2024 Kia EV9 First Drive: Tunnel Vision Is a Good Thing

Our GT-Line top-trim 2024 Kia EV9 was a pre-production vehicle, but the fit and finish were beyond reproach, and it exhibited no capability flaws during two days of driving. This EV9 test fleet was built for the Korean market, so the ride is a bit softer—another nod to all those tunnels—than the versions that will come to North America. Input from the Kia's California crew will result in some tuning to make the ride a little firmer and more dynamic, and there are a few features, like swiveling seats, we won't get here. Overall, however, the global vehicle won't change much, including acoustic glass for the first two rows, which makes for a quiet ride, even in tunnels, when there is no engine noise.

The base 2024 Kia EV9 Wind model has a single 160-kW motor in the rear and a standard 76.1-kW battery, good for 215 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and an expected range of about 260 miles. The long-range-battery rear-drive version (Wind+) with a 150-kW motor and smaller 19-inch wheels targets a range of 300 miles from its 99.8-kW battery, but horsepower drops to 201.

Adding a second motor up front provides all-wheel drive and a combined power output of 283 kW, giving the SUV 379 hp and 443 lb-ft for the Wind+ and Land trims. The GT-Line with its standard boost and long-range battery bumps torque to 516 lb-ft.

Unlike Genesis models where you push a button for 10 seconds of additional power, the boost is there for the taking in the Kia if your EV9 is so equipped. It will be standard on the top-trim GT-Line. Lower trims with AWD can add boost as an option, and the feature can be added later through an over-the-air update.

The rear-drive EV9 is rated to tow 2,000 pounds; the AWD version increases that capacity to 5,000 pounds.

The 2024 Kia EV9 uses the E-GMP platform designed for EVs and made available to all the brands within Hyundai Motor Group. The platform provides a solid-driving vehicle: Korea lacks good twisting roads, but the large SUV had little body roll on the few curves we found. Steering feel has almost become a moot point in a large family SUV, but in the EV9 it felt weighty enough, and we can certainly attest to its ability to hold a straight line. Power for passing was never an issue, and the delivery is smooth as opposed to neck-snapping.

The lane keep assist was impeccable. It held the vehicle firmly centered in the lane—corrections were almost imperceptible, and it never pinged the EV9 from side to side. Adaptive cruise was equally seamless in its smooth shadowing of vehicles ahead. With speed cameras covering most Korean roadways, intelligent speed-limit assist is a must-have feature: It automatically adjusts the speed in camera zones and then returns to your set cruise speed.

Braking can be harsh in electric vehicles, but that was not the case with the EV9, which offers three degrees of regenerative braking. The amount of regen is adjustable via steering wheel paddles, and one-pedal driving can bring the three-row SUV to a full stop without the need to touch the brake pedal. Note: You must turn off cruise control, and you cannot have your foot on the brake while adjusting the amount of regen.

The 2024 Kia EV9 is equipped for Level 3 hands-free driving for when it becomes legislatively permissible to do so. For now, the SUV has Kia's Highway Driving Assist 2, which offers hands-free driving and will make lane changes when requested via the turn signal. Over two days of highway driving, it worked flawlessly. The sensors quickly sweep the surroundings to ensure a safe lane change can be made, and the system then executes the maneuver. It makes the move quickly, with little hesitation. You must have your hands on the wheel lightly but not perform any actual steering for it to work.

The EV9 has a full suite of driver assistance features to prevent collisions by checking blind spots, rear cross traffic, and generally looking for objects that pose a risk and braking when needed. The car can also park itself, including parallel parking. The digital key turns your phone into a key, a first for Kia.

There aren't any bad seats in the 2024 Kia EV9—they proved themselves quite comfortable over many miles of highway driving. The driver has a commanding view of the road from heated, cooled, and massaging seats with the top GT-Line trim. Even when the massage is off, "posture control" will activate the seats periodically to stimulate the driver's muscles to help ward off fatigue. Front-row seat belts are height-adjustable; second-row belts are not.

Second-row passengers ride in style in power relaxation seats that recline with power leg rests, and the seats are also heated and cooled on the EV9 Land and GT trims. The front passenger seat slides forward to give the second-row passenger more room to stretch out. However, the person directly behind the driver is more limited in how far they can deploy the footrest.

Second-row passengers also have access to the floating center console, giving  back-seaters an illuminated storage bin with a sliding tray. Passengers also have easily accessible reading lights, air vents, and HVAC controls in the ceiling. The USB ports are cleverly placed on the front seats' inside panels, which makes them much easier to use.

Korean-market models have a different massage sensation for the second row—it's more of a harsh vibration than the relaxing pulses offered up front. It has not been decided if the feature will be offered in North America.

Some markets get swivel seats, but North America is not on the list. U.S. regulations don't allow driving with passengers facing the rear, nor has this configuration been crash tested. So no, not even for tailgating at this time.

Unlike the Kia Carnival minivan where air circulation and comfort are notably lacking in the third row, the EV9 caters to teens who want to sit as far away from their parents as possible. The second-row seats slide for easier access to two wide third-row seats and a compartment with its own air vents, reading lights, cupholders, and USB ports on the sides of the vehicle.

The EV9 boasts a longer wheelbase than the Kia Telluride and offers 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space with all three rows occupied. Folding both the second- and third-row seats creates a cavernous 82.0 cubic feet of usable space.

Kia used as many recyclable and sustainable materials as possible in creating the EV9. Customers might not even realize the seats are not real leather. We particularly like the comfortable mesh material on the headrests and the fact that you can see through it to the passengers behind you. The dash is finished in textured fabric instead of plastic. And we appreciate the new trend of wood trim along the dash with embedded haptic controls.

To remind owners this is an electric vehicle, the start button is a large power button. To select gears, twist the end of the lever on the steering column.

A 12.3-inch driver display, 5.0 inches of which are for HVAC controls, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen all sit under a single piece of glass, in a unit fairly well (but not completely) integrated into the dash. Graphics are crisp and easy to read, but the head-up display is so well done, you rarely need to look at the main screen. In addition to basic information such as speed, speed limits, and range, it shows easy-to-follow directions that highlight which lane to be in, and you are shown sensors sweeping the blind spots prior to a lane change or turn. Below the center screen, you'll find physical buttons, such as the volume knob, but pay attention so you don't accidentally activate the hazard lights right below it.

Our test vehicle's navigation system featured an extremely pleasant female voice. We vote she cross the ocean with the imports. But please, not as chatty—in Korea, the nav system warns about every bend in the road, downhill grade, speed change, camera, approaching end of an average speed zone so you can stay shy of 100 kph, fog area, animal protection zones, tricky intersections, and warnings against taking the wrong turn. American drivers won't be as receptive to that level of detail.

Designed for EVs, the EV9's 800-volt system speeds up charging. Expect a max charging rate of 318 kW, but that figure could change by the on-sale date. Kia says the new EV9 can add almost 150 miles of range in about 15 minutes, and the battery can go from 10 to 80 percent charge in less than 25 minutes. It also has bi-directional charging, so customers can use up to 3.68 kW of power from their EV9 to charge other items such as an electric grille when camping or laptops and phones when there is no other power source.

Kia designed the Telluride SUV for the North American market, but the EV9 is a global vehicle, which requires more of a balancing act. Regional assessment and tuning for the U.S. was done in California to ensure it meets the needs of North American customers.

As mentioned, the GT-Line is the top trim—but don't confuse it for the EV9 GT, a performance version promised for the future but not available in the first model year.

Kia will announce pricing closer to the EV9's  on-sale date, set for late this year. The company is holding off on announcing for as long as possible because pricing has become so volatile since Tesla began slashing its prices, creating a price war. The situation is too unpredictable and could change dramatically in six months, executives say.

The first U.S. models will be imported from Korea while Kia retools its plant in West Point, Georgia, to add EV9 production by the end of 2024, which will make the SUV eligible for some tax rebates under the Inflation Reduction Act. Expect many of the Korean-built models to be leased rather than purchased outright.

We expect the 2024 Kia EV9 to be a hot commodity. With its good looks, clever packaging, and lack of competition—for now—as a mainstream three-row electric SUV, demand could easily outstrip supply.