In-depth test of the 2024 KIA EV9 GT-Line - the "2024 World Car of the Year" and "2024 World Electric Vehicle".

This is the biggest Kia passenger car ever! It is built on the Kia e-GMP platform taking this platform to the max dimension possible. The car is 501.5 cm long and 226.3 cm wide incl. mirrors. The drag coefficient is a decent 0.28.

Kia’s head of design, Karim Habib, is recognized for establishing Kia’s new design philosophy, expressed by the new “Opposites United” design philosophy, which takes inspiration from the contrasts found in nature and humanity.

There is a lot of space in the EV9; Seats for 6 or 7 people and a good amount of trunk space, too. The EV9 weighs 2749 kg and can pull a trailer up to 2500 kg.

Kia uses a high-tech platform with a voltage of 520Volt for the GT-Line which allows for fast charging. In 15 mins you can add 249 km. Kia promises 10-80% charging in 24 minutes and solid 210 kW charging speed.

385 HP from the two motors give a top speed of 200 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 5.3 sec.

The price of the EV9 GT-Line is 83,950 CHF, making it the most expensive KIA ever! For this sum you do get a fully spec’d car, a 7-year warranty and 7 years of service. As it stands here, it will cost you 92,000 CHF.

Is it a Range Rover clone? No, not in my opinion, for one thing the Kia EV9 is electric and second, it costs only half as much as the Range Rover EV which will not be available until late 2024. And the Range Rover feels much more luxurious.

I think the EV9 stands out in its own right, and it defines a new no-nonsense, contemporary premium segment with a bold design.

Should I pick a direct electric competitor, then the BMW iX comes to mind, but it only offers 5 seats and carries a premium price tag. Then there is the Mercedes EQS, which is even more expensive, but it has a 7-seat option. So probably the Tesla Model X is the closest competitor if the criteria are a 7-seater electric car and priced like the EV9, but the EV9 looks better.

Since 2016 Kia had undergone a tremendous technology and design transformation and really stands out from in the volume non-premium segments of which the EV9 is a very good example.
The interior is quite nice, high-tech, and comfortable. There is a lot of grey plastics, but it looks good.

Software updates follow over the air, and there are 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitor camera, reversing camera system, and front and rear parking sensors. Kia has not made silly cost savings anywhere.

This is their flagship. And it shows. And it drives well. It is super-quiet up to approx. 100 km/h.

The interior space is very convincing, offering more space than you are likely to need! There is even a Range Rover style digital rear-view mirror so you can fill up the luggage space to the roof and still see what is behind the car.

You feel the size of the EV9 when driving and parking. It is big, and it must move a large quantity of air when it drives. The coefficient of drag is 0.28 and it shows in the consumption figures. Over the first 546 km I managed an average consumption of 27.4 kWh per 100 km in winter conditions with 21” winter tyres.

I like the way it drives; it is focused on the needs of families who want to travel in comfort. The EV9 takes the stress out of driving, and you feel totally in control. The car is filled with high-tech and does make some bling noises. The EV9 is for the family who wants a large electric SUV with decent efficiency, low noise level, all the safety and assists, and good performance for long trips.

But at this price point, Kia will also have to find most of their customers outside of their typical customer base.

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Filmed in Switzerland in January, 2024 and produced by DNTS Productions.

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0:00 Exterior and features
8:31 Interior
11:46 History of Kia
13:19 Modern Kia
13:40 Tech features and issues
15:48 Kia going premium? EV9 pricing
17:40 Competitors
19:03 Conclusion and verdict