Tested: 2024 Kia EV9 Boldly Leapfrogs the Telluride

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.

We’d imagine that most car designers don’t get too excited when they’re assigned to a new three-row SUV. There’s only so much you can do with a two-box shape, and the segment is so competitive that it pays to play it safe rather than do something entirely novel. But a few years ago, Kia proved all of that wrong with the Telluride, and now the Korean automaker is doing it again with the new electric EV9.

Whether you view it from 100 yards away or up close, the EV9 makes a big impression. You can tell that the people who worked on this vehicle—designers and engineers alike—were up to the challenge of executing a battery-powered take on the family crossovers that have become so popular in driveways across the nation.

Built on Hyundai Motor Group’s top-notch Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the EV9 has proportions that are radically different from the Telluride’s, even though it gives off a somewhat similar boxy vibe. The wheelbase is 122.0 inches long, nearly eight inches longer than the Telluride’s, and the wheels are pushed to the corners, giving the EV9 a far more dramatic stance. The headlights, which combine a row of dot-style LEDs with swooshes of LED accent lights, are almost cyborgian, and the vertically oriented, intricately detailed taillights look like they belong on some sort of science-fiction spacecraft.

The attention to detail inside is even more impressive. Although the EV9 is not a luxury utility vehicle, no one seems to have told the people who selected the materials in our fully loaded GT-Line test car. The faux leather is soft, the dashboard incorporates a variety of attractive finishes, and there are innovative touches, such as trampoline-style mesh front-seat headrests that are far more plush than you’d expect from looking at them. Yes, there are screens galore, including a 12.3-inch infotainment screen and digital instrument cluster. They are easy to navigate, and there are enough physical buttons and knobs to make the interface accessible. Our only real UX annoyance was the placement of the climate-control screen, which the steering wheel obscures.

This being a family-oriented vehicle, the environs aft of the driver and passenger are especially important, and they don’t disappoint. The second-row captain’s chairs are not only heated and ventilated but also available with power adjustability and extendable footrests. The rear doors are wide, easing entry, and Kia even sweated the little stuff such as the roof-mounted air vents, which are surrounded by attractive bezels. While the third row of seats isn’t quite as generously sized as some of the largest gasoline-powered three-row models, the bottom cushion is placed at an appropriate height and angle for adults to sit comfortably, making this a reasonable place to sit for short periods.

This level of design and packaging aptitude isn’t surprising, given the success of the Telluride, and neither is the EV9’s strong performance, considering that the 10Best-winning Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 share the EV9’s E-GMP platform. There’s a relatively wide range of powertrain configurations available, starting with a single-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup and a 76.1-kWh battery pack. We tested the top-of-the-line dual-motor, all-wheel-drive model, in which front and rear motors combine for 379 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. The juice comes from a 99.8-kWh battery pack, a greater capacity than what we’ve seen in any of the other E-GMP vehicles thus far.

This big lithium-ion pack weighs a claimed 1249 pounds, and the EV9 tips the scales at a prodigious 5839 pounds—1349 more than the last Telluride we tested. But the electric motors have more power and torque than the Telluride’s 291-hp 3.8-liter V-6, and in terms of acceleration, they more than make up for the extra weight. The dual-motor EV9 lunges to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds and passes through the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 101 mph. Those are quick numbers regardless of segment, and the EV9’s instantaneous responses to jabs of the accelerator make the Telluride—which gets to 60 mph more than two seconds slower—feel positively sluggish in comparison.

Kia has also done a good job of ensuring that the extra weight doesn’t dull the EV9’s dynamic qualities. It’s fitted with 285-mm-wide Hankook Ion Evo AS SUV all-season tires, which are considerably wider than the Telluride’s 245s, and larger brake rotors. The results speak for themselves: The EV9 gripped around our skidpad to the tune of 0.87 g and stopped from 70 mph in 184 feet, numbers that would have been more than competitive in our recent comparison test of gasoline three-row SUVs. Even better, the EV9 is satisfying to steer, with good weighting from the helm and nicely controlled body motions. We did notice a bit of head toss on the roughest roads, but overall the ride quality is good, and responses to changes in direction are linear if not especially eager.

At 70 mph, the EV9 registers a hushed 67 decibels. It’s a pleasant highway cruiser, although cruising range is just about the only objective metric where the EV9 doesn’t beat the Telluride. In our 75-mph highway range test, the EV9 posted a reasonable 240-mile result, a bit short of the EPA’s estimate of 270 miles. Realistically, the EV9 will deliver less than that on road trips if it’s loaded with family members and stuff—we could fit five carry-on bags behind the third row and 17 with the third row folded, by the way—which means you’ll be stopping to recharge every few hours.

Fortunately, the EV9’s electrical architecture is set up to replenish the battery quickly. At a 350-kW DC fast-charger, we watched it gain 100 miles of range on the display in just 13 minutes and measured an average charging speed of 139 kilowatts between a 10 and 90 percent state of charge—among the highest average of any EV we’ve ever tested. And if you desire more outright range, there is a single-motor configuration that has the big battery and a 304-mile EPA range. However, its paltry 201 horsepower will likely result in slow acceleration times.

As the EV9 is in the first wave of three-row electric SUVs to enter the mainstream market, its price will be a crucial factor for convincing families to switch to running electrons. The EV9 starts off right about where the Telluride tops out, at $56,395 for the rear-drive, small-battery model. Unsurprisingly, our significantly more powerful and significantly better-equipped GT-Line is a whole lot more than that, with an opening price of $75,395. That’s a lot to ask when so many compelling gas-powered alternatives exist for less coin, but the EV9 looks great inside and out and offers enough of a performance advantage to feel worth that. Those who do take the leap won’t be disappointed.

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Counterpoints

Talk about playing to your strengths. Kia takes the two things it does best—three-row SUVs and electric vehicles—and joins them together in the EV9. Quiet and quick power delivery make sense for a family vehicle, and the EV9 has both. Its third row is grown-up friendly, its hatch is cargo friendly, and its front rows are full of features that make driving and charging more comfortable. Like Kia did with the Telluride, the brand’s three-row EV will have everyone else playing catch-up. —Elana Scherr

Is it time to update my go-to Kia Telluride recommendation for three-row-SUV buyers? Passenger space in the EV9 is virtually identical; the biggest differences are third-row headroom (the EV9 has more) and hip room (the EV9 has less). Sure, the EV9 has a plush interior and luxe features, such as optional power second-row seats with leg rests, but it can also drive ponderously with an occasional wallow induced by its more than 1300 extra pounds. But it’s the EV9’s higher price and today’s imperfect charging network that keep me recommending Tellurides. —Dave VanderWerp