Kia, which has hit the market with the first large electric SUV to hit NZ from a mainstream brand.

The EV9, literally a big thing at a hair over 5 metres long and 2624kg in GT-Line, long-range, all-wheel drive mode as driven today.

Kia offers the EV9 in three trims, with the GT-Line sitting at the pinnacle, boasting a 99.8kWh lithium-ion battery and all-wheel drive. This model is priced at $134,990 (GST and ORC).

The range starts at $105,990 with a 76.1kWh battery rear-wheel-drive model, with a simpler-specification ‘Earth’ model with the same driveline as the GT-Line in between.

A ‘GT’ model has been rumoured. The EV9’s design ethos, dubbed “rock-solid geometry,” offers a bold aesthetic that’s both eye-catching and weirdly aerodynamically efficient. It features an impressive 0.28 drag coefficient (Cd) and despite the weight, it

is relatively frugal on the juice – claiming 505km of range at 22.8kWh per 100km average consumption.

And in the real world, it gets closer to that than most. On a road trip with two people and luggage, we averaged slightly less consumption than claimed. This is a solid 440 plus Km range car.

To add to that range, charging is exceptional. Three-phase 11kW charging is standard, while the 800-volt architecture means fast – super fast – DC charging. We peaked at over 230kW on a ChargeNet Hypercharger unit. …Continued from page 04

Under the hood, and I guess somewhere under the rear seat, the GT-Line impresses with a dual motor setup delivering 282kW of power and 700Nm of torque, enabling a brisk 0-100km/h sprint in just 5.3 seconds.

It feels quick, though not brutal. More importantly, torque feels excellent when up to road speed for effortless overtakes.

And yes, it will tow, 2500kg – putting it at the top of the NZ EV towing heap.

Unique to the New Zealand and Australian markets, the EV9’s suspension tune is

a good effort. It avoids the side-to-side rocking feeling some taller SUVs suffer from, and the ride is reasonable. I am not sure this is the fault of the MacPherson multi-link type front suspension with frequency selective dampers and multi-link rear suspension with self-levelling dampers.

More, I suspect it’s a compromise generated by the relatively narrow 45mm sidewalls on the 21-inch wheel and tyre package.

Step inside, and the EV9 is certainly an interesting place. The dashboard and centre console are strikingly modern, yet practical – with plenty of storage spaces, cupholders, and power options. If you can’t find a place to charge an iPad in this car, you are not looking hard enough.

The driver gets a panoramic wide display integrating dual 12.3-inch cluster and infotainment displays, complemented by

a 5.0-inch segment display. You also get screens for the side mirrors – yup, they

are replaced by cameras – as is the centre mirror. The software is next-generation and solid across the board, though we mostly stuck to the wireless Apple CarPlay.

Vehicle to load is included with the car, through a 16-amp power outlet in the rear which can be used on the go.

The seats are an interesting topic. They are very comfortable, and the front two rows are very spacious, and the third not bad for this size of vehicle. To me, they are a smidge disappointing in light of the futuristic Model X-style pedestal seats in the concept.

Still, that is a nerd quibble. In their own right, they are excellent, with heated and ventilated seats for the driver and front passenger, featuring power adjustment and lumbar support. Materials used inside the cabin, such as eucalyptus leaf and recycled plastic bottles, add some solid green cred.

The EV9 GT-Line is equipped with an array of driver assistance systems, including highway driving assist 2 (HDA2), navigation-based smart cruise control (NSCC), and remote smart parking assist, among others. They are good – the cruise control on the motorway one of the best semi-self-drive systems out there. But, the driver awareness system is awful and oversensitive. This needs sorting.

The safety package is too long to list. Let’s just summarise it as ‘Five-stat ANCAP’.

With all seats in use, the EV9 provides 333 liters of cargo space, expanding to 2318 liters with the second and third rows folded. There is enough of a frunk for charging cables and accessories.

The Kia EV9 GT-Line comes with a comprehensive warranty package, including a five-year roadside assistance programme, a five-year/150,000km factory warranty, and an eight-year/160,000km battery warranty.

As Kia continues to expand its electric offerings, the EV9 GT-Line stands out as a flagship model that pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in an electric SUV. Whether it’s for family duties, business use, or simply making a statement on the road, the EV9 GT-Line is poised to impress.