Kia has decided to hit the table in its evolution as a brand, and it does so by launching the Kia EV9. It is a spectacular electric SUV five meters long, which will be for sale in Spain in configurations of six or seven seats and whose first units will arrive in October. We have met him and we will tell you what the first impressions have been.
Kia began selling electric cars 11 years ago, and the
evolution of their electric technology has led them to have developed four
generations of electric cars to date. This EV9 and its little brother, the EV6,
are part of that fourth generation that undoubtedly differs by the notable
advance in technology and performance compared to all those previously known.
This fourth generation, compared to what happened with the third formed by the Soul and Niro, does not have combustion brothers, or what is the same, they are born with a specific development as natively electric cars.
Five-meter SUV of very American proportions
The Kia EV9 could be seen for the first time in Spain this week, at an event organized in Madrid in which the managers of the Korean brand showed us and explained this model statically for the first time, while we wait for after the summer to At the end of September or the beginning of October, we can already do a dynamic test at the same time that the first units begin to be delivered to customers.
Now orders for the EV9 have been opened at Kia dealers throughout Spain, so it is important to know the specifications of the models that will arrive in our country.
The Kia EV9 is a very large SUV, at 5.01 meters long and 1.98 meters wide that is built using the e-GMP modular platform. Due to its design, marked by large volumes, forceful shapes, and vertical lines in the front and rear light groups, it impresses when you have it before you.
It sounds colloquial, but it is a "very American" looking SUV, perhaps because that will be its main market. I place it closer to a Ford Explorer, a Chevrolet Suburban, or cars of that style than to a Kia Sorento that is 20 centimeters longer.
It is a car that undoubtedly stands out for its very avant-garde design, marked by the fact that the front light groups take up very little space on the body, are vertically arranged, and are mostly painted in black, leaving only a few LED points. visible from outside in the case of the forwards.
If we add to this that it is a very large car, with a wide and high hood, very robust shapes, and a "massive" face, I don't know what you think. It has impressed me since I saw it for the first time in photos a few months ago and it has done so even more now when the canvas that covered it has been removed and I have had it before me.
The unit that we could see and touch came equipped with the GT-Line package, which will be the first to be put on sale in Spain. A more basic version will arrive later.
The Kia EV9 GT-Line comes with 21-inch wheels and the basic versions will equip 19- or 20-inch tires with low rolling resistance.
The door handles are automatic and are flush with the body, helping to improve the aerodynamic coefficient, which is 0.28, a very good record for its size.
The front Air Courtains are active and open or closed depending on the circumstances.
A huge and very technological interior
The interior of the Kia EV9 is gigantic in every way. The fact of not having a transmission tunnel makes it possible to create a flat surface on which the seats are attached, which can have a 2+2+2 or 2+3+2 configuration.
Those of the two front rows move longitudinally to accommodate the occupants with more or less space for the cargo area. The front seats, by the way, almost become beds to rest when the car is stopped and those in the second row also have a relaxing function.
The driving position impresses with its layout, with a set of triple screens from behind the steering wheel to the central area of the car, forming a single segment. In those 12.3", 5.3", and another 12.3" screens arranged in a line, most of the functions you may need come together.
Between the front seats, there is a gigantic glove box, with a wireless charging area and holes for all kinds of objects with a lid.
I was impressed by the quality of the materials applied to the interior, the feel they have, and the good fit. I don't think it happened to me if I affirm that many Premium cars would like to have this level of finishes that the Kia EV9 has.
Kia estimates that 70% of the sales of this model in Spain will be through leasing operations
For the rest, it has a double independent air conditioning system for the front and rear seats. The third-row seats are equipped with armrests, bottle holders, and cup holders and I would like to highlight that they are real seats, which fit an adult comfortably and are not emergency seats as in other 7-seater models.
That third row of seats is hidden electrically by pressing some buttons in the trunk, which allows the cargo capacity to vary from the minimum of 333 liters with the two seats in the third row unfolded to 828 liters with 4 or 5 seats. In addition, there is a small trunk under the front hood with 55 liters of capacity.
The digital mirrors with the camera and screen that this unit had are optional since it will have conventional mirrors as standard.
Unique mechanics with all-wheel drive
The Kia EV9 will arrive in Spain in a single version with an all-wheel drive, which has two electric motors that together develop 384 hp.
The GT-line accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds and reaches a top speed of 200 km/h. The estimated WLTP autonomy reaches up to 497 km.
The key to this autonomy is in the 99.8 kWh battery with Kia's fourth-generation technology, which has 38 modules with 456 cells.
It is charged using an 800-volt ultra-fast charging system, with which they promise that with proper installation it can gain 219 km of autonomy with a charge of only 15 minutes.
In addition, the battery has a bidirectional system, which would even allow it to send its energy to the home in order to provide it with electricity.
A price that will be around 80,000 euros
Undoubtedly, the Kia EV9 is in every way a step above what Kia has accustomed us to, and taking into account the quality of recent models such as the new Sportage, the Sorento, or the EV6, is saying a lot.
This new model, logically, will not achieve large sales volumes due to the fact that it is electric and due to its price, which, although it is not yet confirmed, we estimate that it will be around 80,000 euros.
What I am clear about after having seen and touched it, is that this car has nothing to envy on paper to cars of the likes of the BMW iX (also electric but with five seats), the EQE SUV, or other similar brands. Premium.
It will be necessary to verify if dynamically it is up to
the task, but what I have no doubt about is that with this car Kia has made a
giant leap in terms of product and brand perception.
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