Say hello to…
…the Kia EV9 is a large luxurious and highly specified SUV with the option of seven or six seats and a large 100kWh battery. Two power options are available; an all-wheel drive version with 378hp and a rear-drive version with 200hp. The higher powered model has a 313 mile official range while the 200hp car claims 349 miles.
The two versions are also linked to the two trim levels:
- Air
- GT-line S
Standard equipment on the Air includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, wireless phone charger, 360degree camera, front parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, rear parking sensors, terrain modes, finger print start, powered boot lid, blind spot monitoring, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, 12.3-inch drivers’ display, video rear view mirror, 7x USB-C sockets, heat pump, twin-zone aircon, heated steering wheel, powered front seats, heated and ventilated front and middle-row seats and 19-inch alloys.
GT-line S adds 21-inch alloys.
Is The Kia EV9 Suitable For My Fleet
Kia has scooped the UK Car of the Year with the EV9 and for good reason. Not only does it look different from the SUV masses but it also offers something you can’t find elsewhere; a large, seven seat EV. So as well as being tax efficient and very practical, what’s more it is also good value. Lease rates may be just under, or around, the £1,000 mark, but what else can you get that does the same job for that money?
Leasing A Kia EV9
Intelligent Car Leasing is offering the Kia EV9 in GT-line S specification with seven seat for £1,029 a month on a 3+36 contract with 20,000 miles a year. The lowered powered Air model on the same terms comes in at £866 a month. Running costs are forecast at £75 a month over the same mileage, according to Gensen Reports, while Class 1A NIC comes in at £21 a month.
Driving A Kia EV9
Inside the Kia EV9 is incredibly well equipped. The cabin conveys a high level of luxury with both a high level of kit and the types of materials used and their construction.
Double 12-inch screens dominate the dashboard. One for driver information and the other for infotainment. These are clear to read and, with the exception of the climate control display, well thought out. Unfortunately the climate controls are hidden by the steering wheel so the driver has to move their head over to see what settings they want to change.
This is an odd oversight in an otherwise very well thought out interior design.
The seven seat layout works very well, with enough USB points usefully located for all passengers. The seats all fold simply with the middle row able to slide front and back to adjust leg room or boot space. The rear parcel cover also fits under the boot floor if you need to remove it.
In seven-seat mode the boot is still a healthy 333 litres, in five seat mode it’s a whopping 828 litres. And there’s also a small space under the bonnet for charging cables.
On the road the Kia EV9 feels large. It is after all just over 5m long and nearly 2m wide. However, visibility is good and the edges of the car easy to judge.
Kia has set the suspension on the firmer side for ride quality. This doesn’t make the car uncomfortable in any way, but you will notice potholes more than you expect and the car doesn’t float along the road as some large SUVs can. The upside to this setup is that there’s very little body roll and, should you want to, can be fun – particularly with the higher power version which almost seems unnecessarily quick. The power does however make motorway work very easy.
One pedal driving is possible and is activated via paddles behind the steering wheel. Unfortunately the car doesn’t remember where you left this mode after you turn off the vehicle and need to be reactivated every time you go for a drive.
As a large, heavy SUV a good efficiency figure is always going to be difficult. The official range is 313 miles for the higher power car and with gentle, round-town driving this would be easily possible. However, on our test we saw a high proportion of motorway miles in cool temperatures resulting in an overall efficiency figure of 2.1 m/kWh equating to a range of 210 miles. Fortunately, the EV9 is capable of charging at up to 236kW. And, on one stop, we saw charge speeds peak at more than 200kW which took the battery from 10-80% in less than 30 minutes. We also saw the efficiency figure rise to 2.8m/kWh in more gentle, town, driving.
Overall, the Kia EV9 is impressive and not only because it doesn’t yet have any true rivals but because it sets a very high benchmark for those who will follow.
FleetandLeasing.com Verdict On The Kia EV9
The Kia EV9 not only offers something different, it offers something better too. A brilliant EV and an excellent seven-seater.
Kia EV9
- Model: EV9 GT-line S 7-seats
- Power: 378hp
- Torque: 700Nm
- Max speed: 124mph
- 0-62mph: 5.3s
- Official range: 313 miles
- Test range: 210 miles
- CO2 emissions: 0g/km
- BIK tax band 2023/24: 2%
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