Loafing about in the arid desert in the outskirts of Scottsdale, Arizona, the serene landscape combined with the silence of an all-electric powertrain, leaving little to fixate on, beyond one’s own thoughts. By now it had been a handful of years since my last stint behind the wheel of anything produced by the South Korean automaker, but it may as well have been a decade. The vastness of the digital display that extends from instrument cluster to infotainment panel, the comfort of the drive, and the quality of the various touchpoints found within reach of the drivers seat all steered me in one direction; the new Kia EV9 is setting the bar of what we should expect from mid-market automakers everywhere.
Crisp and cool from nose to tail, the EV9 embraces that now very familiar boxy SUV energy that has propagated its way through the autosphere over the last handful of years. It’s a handsome one, if you can get behind automotive cubism, still wearing the design language Peter Schreyer laid out for the brand shortly after his arrival at Kia in 2006. There’s also a touch of that “Tron” energy we see often in the EV space, where little added details are thrown it to make the car feel more futuristic. In the case of EV9, it’s a trick set of LEDs hidden behind paint that are just inboard of the main headlights. What’s more, these lights are programmable, with three different lock and unlock patterns accessible via the cabin’s menu options.
Kia’s shiny new EV9 has a handful of claims to fame beyond these sneaky running lights, starting with the fact that it’s the first proper 3-row EV SUV to roll its way into Canada. Also, it’s not one of these “you can wedge a couple toddlers in the back so it counts as 3-row” deals that we’re used to seeing from the petrol burning set. The theory was tested at the beginning of our drive day, and you can indeed fit three 6-foot tall adults one behind the other comfortably — ah, the joys of flat floors.
Before taking further detours, we understand the perpetually leading question is its range; three trim levels are being offered in Canada, with an anticipated range starting at 370 kilometers and topping out at 489 for its mid-spec rear-wheel drive model. That’s right, not all EV9s will be all-wheel drive. Rather, only the Land AWD trim will offer power at all four corners, with an estimated range of 451 kilometers. All told, considering we’re looking at a large SUV capable of carrying seven adults that offers a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds (2,267 kg), and whose gross vehicle weight is north of 7,000 lbs (3,220 kg), that range data sounds pretty fair. Of course, range equations all come down to one’s personal and professional life, access to a charging network, etc, but for a runabout for a larger family (or an average family with a hefty activity schedule) it’s nice to see an option in market that ticks the SUV boxes in a platform that takes gas stations out of the equation.
Considering its goals as an EV family hauler, we weren’t too pressed to test out 0-100km/h times or lateral Gs in cornering — this isn’t a BMW XM or AMG-spec G Wagon, and at a hair over $60,000 we don’t expect it to be, either. Firm, planted, stable, and comfortable to drive over all sorts of terrain (including some good bits of sand-covered trail), the EV9 does what it needs to, and keeps some of that nice EV torque on tap to let you execute passing maneuvers in a timely fashion. The EV9 also has one of the better adaptive cruise control systems I’ve been in. It won’t change lanes for you if you flip a turn signal, but aside from that, its ability to track lanes and other vehicles was quite impressive. Alongside this, Kia’s Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) includes over 20 standard collision avoidance and active assist functions to keep occupants safe and sound.
As Kia’s new flagship model, I have to give credit where credit is due. While there are plenty of big bad pavement-shredding SUVs we love with big six-figure price tags attached, Kia proves that once again South Korea’s automakers have plenty to offer. Being first to own the category is quite the power move, and we’re curious to see what comes next.
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