It’s the newest and largest all-electric crossover from a nameplate quickly gaining momentum as the go-to choice for EVs not badged as a Tesla.
Kia’s all-new for 2024 all-electric EV9 three row crossover joins its two-row mid-size EV6 crossover in the South Korean Automaker’s growing portfolio of plug-in, battery-exclusive propelled products.
Both Kia Motors America, and the luxury-appointed Genesis Motors fall under the umbrella of their parental benefactor, the Hyundai Motor Group, one of South Korea’s largest conglomerates. Economics of scale benefits the trio as all share Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).
This structure’s akin to a low-to-the-ground skateboard design where battery cells and modules merge together into a long narrow pack below the load floor between front and rear axles. This flexible structure scales up or down accommodating even more future EV offerings of varying sizes from the trio. The EV9 builds as an EV from the ground up resulting in an open concept. Many rivals borrow an existing ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) platform, remove the engine and squeeze battery and electric motors inside, resulting in a less aerodynamic structure and tighter interior quarters.
The EV9 competes within an uber popular mid-size crossover segment offering three rows of seats. As of this point in time, few mid-size three-row all-electric crossovers exist outside the Normal-Illinois assembled Rivian R1S, a couple low-volume pricy(er) selections from Mercedes-Benz and Tesla’s Model Y (where an optional third row best describes as crampy). Both EV9 and EV6 promote Kia’s well-researched fourth-generation battery technology.
Kia, a mainstream automaker, includes many bells and whistles within EV9’s confines elevating the experience to near-luxury with comparably robust sales reflecting customer interest. During the first six months of 2024, a respectable 9,671 units sold across the U.S. with an ample supply available at Chicago area Kia franchises. It’s also earned praise from an honored regional automotive association.
Kia also offers the three-row, value-driven mid-size Telluride crossover powered by an internal combustion engine introduced in 2020 model year with EV9 offering a pinch more length. Size wise, the three-row EV9 measures 13 inches longer than the smaller mid-size EV6.
Unlike conventional ICE vehicles and their many moving parts, Electric Vehicles simplify the build-process doing away with multi-speed transmissions, motor oil, air filters and gas tanks. Instead, an electric motor (or motors) supply motive movement powered by the large rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack.
Electric Vehicles with a single electric motor locate it on the front axle (front wheel drive) or rear axle (rear wheel drive). When employing two motors, one on each axle, the vehicle provides all-wheel drive, sometimes known as ‘dual motor.’ In EV9’s case, the three-row crossover offers the choice of rear wheel or all-wheel drive dependent upon the trim selected.
The EV9’s lithium-ion battery pack also offers two different sizes with the smaller version offering less all-electric range, but arriving at a lower price point. Five trim levels include: Light, Light Long Range, Wind, Land and top-shelf GT-Line. Both Light and Light Long Range enjoy rear-wheel drive standard while dual motors power the upper three trims.
Pop open the long, square hood and a clean black apron covers the front compartment with a gentle mid-section recess region and re-attachable pop-up circular cut outs removed when refilling blue windshield washer or pink coolant. Known in the EV universe as a ‘FRUNK’ (a machination of truck and front) the small 1.8 cubic foot area recess accommodates a large-sized backpack within the EV9’s frunk confines with a stated weight limit of 44 pounds in GT-line editions. Cubic feet and weight limits double within most other trim choices.
The lack of a large engine and conventional horizontal transmission floor hump opens up design opportunities generating greater interior comfort. Generous leg room for drivers and front passengers thanks to a flat floor joins up with many storage opportunities. Dual cup holders between front buckets situate in an extended (Kia’s floating center console) arm with room below for storage of a sizeable purse or small backpack.
As with many conventional three-row crossovers, EV-9 offers the choice of six or seven seat configuration with the middle row opting either for a three-row bench or two-row captain’s chairs in select trims. All include a manually folding 50/50-split third row with long straps attached to seatbacks useful when lassoing them back up. Leg and most notably head room within the third row is class leading and adult approved; one of the few comfort-fitting third rows in an ICE or EV choice. Large doors swing open wide and 7.8 inches of ground clearance promote accessible entry/exit into all rows.
The power rear latch opens with plenty of head clearance easing the process of loading and unloading. With third row prone, a usable 20.2 cubic feet of cargo room remains. The GT-Line trim features a wonderful massage feature built into the supportive driver’s seat pampering the lower back with ball-like structures rotating and kneading body parts; great and appreciated for long hauls.
The Light trim includes a 76.1-kilowatt hour battery pack working with a 160-kilowatt rear motor promising a range of 230 miles (and 215 horsepower). All other trims feature a 99.8-kilowatt hour pack. Our GT-Line included a 189.5 horsepower front and 189.5 horsepower rear motor for 379 total horsepower. Both battery pack and powertrain warranties generously cover 10 years or 100,000 miles.
Our all-wheel drive GT-Line enjoyed a 270-mile range but with mid-summer temperatures (EV batteries over perform during warm temperatures compared to frigid cold, similar to humans) the range topped 300 estimated miles when fully charged and switched to the range-friendly ‘EV’ drive mode. The Light Long Range trim enjoys the best range at an estimated 304 miles.
In the EV world of 2024, these ranges fall into the ‘decent’ category for a heavy vehicle this size. Tesla’s model Y crossover promises a healthy range up to 320 miles thanks in part to its smaller and lighter build.
That said, Kia's 10.9-kilowatt onboard charger (OBC) rates as a robust choice for a single-phase design, meaning charge times get reduced significantly when utilizing Level 2 240-volt Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) at- home wall units. The EV9 charges in under 9 hours with a properly installed Level 2 EVSE wall unit. Onboard chargers help preserve batteries from overheating/charging and convert household alternating current (AC) waveform from the grid into direct current (DC) waveform for storage within the DC battery pack. In Illinois, an average home kilowatt hour rate stands at about .16 cents but varies during differing day parts.
All EV6 trims come with a Level 1 (120-volt) cable/cord. Utilizing this common household current (known as a trickle charge) from a near empty battery status to full would require about 84 hours (more than five days) with Level 1's 3.5 kilowatt maximum power output, thus making the jump to Level 2 EVSE installation an easy choice. However, no special EVSE wall unit investment is necessary with Level 1 charging which delivers about 4 miles of range each hour.
Publicly available DC fast chargers cut time, but cost considerably more than at-home Level 2 charging. Costs vary depending upon location and even the time of day. A Woodridge Illinois Electrify America DC Fast Charging station pairing with EV9’s Combined Charging System (CCS) connector cost .56 cents per kilowatt hour. In Madison Wisconsin, the price was ten cents less per kilowatt hour. Direct Current Fast Chargers bypass the OBC chokepoint speedily delivering direct current into the DC battery pack.
Kia’s EV9's robust 800-volt battery architecture cuts recharge time even more when DC fast charging. The caveat; not all publicly available DC Fast Chargers are created or rated equally (or post identical kilowatt-hour pricing). The EV9 charges the lithium-ion battery pack from 5 to 80 percent in 23 minutes on a 350-kilowatt maximum output (hyper fast), 800-volt rated DC Fast Charger (if one can be located). If using a 50-kilowatt maximum output, 400-volt rated DC Fast Charger, the time needed to recharge from 5 to 80 percent grows to 90 minutes, but most DC Fast Charging franchised locations nowadays have ample numbers of 150-kilowatt maximum output ports.
Pricing starts at $54,900 for a EV9 Light trim. Precious few factory options are available as each model adds more content when traveling up the trim ladder. Land and the GT-Line offer a $2,000 six-seat ‘VIP Relaxation’ design with upmarket plush power-operated second-row captain’s chairs (with leg extenders) that motor forward slowly when pushing a button atop the backrests creating a lane into third row comfort. Land trims offer a $1,500 towing package.
Our GT-Line all-wheel drive tester arrived with a $73,900 starting price and second-row two-seat relaxation package. The only other factory extra was a $695 bump for upmarket Ocean Blue exterior paint. With a $1,495 destination charge and dealer added floor and cargo mats, the bottom line ended at $78,430.
A right-hand stalk jetting out from the steering column (one of two) operates reverse, neutral and drive with a twist of the end portion; up for reverse, down for drive. This appendage also houses electronic start/stop when beginning or ending journeys; a much different location than the traditional circular dashboard button. Right thumbs enjoy the responsibility for start/stop engagement with a gentle press of the stalk’s inner portion. The second stalk controls front and rear wipers, the latter swinging down from the top of the glass rather than swiping up from the bottom.
One of five drive modes selects either from the touch screen or a secondary button along the steering wheel’s lower portion clearly marked ‘drive mode.’ Most of our time together was spent in ‘Eco” mode, the selection specifically designed to maximize driving range.
Below the screen and long narrow horizontal air vents, four press down/up tabs monitoring fan speed/temperature join a center red hazard button. A complete menu of HVAC controls also commands through the long, rectangular, (non-curved) center screen combining two 12.3-inch screens and 5.0 HVAC screen into one continuous single panel. Wireless phone charging comes standard in each and every trim via a hot pad atop a storage cover between front buckets.
Two ‘regenerative braking’ settings select from the center screen’s home page under the ‘Electric vehicle’ icon selection. This braking resistance technology, helping extend electric vehicle range got introduced into mainstream vernacular a quarter century ago with the advancement of gas-electric hybrid vehicles (also referred to now as Battery Electric Vehicles, or BEVs). This technology recycles and stores kinetic braking energy back into the battery for later reuse. Stop-and-go traffic generates more friction than highway travel, so multiple around-town jaunts potentially extend range estimates due to regenerative braking.
Also, a pair of steering wheel paddle shifters increase or decrease resistance simply with a finger flick. These shifters reside on the hub where manumatic-type paddles found on sporty ICE automatic transmissions typically dwell. Resistance regeneration remains a fun part of the EV revolution.
The hefty 1,248-pound flat battery pack stows under the cabin between axles built upon an 800-volt electrical architecture. Zero to 60 time with the Dual Motor combo happens in a scant 5 seconds according to Kia’s own stopwatch. The EV9, like other EV’s drives with a very quiet hum rather than engine rumble. For a large vehicle, EV9 handles respectively on the highway and suburban streets and smooths over any encountered ruts or bumps.
An artistic light structure anchors the large, clean rectangular ‘Tiger nose’ front end. Two vertical rows of small bejeweled LED lights adorn each end of the grille. At night, the body-colored center section within GT-line and Land trims glow with additional star-like light beams, part of Kia’s LED animated digital grille design. Red-illuminating tail lights at night form a unique ‘Y” shape with the bottom base hugging the lower corner liftgate.
Body-colored side door grab bars extend out when unlocking the vehicle, and flush mount when locked. Round wheel wells have a visual edge, thanks to black body cladding adding a non-circular flavor. The rock-impeding black cladding extends onto door bottoms and front/rear fenders. Eight exterior colors include two flat matte options.
Rear cross traffic alert not only beeps if a vehicle sneaks by while backing out of a tight parking spot, but drivers also feel a vibration within the steering wheel. With EV9’s large size, it’s a great feature coming into play and saving potential incidents more than once during our time together. Land and GT-Line trims include a blind spot view monitor projecting real-time video full color feeds of side blind spot activity into the instrument panel when right/left turn signals are summoned.
Availability of publicly available DC fast chargers continues expanding through franchises such as EVGo and Electrify America. The EV9 includes area listings of nearby locations within the touch screen when nesting through the EV icon.
Recently expanded Federal tax credits make a strong case to ponder an EV purchase. However, the details remain sordid, frustrating and at times hard to digest.
In order to qualify for the entire $7,500 Federal tax credit through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), an EV must be assembled in the U.S. and meet a host of other qualifications including battery component requirements. Very few EVs quality for the full $7,500 Federal tax credit (IRS Form 8936) but the number is expected to grow as more production comes online in the U.S. The tax credit, or a portion there of, is taken in the year one takes delivery.
Kia’s EV9 finds itself at the cusp of qualifying. All 2024 models including our GT-Line tester now assemble in South Korea, but 2025 model year EV9’s began rolling off a Georgia assembly line in June of 2024. Hyundai Motor Group’s all-new ‘Metaplant’ battery assembly facility also in Georgia (its first battery assembly project in the U.S.) remains ahead of schedule with a promised opening prior to Father Time ringing in the 2025 New Year. While the 2024 EV9 fails to qualify for the $7,500 bonanza, its 2025 counterpart should qualify for a portion, if not all of the $7,500 incentive sometime in the near future.
The Illinois EPA offers a generous rebate up to $4,000 when purchasing a new EV from a dealership licensed in Illinois, but funding for this program is spotty. The program’s budget dried up in January of 2024 and the next 90-day rebate cycle has yet to be announced as of July 2024. Lots of hoops to jump through and forms to file. The State of Illinois’ rebate, however, is open to all EVs no matter where assembled.
Spicing up a 2024 EV9 purchase; a partnership with Electrify America, one of the largest network of publicly available DC fast charging stations. As with the all-electric EV6, Electrify America is providing first-time owners 1,000 kilowatt hours of free charging (to be used within the first three years from purchase) at its 20 locations throughout Chicagoland and 900 nationwide.
One additional closing note regarding EV9. During its short time plugged into consumer consciousness, EV9 has earned several accolades, including the 2024 ‘Best Plug-in Vehicle’ award from the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), a notable Chicago-based organization of which this scribe is a founding member and Past President. For those seeking an all-electric, roomy three-row crossover, EV9 remains a solid pick to click.
2023 Kia EV6 GT-Line
Price as tested: $78,430
Horsepower: 379
Torque: 516 lb.-ft
Battery Pack energy: 99.8 kilowatt hours
Battery range: 270 miles
Wheelbase: 122 inches
Overall Length: 197.4 inches
Overall Width: 77.9 inches
Overall Height: 70.1 inches
Battery Warranty: 10-year/100,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty: 10-year/100,000 miles
Assembly: South Korea