Futuristic, battery-electric SUV packs seven people

KIA ensures no stone is left unturned when it comes to developing its latest vehicles

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. The sky outside is bright blue, the sand bright red and the scenery is spectacular but at this moment, it’s what’s immediately surrounding me that has my attention. That’s because I am sitting in the 2024 Kia EV9, a futuristic three-row battery-electric SUV with up to 489 km of range that drives so smoothly and silently — it’s whisper quiet in here — you’d hardly know you were moving at all. The windshield ahead is broad, the hood is proud and the all-digital dash in my peripheral vision leaves little to the imagination: this is the bleeding edge of tech in the consumer car world.

Awaked from my daydream, I get a chance to take in my surroundings. You don’t think landscapes like this actually exist. The never-ending purple skies, the sand, and, above all else, the 20-foot cacti that look lifted directly from a Roadrunner cartoon. (You can see this animal here, too, but they are much smaller in reality.) I’m in the desert, about an hour outside Scottsdale, Ariz., and I feel like I’m sitting in another world.

I’m in the 2024 Kia EV9, a futuristic, three-row, batteryelectric SUV, with up to 489 km of range. It can pack up to seven people within its boxy-yetmodern shape.

I drove the AWD model only, but, putting power aside for a minute, all EV9s are tuned almost the same way, when it comes to the ride; the GT-Line gets air suspension, which helps with comfort and towing, but otherwise it’s the same setup and it’s very smooth. Even with big 21-inch wheels, bumps are absorbed with gumption and small imperfections in the road surface are easily dispatched. It’s also very quiet, allowing for easy conversation and making it all that much easier to listen to the great Meridian sound system.

Considering that, at more than 7,000 lbs., the EV9 GT-Ultimate is no lightweight, it leaves the line briskly, especially in Sport mode. Power delivery is immediate, and forward progress is such that passing at speed is no problem.

Just look at the headlights and their 12-bulb count — those are standard across all trims (Light RWD — $59,995; Wind RWD — $62,995; Land AWD — $64,995; Land + Premium Package — $74,995; Land + GT-Line Package — $78,995) or better yet, look at what Kia calls the Digital Lighting Grille, essentially a collection of LEDs that can light up in two different ways — or, if you so chose, seven different ways if you pay a subscription price for the feature. Yes; you read that right; your car can subscribe to look different and while that is a unique touch, I think the system could have been put to better use as a sort of charge-indicator while plugged in, similar to the approach used by EV truck-maker Rivian.

The EV9 is a big vehicle, similar in size to the EV9’s Telluride sibling. A lot more storage, though, especially when you consider the frunk, which grows deeper still in the RWD EV9.

It is big, but being an EV, it doesn’t have to pack as much running gear underneath the body — no transmission, no engine, no driveshaft — so that there is a ton of space inside. Front row, second row, third row are all perfectly usable for adults, especially when it comes to the headroom. In the third row, my six-foot three-inch frame didn’t have to hunch over and my knees weren’t crunched against my chest. The second row will automatically move itself forward to clear the thirdrow occupants’ knees, and the seats can fold almost flat.

Thanks to the upright windscreen, outward visibility is great and is complemented by a digital rear-view mirror on the top two trims. The squared-off hood helps place the EV9 in tight quarters, as does the surround-view parking monitor.

The feed from this appears on a 12.3-inch display, matched by a 12.3-inch gauge display. There’s a five-inch climate display sandwiched between the two. There’s also a haptic feedback touch panel below that — it’s somewhat inconvenient as you reach for the main display — and some redundant “hard” buttons for your climate controls below that. That’s important as that means they can be more easily operated with gloves on in winter. There’s also a heated steering wheel as standard on the Wind RWD and heated and cooled front seats are standard at base.

The interior is clinical in its execution, from the sustainable faux-suede on the a-pillars and roof liner, to the cloth dash-insert ahead of the passenger, to the tightness of the panels and the quality of the synthetic leather seating. It is an absolute hit.

The Wind RWD model gets the larger of two available batteries — 76.1kilowatt-hour (kWh) (215 horsepower, 258 pounds-feet of torque or motive force) and 99.8 kWh (379 hp, 516 lbs.-ft.) — and the weight savings of only having a single EV motor, so it gets the most range of these variants.

The most range you’re going to get with an AWD EV9, is 451 km, achieved by the Land AWD model, which will likely be the sweet spot for buyers.

In addition to sport, normal and eco drive modes, the EV9 also gets snow, sand and mud terrain modes that will change your power delivery and distribution. We sampled all three modes on a loose gravel surface and the differences can pretty readily be felt. The sand and mud modes, by the way, are exclusive to Canada.

That’s a nice bonus, but the EV9 really doesn’t need any sweetener.

About two decades ago, Kia was a newcomer to North America. It needed to build brand equity and that took a while. It now ensures no stone is left unturned when it comes to developing cars — and that’s how we get efforts such as this EV9.

And we’re all the better for it.