Kia rides the wave with the award-winning, range-topping, luxury EV9 SUV

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Car Reviewed: Kia EV9 GT-Line S

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The Kia EV9 achieved a remarkable dual victory at the 2024 World Car Awards at the New York International Auto Show in March, being voted World Car of the Year and World Electric Vehicle. This victory earned KIA five titles in prestigious awards. Many more awards have now been showered on this exciting SUV, including the prestigious Red Dot Award for design.

Kia has given a strong incentive to buy an EV9, which is now available with a 4.9 per cent APR on finance and no minimum customer deposit. Existing Kia finance takers can also get a further £500 discount and an enhanced Kia charge plus voucher for 12 months.

The EV9 was launched this spring in Britain in three trim levels and an additional range-topping six-seat option, priced from £65,025 to £78,775, with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive transmission.

We briefly tested the stablemate rear-wheel drive Air version a few weeks before and that was £12,000 cheaper than this GT-Line S. With its additional front-wheel motor drive, it may be more attractive unless you want the extra urge, grip, and compelling features of the top model.
 
The EV9 puts Kia into a new price category for SUVs, but it is still more competitive than traditional luxury SUVs with British or German badges on their bonnets.

The EV9’s size immediately impresses, closely matching a Land Rover Discovery. However, the designers wisely chose to create a lot of space inside and then pack an immense amount of technology around the occupants.

They also pamper the driver with all manner of driving and safety aids, including a reversing camera built into the rear mirror, a side camera on the door mirrors and one of the best intelligent cruise control systems I have ever used.

The twin motors provide the EV9 with a lot of get-up-and-go, so it’s quicker and faster than the Air version. The independent suspension is more akin to a sports car than an SUV, but the steering does not match this. The turning circle is extensive, and parking can become a chore as a result, and not just because it has a large footprint on the road.

The sophisticated regeneration system allows the user to select the degree of mechanical braking to slow it down and boost the energy into the battery. The electric parking brake securely worked on our chosen test slope.

The motors produced little noise even when heading towards max revolutions, but road rumbles from tyres and suspension and low wind noise did become noticeable.

Using the adjustable braking and a modest but not excessive throttle meant we saw a range of about 284 miles from a charge, slightly further than the 272 recorded with the Air, which was also lighter. Both of these were shorter than the suggested Kia WLTP figures, but of course, this is all down to driving style, as it is with a petrol or diesel model. The EV9’s heat pump is good, too.

The room in the EV9 is exceptionally good. The first two rows of seats are easily accessible through the side doors, but climbing into the rearmost pair of our six-seater layout is a bit more fiddly. The middle pair of seats swivel and slide to suit passengers’ access preferences, which is a good feature.

The nominal boot space is suitable for shopping or a few cases, but quickly dropping the rear seats immediately creates a lot more space for four. Not only is there a lot of luggage space available, but the oddments room is ideal for a family or business use and there are multiple chargers throughout.

The driver and front passenger have a very large infotainment display beside a packed driver’s display, which takes some getting used to. However, all were very clear and quickly changed settings as desired. Our test car had the useful head-up display, which was less distracting than glancing down to the packed fascia.

The big Kia’s heating and ventilation system worked hard to keep the desired temperature throughout, backed up by powered windows all around and an opening front sunroof with another behind.

Excellent wipers and lights, which also automatically dipped, gave good vision in poor conditions. The cameras and sensors provide a clear 360-degree view when parking if you wish to use something other than the automatic system to ease into gaps.

The Kia EV9 had very large and supportive seats with a lot of adjustment room, excellent suspension absorption and little body roll or wallowing when cornering, even over bad surfaces.

The EV9 looks and feels very well made, and with the technology at its fingertips, it stands up to traditional luxury brands. It is undoubtedly a rival that handsomely beats them on price as well. 

The Kia EV9 is one of the most significant new cars of the decade.

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