Kia unveiled and fully specified the latest model in its family of electric cars, the Kia EV9 in March 2023 - and now it has confirmed the prices and models that will be coming to the UK. Presented first as a concept in 2021, the Kia EV9 has now had its official unveiling. The thing that's important about the Kia EV9 is that it offers three rows of seats, so it's an electric seven-seater, which is pretty rare. So far, only the Mercedes EQB, Mercedes EQS SUV and Tesla Model X offer it, with the VW ID.6 in China also offering that third row.
Kia has gone all-out on design, however, and not much seems to have changed from the concept model, which is something we always like to see. That makes for futuristic lines, angular panels and a unique look. There's some familiar design - we can see the Sportage and the Niro reflected in this new model - but it's also big, squared and bold. Kia is referring to the front of this car as the Digital Tiger Face and you can expect some interesting lighting from the front of the car. The GT-line will see exterior changes for the higher trim level, the front and rear bumpers, and the roofrack, getting modifications. There will also be options for 19, 20 or 21-inch wheels.
The Kia EV9 is another model sitting on E-GMP platform. That's given us the likes of the Kia EV6 and is characterised by the flat floor through the cabin giving a spacious interior - but it's also used by Hyundai for the Ioniq 5 and Genesis for the GV60. Like the Genesis EV60, it looks like there will be the option for digital wing mirrors on the GT-line.
Moving to the important range and power specs, there will be both rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive options (AWD). There are two battery options, the RWD standard gets a 76.1kWh battery while the RWD long range and AWD models get a huge 99.8kWh battery. (The smaller battery option won't be available in the UK.) The AWD model has a pair of motors offering 283kW and 600Nm torque, delivering 0-62mph in 6 seconds. You'll be able to increase that performance via the boost mode, that you'll be able to opt into via the Kia Connect Store. The RWD Long Range has a 150kW motor giving a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds, but the RWD Standard has a more powerful 160kW motor, so is a little more spritely, getting to 62mph in 8.2 seconds.
It's a slightly unusual arrangement in this regard, where the standard model could potentially be seen as offering better performance in some conditions. However, the RWD long range is said to offer 336 miles from a single charge, which is impressive for an EV of this size - and the entry-level model for the UK. You'll be able to put about 148 miles charge back into the EV9 in 15 minutes when connected to a rapid charger.
There will be three trim levels - Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S - and here are how the prices breakdown for the UK:
- Air (7-seat): from £64,995
- GT-Line (7 seat): from £72,495
- GT-Line S (7 seat): from £75,995
- GT-Line S (6 seat): from £78,995
The Air will be RWD only, so it's a single motor and offers the greatest range at 336 miles, so is likely to be really popular. Standard equipment includes 19-inch wheels, wireless phone charger, heated and ventilated front and outer second row seats, electronic rear-view mirror, second row blinds and privacy glass, ambient lighting, level 2 driving assistance, 360-degree view and a whole lot more.
The GT-Line moves to a dual motor arrangement, so it's more powerful, and adds mostly exterior styling changes, but adds massage functions and parking assistance. The GT-Line S also has the dual motor, but moves to 21-inch wheels, has a sunroof for the front and second row, as well as a 14-speaker Meridian sound system. The GT-Line S also offers a six seat arrangement with swivel second row seats.
The minimalist lines of the interior are now pretty familiar from the latest collection of Kia models, with the display running from behind the steering wheel into the central display. There are two 12.3-inch displays, with an additional 5-inch segment, to give you plenty of control and information.
There are touch areas on the dash too, but this is again an interior that's designed to be open and spacious, using modern textures to make it softer, like a lounge and less like a traditional car.
The three rows of seats will be of interest to many drivers and interestingly you can rotate the second row seats so passengers can face each other, while the third row gets cup holders and sockets for charging phones and other devices.
The first two rows can also recline, so if you want to all kick back and sleep while the car is charging you can do that, while there's also the promise of plenty of storage throughout the cabin.
Kia is promising loads of tech to keep you on the road too, with the promise of Level 3 autonomy on GT-line models in the future. This will enable a Highway Driving Pilot, allowing the driver to take their hands off the wheel in some conditions. It's currently only legal in a couple of countries, but starting to appear on a number of cars, including the recently-announced BMW i7.