The Hyundai Group is main the non-Tesla EV cost, with an aggressive rollout of automobiles constructed on the group’s E-GMP platform via its Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis manufacturers and the Kia EV9 represents the Korean carmaker’s effort to stake a declare on the meat-and-potatoes three-row SUV market.
The EV9’s spectacular expertise, specs, and affordable $56,395 beginning value make it a contender to assist EV gross sales escape of the green-car area of interest and into the driveways of mainstream prospects who’re presently snapping up the model’s very comparable gas-powered Telluride as rapidly as the corporate’s West Level, Georgia plant can produce it. The EV9 is presently manufactured in Gwangmyeong, South Korea, however manufacturing in West Level will begin this summer time.
The EV9 appears to be like particularly interesting when in comparison with the expensive, harsh-riding Rivian R1S reviewed lately. The 215-horsepower, 258-lb.-ft., rear-drive base EV9’s “Mild” trim degree comes with a 76.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack that’s rated for 230 miles of driving vary.
My most popular configuration would doubtless be the Mild Lengthy Vary which is supplied with a 99.8 kWh battery pack that’s rated for 304 miles per cost. Together with the non-obligatory receiver hitch that I’d need, the whole could be $61,270.
That’s an admittedly borderline gradual configuration, with 0-60 mph acceleration of 8.8 seconds, which is okay, however appears gradual in a world of lightning-quick EVs like our top-of-the-line EV9 GT-Line. It accelerates to 60 mph in simply 5.0 seconds, courtesy of its 379 hp, 516-lb.-ft. dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain.
The Ocean Blue GT-Line EV9 check car was attractive, however its $78,430 backside line erodes the EV9’s worth argument and it solely goes 270 miles on the Lengthy Vary battery pack. Moreover, its 21-inch wheels look good, however they noticeably worsen the experience in comparison with the usual 19-inch wheels on the Mild. It’s nonetheless higher than the Rivian R1S, however the EV9’s experience suffers due to the 21-inch wheels.
This problem is especially apparent over sharp bumps like bridge growth joints. Hitting these whereas altering lanes sends the GT-Line into a really un-GT-like wobble that’s disconcerting. This drawback is very noticeable when utilizing the EV9’s adaptive cruise management and lane-keeping help methods as a result of their response to such bumps is abrupt and exacerbates the issue.
For freeway driving, I ended utilizing these methods as a result of they considerably worsened the driving expertise. I’d have been happier with the extra tire sidewall offered by the Mild’s 19-inch wheels and its longer driving vary between expenses.
As a household car, the EV9 is gentle on baggage area behind the third row in comparison with minivans. KIA
This turned a problem as a result of I found the uselessness of the EV9’s included 120-volt AC moveable charger, as outlined in a separate article as the results of my expertise anticipating to have the ability to add some significant quantity of driving vary by charging in a single day at my mother’s home, the place there isn’t a Stage 2 240-volt charger like my dwelling ChargePoint.
I did take pleasure in the truth that the EV9 fairly practically achieves its efficiency claims, with regular 70-mph Interstate freeway and 60-mph rural two-lane driving producing virtually precisely the claimed driving vary. It was the identical for the charging velocity, which topped out at 209 kW at a 350-kW Electrify America 350-kW DC quick charger, which basically equals the claimed 210-kW most charging fee.
What doesn’t meet its claimed efficiency is the local weather management system. EV makers habitually cut back the efficiency of their heaters to protect driving vary in chilly climate, and I discovered that the EV9’s temperature needed to be set to 80 levels even in not-particularly chilly climate to maintain the cabin comfy. This may increasingly have been a results of usually conserving it within the Eco drive mode.
At the least there’s a scroll wheel to offer a bodily quantity management on the dashboard. KIA
This is likely one of the many idiosyncrasies that EV drivers will be taught as we shift the car fleet to EV energy, as we be taught to juggle components reminiscent of battery dimension (and its ensuing mass), wheel dimension (and its ensuing affect on EV vary and experience consolation) and different particulars. Because the flagship trim degree, the GT-Line will naturally go to a small slice of the EV9 shopping for public. The remaining will certainly be happier and higher served by their lower-trim fashions, even when these are barely slower and perhaps don’t look fairly as zoomy.
