2024 Kia EV9 full review - crowned "2024 World Car of the Year"

In-depth test of the 2024 KIA EV9 GT-Line - the "2024 World Car of the Year" and "2024 World Electric Vehicle".
This is the biggest Kia passenger car ever! It is built on the Kia e-GMP platform taking this platform to the max dimension possible. The car is 501.5 cm long and 226.3 cm wide incl. mirrors. The drag coefficient is a decent 0.28.
Kia’s head of design, Karim Habib, is recognized for establishing Kia’s new design philosophy, expressed by the new “Opposites United” design philosophy, which takes inspiration from the contrasts found in nature and humanity.
There is a lot of space in the EV9; Seats for 6 or 7 people and a good amount of trunk space, too. The EV9 weighs 2749 kg and can pull a trailer up to 2500 kg.
Kia uses a high-tech platform with a voltage of 520Volt for the GT-Line which allows for fast charging. In 15 mins you can add 249 km. Kia promises 10-80% charging in 24 minutes and solid 210 kW charging speed.
385 HP from the two motors give a top speed of 200 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 5.3 sec.
The price of the EV9 GT-Line is 83,950 CHF, making it the most expensive KIA ever! For this sum you do get a fully spec’d car, a 7-year warranty and 7 years of service. As it stands here, it will cost you 92,000 CHF.
Is it a Range Rover clone? No, not in my opinion, for one thing the Kia EV9 is electric and second, it costs only half as much as the Range Rover EV which will not be available until late 2024. And the Range Rover feels much more luxurious.
I think the EV9 stands out in its own right, and it defines a new no-nonsense, contemporary premium segment with a bold design.
Should I pick a direct electric competitor, then the BMW iX comes to mind, but it only offers 5 seats and carries a premium price tag. Then there is the Mercedes EQS, which is even more expensive, but it has a 7-seat option. So probably the Tesla Model X is the closest competitor if the criteria are a 7-seater electric car and priced like the EV9, but the EV9 looks better.
Since 2016 Kia had undergone a tremendous technology and design transformation and really stands out from in the volume non-premium segments of which the EV9 is a very good example.
The interior is quite nice, high-tech, and comfortable. There is a lot of grey plastics, but it looks good.
Software updates follow over the air, and there are 360-degree cameras, blind-spot monitor camera, reversing camera system, and front and rear parking sensors. Kia has not made silly cost savings anywhere.
This is their flagship. And it shows. And it drives well. It is super-quiet up to approx. 100 km/h.
The interior space is very convincing, offering more space than you are likely to need! There is even a Range Rover style digital rear-view mirror so you can fill up the luggage space to the roof and still see what is behind the car.
You feel the size of the EV9 when driving and parking. It is big, and it must move a large quantity of air when it drives. The coefficient of drag is 0.28 and it shows in the consumption figures. Over the first 546 km I managed an average consumption of 27.4 kWh per 100 km in winter conditions with 21” winter tyres.
I like the way it drives; it is focused on the needs of families who want to travel in comfort. The EV9 takes the stress out of driving, and you feel totally in control. The car is filled with high-tech and does make some bling noises. The EV9 is for the family who wants a large electric SUV with decent efficiency, low noise level, all the safety and assists, and good performance for long trips.
But at this price point, Kia will also have to find most of their customers outside of their typical customer base.
Thank you for watching mobility insider. If you liked the video, please like it, and share it with a friend, and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel.
Filmed in Switzerland in January, 2024 and produced by DNTS Productions.
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0:00 Exterior and features
8:31 Interior
11:46 History of Kia
13:19 Modern Kia
13:40 Tech features and issues
15:48 Kia going premium? EV9 pricing
17:40 Competitors
19:03 Conclusion and verdict

[@emilhannesbo9212]

Great video as always - you're the best in the biz!

[@morten_hannesbo]

thx buddy

[@AlexZdanov]

Great review! I especially liked the short summary of Kia's history.

[@morten_hannesbo]

Glad you liked it!

[@ICcreepers]

Wow! You surely have the best insight into the industry and technical knowledge out of most reviewers! Love it!

[@morten_hannesbo]

Thank you for your kind comment

[@kristofferlundberg3582]

Great review! Very detailed and helpful

[@morten_hannesbo]

Thank you so much🙏

[@swyang68]

Great review, different from most reviews. I also worked in automobile industry, Citroen and Audi, and now I own a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and I love everything about EVs, I'm considering trading in the Ioniq5 for the EV9, really nice SUV.

[@morten_hannesbo]

🙏

[@m.yusrey540]

Great EV's with great tech built in 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@morten_hannesbo]

Yes, excellent big SUV, too

[@m.yusrey540]

@@morten_hannesbo Good brand as well 👍🏻👍🏻💪🏻💪🏻

[@MrsDukey]

I'm picking up y EV9 in 3 days. Having had a EV6 for early 2 years and loved it. I've had a E class Mercedes, Audi A6 and a Volvo V90 I agree that quality is not quite with those but for value and standard kit it makes an attractive purchase. ( I hope ). Driving an EV is a joy . Home charging is a must for me. Love your review a different style than others I've watched in my opinion your report carries a air of authority and knowledge, very well done.

[@morten_hannesbo]

Thank you! And congrats on your choice to get the EV9. I loved driving it.

[@ptn2452]

Why do you also have a blue one like the other reviewers?

[@morten_hannesbo]

Hi, Thx for commenting. I did not get a choice, this is what the Kia guys made available. Fine car, btw.

[@LawpickingLocksmith]

Looks like a stretched Mini!

[@morten_hannesbo]

😁

[@user-jw4nz8km2x]

Easy fix for the 3½/4 stars. Fix your driving style since that 27.4kW/h is a super high average consumption for this car. Even in -20 degree celcius this car is averaging in my use around 29kW/100km in full highway driving so getting 27.4kW/h in mild winter driving must have included quite a bit of sport mode and fairly lackluster regen usage. Highway in -5 degrees 25.3 at 100km/h Country roads 21.1kW/h ar 60 and 80 zones City/Town 18.8kW Each a 50 kilometer trip in each environment.

[@morten_hannesbo]

Hi, thx for your comments. Well done on your consumption. Do you drive the 4x4 GT-Line with 21" rims or the standard version with rear-wheel drive? I assume you always park indoors overnight and pre-heat the car ahead of driving to achieve this. I did not use sport mode in the test except for a few accelleration tests, and I drive all the test cars the same way, always sticking to speed limits. With Conti Winter Contact TS 850 (285/45 R21) tyres the Kia consumes approx. 15% more than an BMW iX xDrive 50 or the Mercedes EQS SUV 450 4Matic. PS Under comparable conditions the 2023 Tesla Model S Plaid had an avg. consumption of 21 kWh (using Pirelli P Zero winter tyres 255/45 R19), and the Volvo XC40 fwd had a consumption of 23 kWh (using Conti Contact winter 235/45 R19 tyres).

[@user-jw4nz8km2x]

@@morten_hannesbo Eco-mode 2.6 bar(recommended) with a 1st Edition GT-line AWD+Panorama so a fully specced. 285/45R21 Nokian R5 SUV friction winter tires. Car was preheated for 15minutes to 20 degrees through Kia Connect and cabine temperature at 20c degrees Auto 2/3 fan speed. 2 persons in the car. No quick charging was done before the test cycles and car sat over night outside. Happy to share instrument cluster photos if you want.

[@morten_hannesbo]

@@user-jw4nz8km2x Thx, yes please share. Email: [e-mail]

[@user-jw4nz8km2x]

I sent you some pictures by email. Also an extra on a highway -16 to -20 degrees celcius trip.@@morten_hannesbo