Louth Motoring: Kia EV9 - Electric Winner

I get to drive a lot of electric cars and when I have one booked in I immediately look at my diary to see what I have scheduled that week.

If it is a trip up or down the country I start the mental planning to see if I will use it for the trip or take my own diesel car.

The reason I do this is all the anxiety over will I have to charge or not and will the charger be free.

It is a well proven theory that the things we worry about invariably never happen, but this fails to stop the anxiety pangs.

But, and it is a good but, if I am in a Kia or a Hyundai the anxiety is less. Why? Well, my track record with the Korean manufacturers is that they usually deliver on their claimed range and if my trip can be done leaving with 100% battery level and without the need to recharge then usually the Kia will do what it says on the tin.

That applies regardless of passengers or heating as long, and here is the zen bit, as I keep the speed at max 110km/h.

I simply don’t exceed this on the motorway, and it makes a huge difference. It’s also very hard to do as most electric cars have superb performance ability but if you use it, you lose it in terms of battery charge.

No such worry with the EV9 so. With a claimed range of 569kms it will go wherever I want to go and back without the need to recharge.

It’s a 7-seater family SUV that you can also get as a 6-seater. Here’s a first for me, the 6-seater is the same price as the 7-seater. Kia was very surprised at the amount of people opting for the 6-seater. I wasn’t as it is a much more user-friendly setup.

The Maxus Mifa 9 proved this to me with their incredible two middle row seats. In the Kia you can swivel these around which I didn’t get to try as mine was a 7-seater version so maybe the swivelling cost is the same as the extra middle seat cost?

The first impression of the EV9 is wow, that’s’ big. It looks big, feels big and by Jove it is big. Its only 37mm shorter than the Range Rover and 62mm longer than the BMW iX.

It is also other-worldly and very futuristic looking too. The strides Kia design has made over the last few years is astonishing and this is a perfect example of how far their design has come. Curves must have been forbidden to be used as the entire design is angular.

Sharp creases are the order of the day and be it curves or creases when done right both look good. I’d say they have aced the design here and will certainly attract buyers.

The inside is an evolution of the design used on the EV-6 and is one I like for it’s good mix of touch and tactile controls. The important ones have buttons which makes everyday use a cinch.

Materials are good and feel quite premium which they should in a car costing from €77,500 for the Earth 2WD model.

The other trim, GT-Line, costs €85,000 and for that you gain AWD, LED headlights, 21inch alloys that really makes the car pop and a split sunroof.

All EV9’s get a 99.8kWh battery which in my case recorded 26.5kWh/100kms yielding a personal range of about 376kms for me. If I did have to recharge and found a suitable fast charger the EV9 recharges at a rate of 249km of range in 15mins with the 10% to 80% time taking just 24mins – coffee and comfort break time in any car.

If I was buying one I’d prefer the 2WD version with 6 seats but alas Kia only offers the 6-seater in GT-Line trim so it’s the full €85k for that experience. The reason I’d choose the 6-seater 2WD is simply because I would never need the AWD and the passenger comfort for 6 people would be exemplary.

On the road you certainly feel the EV9s bulk. And you’ll certainly notice it when you must park it. It fills the car space entirely and unsurprisingly as the car is 5m long and 2m wide.

You get a summon feature to call the car out of a parking space if someone parks too close to you and you can’t get in and is, for this car, a must-have feature.

You get a quiet driving experience with the only noticeable sound deterioration being high up wind noise at speeds over 100km/h.

That’s not as bad as it sounds because if you buy this car for its transport ability you won’t be driving mad and making your passengers ill. On the motorway it is refined and comfortable. Nothing is a chore and you and your passengers will enjoy the experience.

Stray onto our ever-improving R Roads and does the car display the manners expected of a car this size and height?

Not really, with those batteries needed to make the 99.8 kWh total there is a lot of battery on board and being down low delivers quite a low centre of gravity, so body roll isn’t that noticeable. In 6-seat specification I could see the EV9 being chosen for VIP collection and delivery.

The EV9 is a great blend of spaciousness and technology dressed in a very sharp suit. It’ll transport 6 or 7 with ease and can tow 2.5 tonnes. The boot is 333litres when in 6-seater mode and can expand to 838litres otherwise.

It is fresh and modern and very original looking. 92 of them were sold in January this year so there is demand for it here and I’d say there will be more and more sold as the year progresses.

A cracking EV people carrier with a twist of luxury and uniqueness. Isn’t that what we all want?