Kia EV9 2024 review: Long-term test | Is the new mid-spec Earth electric SUV the best family car?

The 2024 Kia EV9 is unlike any other new model that the South Korean brand has released before. In fact, it creates a new mainstream segment: the fully electric upper-large SUV. Befitting its considerable size, the zero-emissions vehicle is a seven-seater and, therefore, very much targeted at families.
In the premium segment, there's the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, while the Volvo EX90 is coming soon. But the closest thing to the EV9 in the 'lower class' is - believe it or not - the internal-combustion Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series and Nissan Patrol. So, if you're after a fully electric three-row SUV for about $100K, the Kia is it.
In this expert long-term review, CarsGuide Senior Journalist and his family of four spend three months living the EV9's mid-spec Earth variant to find out how well it stacks up not only as an EV, but also as a family car. After all, it has to do both really well if it's going to win over a loyal fanbase.
#Kia #EV9 #Review
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Timecodes:
00:00 Intro
00:18 Design
03:04 Pricing and features
05:42 Practicality
08:46 Under the bonnet
10:13 Efficiency
12:21 Driving
18:56 Safety
19:45 Ownership
20:07 Verdict
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Read Richard's full review: bit.ly/4c4eLKX
Check out our Kia EV9 hub: bit.ly/3SzfPjk
Find more SUVs: bit.ly/3QVs1X1
Visit our Family Guide: bit.ly/3BS40vC
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[@RodneyW]

My ad-blocker isn't working. I just saw a 21 minute Kia ad....

[@pu7768]

it means you like it watching for 21 mins and your ad-blocker knew that.

[@jamesralph5908]

When that massive battery needs replacing it’ll probably cost $60K at least, these EVs aren’t made for mainstream buyers (even the less expensive ones)

[@raa3298]

Is he transitioning?? 😂😂😂

[@Bucknasfri70]

Mid spec is $120k now. Money has devalued so much

[@tshiamomogale207]

I’m a guy and I follow your videos and hair tips. Thank you Much love from South Africa 🇿🇦 ❤

[@calcut09]

I'm amazed that there are now multiple EVs like this kia that have batteries large enough to power my house for over a week off a single charge. I wouldn't call that an efficient use of limited rare earth metals.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

Here here it's a globalist Ponzi scheme

[@junglebeam1]

Rare earth is a bit of a misnomer. They are in fact not that rare at all. Just found 2 billion metric tons in Wyoming.

[@DashcamsTasmania]

rare earth just means they are not found in clumps like iron ore. Lithium is one of the most abundant minerals on the Earth's surface. Rare Earth minerals is a phrase coined in the 1800s due to them not being able to just go out and collect a lump of these minerals.

[@rustykilt]

I will stick to my kia Sorento gt line which is a hell of a lot cheaper.

[@sivabalan23]

Once battery warranty completed, car holds only the value of body and sensors

[@Deandzzzzzz]

Is it just me or this EV9 looks like a cumbersome prototype robot 🤖 😅

[@hillvalley6716]

I test drove an EV9 GT Line last month and I can agree on a couple of your points. I liked the screen setup and gear knob better on the EV6 and those beeping noises to keep to your speed limit does become annoying. The car even told me to stop and get a coffee. I must have looked tired. 😅 Also the heads up display is definitely fantastic and should be standard across the entire range. I also found the size of the vehicle wasn’t noticeable at all while driving the vehicle and parking it. Storage is amazing. The digital mirrors were ok on the passenger side but the drivers side was hard to get used to.

[@buster_1972]

I'll save my money and the planet by keeping my 20year old 4wd.

[@TassieEV]

I've got the new Kona that has many of these features as well including the gear stalk. The gear stalk took me a few days but now I'm used to it and the way to turn it to go forward/reverse is fine I have found. This is a good EV for big families and one of the few 7 seat EV's on the market as well. Plus there is one currently towing yes towing a caravan with family around Australia on the big lap I believe and doing about 300km range. Unfortunate got a few luddites in the comments scared of change or scared of something or don't like change perhaps forgetting this transport transition happened about 100yrs ago going from horse and buggy as well yet we did it just another transition to save our limited amount of oil for thing that are far more in need of it than burning it in an inefficient engine.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

I can. I live in remote Australia no charging stations anywhere around here

[@acde9355]

For remote towns, the battery-electric solution has an advantage over the fuel-cell solution: the maintenance-free, off-grid charging station. Of course, the off-grid charging facilities are currently unreliable. Still, they do provide hope that people would no longer need to have staff operating a petrol station that has fewer than 50 vehicles to use every day. The fuel-cell solution is a petrol-like solution that actually requires a new kind of "petrol station" to be built, operated, and maintained. Anyway, I support people like you in fighting for your rights of choice. And I also oppose banning petrol or diesel vehicles at any time. You shouldn't be ignored because you are the minority.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

@acde9355 out here I am part of the majority.

[@devraga9612]

@@darrylweidenhofer You don't have electricity?

[@acde9355]

​@@devraga9612 Some remote towns in the central area of the continent don't get access to the national grid system, so they use diesel generators to maintain their basic use. During the energy transition, they will be the group of people (or probably the only group in Australia) to rely on the solar panel and storage battery combination. I don't believe city people should buy their own storage battery since the electricity price will drop in a decade or two, and the electricity bill will be like our phone bill, which only charges a flat monthly subscription fee.

[@acde9355]

Thanks for your review. 9.5/10 is really a high score for a car nowadays. An electric car doesn't have a transmission, which makes it hard for the designer and engineers to "make mistakes". Well-established brands have comparative advantages over new manufacturers, especially those from Korea and China, in performance and efficiency-related issues. Tuning a petrol car to be both fun to drive and fuel-efficient is hard, and it is even harder when customers want the car to be technically reliable. The EV skips all these steps as everything about the EV is the battery. That's why Korean and Chinese brands now have advantages over well-established brands from Germany and Japan. When Germans are struggling to develop and build their batteries in a country outside of China, and the Japanese are going nowhere, Koreans and Chinese have gained experience from years of battery manufacturing.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

You are a cult believer

[@Deandzzzzzz]

Korean car makers have advantages in battery manufacturing?? Care to share your knowledge and proof for it?

[@GMTron]

Imagine this Kia EV9 with a 6 cylinder BMW B58 engine inside....I will buy it tomorrow.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

Thousands of cars can't be sold Ford Toyota abandoning them. Not enough minersls to keep making them. Heavy and a fire hazard. Insurance and charging issues in the city. Poor resale value. Expensive . Extra tyre dust pollution from the weight. Do poorly when too hot and cold. Cant just take it to a real mechanic for serving. Have to do 150000 km to get back the so called cabon in the manufacture and the that will do nothing for the climate. Where I live in the country Australia everyone drives v8 landcruisers never seen a ev out here. Totally impractical.

[@devraga9612]

Model Y is now the world's best selling car - and has recently beat Toyota Corolla for the first time

[@darrylweidenhofer]

@@devraga9612 best selling cars Australia RAV4 Ford Ranger Toyota Hilux Ford Everest Isuzu Dmax Toyota Corolla. That is because we are not stupid and having our government and globalist forcing us

[@TassieEV]

How much FUD can one person spout wow.

[@ulfw]

"Long term test"... 2500km. Okay,

[@damiand4835]

Looks like a Chinese D11 bulldozer . Hate to fix it … $$$$ Best car 🙈 hmmm . Bring back Australia built cars .

[@murphyrp01]

Such a biased report. The elephant in the room. What is the range and then how fast is it to charge. And can you actually get access to a charger that will charge it in 25 minutes. All fluff and bubbles. Such an embarrassing report for a “senior reporter “. And it will have practically zero resale value. As cost of replacement batteries will be prohibitive.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

No charge stations for 700km . The heat here will kill these cars in summer. You need a tough reliable 4wd . Everyone drives tough Toyota V8s. One of these cars would be destroyed just getting here and what off road vehicle could do 700km of challenging corrugated roads. Yeah not a EV.

[@darrylweidenhofer]

Think I will stick with my 11 year old Ford Ranger Evs are failing everywhere. My ranger will still get going when that thing is dead and buried.

[@Steve-jx3mh]

if you can afford the fuel to put in it

[@acde9355]

Any example of their failures?