Kia EV9 Promises to Be a Family-Friendly, 3-Row Electric SUV

Three-row SUVs are increasingly popular among American consumers, but there aren’t any lower-cost electric options out there. Sure, the Rivian R1S, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, and Tesla Model X exist, but their high prices put them out of range for most families. The same goes for the upcoming Volvo EX90. If Kia can price the six- or seven-seater EV9 below $60,000—which we think is likely—it may open up a whole new market for EVs.

The EV9 takes design cues from various existing Kia models. The overall look is similar to the Telluride’s, the side profile is reminiscent of a Soul, and the front and rear share design elements with other Kia EVs. Buyers will have a choice of 19-inch, 20-inch, or 21-inch wheels. Ground clearance is up to 7.8 inches, depending on how the vehicle is equipped. Trim levels include Light, Wind, Land, and GT-Line, an option with unique wheel, bumper, roof rack, and trim designs, and glossy black trim.

The EV9’s length, width, and height are all within a fraction of an inch of the Kia Telluride, although the EV9’s wheelbase is about 8 inches longer, which suggests it will have more interior space than the gas-powered Telluride.

Kia calls the EV9’s front view Tiger Face, and we assume that’s referring to an aggressive look that combines high-tech features and animated exterior lighting. As with many newer Kia models, the EV9 uses lighting as an integral part of its design, blending smaller, hidden LEDs with a prominent light bar across the front of the vehicle. The light bar allows for some customizable animation, too.

The EV9 has a minimalist interior design. Like the Telluride and EV6, it’s dominated by a wide panel of touchscreens, although there appear to be some physical buttons for certain features. Built-in navigation will plan routes that bring drivers to charging stations when necessary. The upholstery is simulated leather, and much of the interior cloth and carpeting is recycled.

One of the benefits of the EV9’s E-GMP platform—an underlying vehicle design that’s shared by Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis—is its flat interior floor. That gives the EV9 a roomier interior than gas-powered SUVs, where drivetrain components add “humps” in the floor. A long center console stretches from the front to the second row, offering storage for front and rear passengers, and a sliding table/storage console combo is also available.

A six-seat configuration with second-row captain’s chairs and a seven-seat configuration with a bench seat will both be available. A two-seat third row sits above the car’s rear wheels and is therefore higher than the other rows of seating. Legroom looks tight—Kia says there are 32 inches back there—although a tilting bench seat allows for third-row access even with a car seat installed in the second row. An option called Relaxation Mode fits first- and second-row passenger seats with extendable footrests.

Buyers will have three powertrain options. The RWD Standard model gets a 76.1-kilowatt-hour battery and a single 215-hp electric motor, and can go from 0 to 62 mph in 8.2 seconds, according to Kia. The RWD Long Range model has a slightly less powerful single 201-hp electric motor and a 99.8-kWh battery, and Kia says it can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 9.4 seconds. The AWD model has two motors—one for the front wheels, one for the rear—that combined offer 379 hp. It also comes with the larger 99.8-kWh battery and can sprint from 0 to 62 mph in 6 seconds. Towing capacity is up to 5,000 pounds, although our prior experience towing with EVs demonstrates that range might decrease significantly.

Kia says that it expects the Long Range version of the EV9 to have a range of around 300 miles. Like the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Audi E-Tron GT, and Porsche Taycan, the EV9 has an 800-volt architecture that allows it to accept faster DC charging than many other current EVs as long as drivers plug into a compatible public DC fast-charging station. In such a scenario, Kia estimates that drivers will be able to charge the battery from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 25 minutes. A vehicle-to-load (V2L) outlet lets owners use the EV9 as a giant battery pack to power certain items at campsites, at tailgates, and when the power is out.

Curiously, Kia says that drivers will be able to add higher performance by purchasing a software update from the Kia Connect Store—a fresh example of how automakers are planning to make certain features available after the initial vehicle purchase. Called “Boost,” it promises the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds on certain trim levels. New custom lighting patterns and an enhanced remote parking assistance feature will also be available for purchase, as will the ability to use the EV9 to return vehicle power to the electrical grid or a vehicle owner’s home through a specific wall charger.

Kia says the EV9 will have 15 sensors, including two lidar sensors. In addition to all the latest advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), including blind spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane keeping assistance, and adaptive cruise control with lane changing, it will also offer a feature called Advanced Highway Driving Assist (AHDA). Details are scarce, but it uses lidar to help maintain a set distance from a vehicle ahead and stay within lane lines. AHDA is likely to allow for some vehicle automation during highway driving, including automatic lane changes.

The EV9 will also get an updated automatic emergency braking (AEB) feature that Kia says will be able to detect oncoming vehicles while turning left in an intersection and crossing vehicles while passing through an intersection. It may also be able to steer and/or brake to avoid or mitigate a collision with oncoming vehicles while passing, vehicles in front of the car while changing lanes, and vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, and obstacles in front of the vehicle while driving straight.

Kia will not offer its Highway Driving Pilot system—which Kia says will have the capabilities of Level 3 autonomy—in the U.S. Kia is calling AHDA a Level 2+ system, which probably means it will take over some driving tasks as long as the driver is fully engaged. The addition of lidar, which offers a great deal of detail about a vehicle’s surroundings, puts it in the same league as many newer EVs from Volvo, Polestar, and Lucid.

We will be very interested to test AHDA on our new 1.5-mile ADAS Loop. Kia has not shared whether the feature will include direct driver monitoring, which can ensure drivers stay alert when automation is in use.