ON THE ROAD – IAN LYNAS DRIVES THE KIA EV9 GT-LINE

My first encounter with the Kia EV9 came on a press launch which provided superb driving routes in the Scottish Highlands, there I was able to get a first taste of this generous sized all electric SUV. Immediately I discovered two qualities, that of drive and comfort.

It came across very much as a form of executive style vehicle and recently I had one on test for a week over home tarmac. Available as a six or seven seater and with a choice of trim levels, Air, GT-Line and the performance packed GT-Line S; trims of course may vary from market to market. My test vehicle was the extremely well appointed GT- Line. Both GT-Line models are all wheel drive; ideal when winter calls or indeed when road conditions are far from being acceptable. For Kia it is the first three-row electric flagship SUV from the South Korean carmaker; a vehicle with rugged styling and a giant helping of on road presence; the proof was that where ever I ventured people stopped to look. On occasion it stole the show with its chunky twenty one inch alloy wheels.

The EV9 is no lightweight, yet the manufacturer claims a range of some 563km (350 miles). I am informed that the EV9s striking visual presence is inspired by Kia’s ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy, finding harmony in the contrasting qualities of nature, modernity, and technology. Intelligent use of interior space enables everyone on board to be comfortable, relaxed, and connected; a perfect mode of transport for those journeys of considerable length which sometimes we have to take. However I found the rural environment was ideal for this vehicle and not so much the town or city; parking often a challenge; no fault of the EV9, rather the inadequate space provided by the authorities. When are they going to learn that we all do not drive mini sized cars; with a number of large vehicles on the market, sooner or later more thought must be put in to parking provision. Featuring Kia’s Electric Global Modular Platform, the EV9 is the second model; with all versions with a 99.8kWh battery pack with the company’s fourth-generation battery technology. Looking at range and I have found that this is the number one priority when an EV is being considered; the rear-wheel drive EV9 ‘Air’ has range just short of 562km (349 miles) (already noted), while all-wheel drive ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ can travel up to 503km (313 miles) on a single charge. I managed just short of 460km (290 miles). The EV9 is one of only few vehicles on sale with 800-volt charging capability, and it can harness high DC power to recharge the battery from 10 to 80 per cent state of charge in only 24 minutes. This news will be welcomed by many. Looking at performance, with the GT-Line, rest to 100km (62mph) in 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 200kph (124mph). High levels of standard equipment abound with the EV9; Kia have simply thought of everything for this big SUV. I must point out the excellent heating and ventilation system, which adds greatly to the comfort of the driver and fellow passengers.
The list of safety aids is amongst the best currently available on any vehicle and the highest level of technology; the latter will be appreciated by many. To the practical side of this SUV, lots of storage places, some hidden from prying eyes and I even discovered a three pin socket in the luggage compartment. True to say that with the EV9 the South Korean carmaker has thought about everything; this vehicle is very much the real deal. Kia is very much on the electric highway, with the EV9 (flagship of the family), EV6, EV3, EV4, EV5 and more to be announced; the master plan is to have 15 EVs by 2027; quite a challenge.

Ian Lynas