Kia EV9 review: third row’s the charm

There are plenty of electric compact and midsize SUVs, several trucks, and a bevy of sedans, but once you start hunting for one with a third row of seats, the numbers start to dwindle. And forget about finding one that’s actually affordable. The Kia EV9 gets us part of the way there: with a starting price of $54,900, over 300 miles of range, and a legitimate third row, not some bench seat that leaves you sitting with your knees under your chin. The three-row electric family hauler has finally arrived.
00:00 Intro
00:50 Size specs (dimensions, wheel base, legroom)
02:17 Pricing (trims, federal EV tax credit)
03:16 Driving experience (range and battery)
03:58 Interior review (infotainment, storage, rear seats, frunk)
05:22 Efficiency, charging & design
05:57 Conclusion
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[@TheVerge]

Is the Kia rebrand working for you?

[@PaulFinch]

Not for my dyslexia

[@caryrabbit]

I’m happy that they fixed the whole car catching on fire issue.

[@RichardJoashTan]

But not me because I will buy a fully loaded Kia EV9 GT Line anyway​@@PaulFinch

[@RichardJoashTan]

@@PaulFinch But it works for ME because I will buy a fully loaded Kia EV9 GT Line anyway.

[@jackamick9153]

You mean KN?

[@jose976974]

If you had extra kids you would definitely not have extra money lol😂…😢.

[@RichardJoashTan]

Not me, I will buy a fully loaded Kia EV9 GT Line.

[@ruzzelladrian907]

Incredible that Kia was able to price it so low for an EV.

[@iMaxPatten]

2.1 miles per kWh, not the reverse 😅

[@stefaandutil5920]

I think a mention of the "microtransaction" would be necessary as this is a dangerous direction to go down. Those weird L-shape lights can have their "pattern" changed but only for an extra fee to unlock it and it's a few hundred dollars I think (don't remember the exact price).

[@rahul_das]

keeping a backpack in the frunk of a SUV was hilarious 🤣🤣

[@KaiseruSoze]

54K is NOT affordable.

[@miilotheminer]

with lease credits, & gas savings it might make sense

[@KennyLarson]

​@@miilotheminera lease only makes sense if you never put kids in it.

[@caryrabbit]

Odd to compare this as if it’s 54k against a 70k car, when the reviewed vehicle is actually 70k. Just as expensive, just as unaffordable, and depreciates just as fast as any other car. I’d imagine 54k would be the stripped down version, hopefully it comes with an AC and power windows. /s I’ll take that 70k and put it towards a mortgage or something that will actually hold or increase its value and not be worthless in 5-10 years.

[@djsyndrome]

@@caryrabbit the tested model is actually $75.4K before tax and fees. A fully loaded Telluride is $54.7K. No one will ever come close to making up the >$20K difference in gas savings vs. electricity. This thing will depreciate like a rock and used ones will be $30K in three years.

[@user-yz1id7wc7q]

@@caryrabbit everything in life need not be about growing wealth

[@thelinuxdude13]

Did you mean 2.1 miles/kWh (not 2.1 kWh/mile)?

[@MiguelRPD]

Whats the range

[@titoflu97]

So nice car, more car review on the Verge

[@Geekosification]

Only the US uses inches. Show it in cm as well.

[@Peterincan]

300 miles definitely isn’t 440km…

[@checkpiontcharlie]

Inch? Did we ran out of proper units?

[@KingLoftiVII]

These things start at 80k us dollars in the uk.......no idea why the price disparity, but they can forget it at that price

[@timorum]

2.1kwh/mile? I think you mean 210w/mile?

[@blorpblorpblorp]

"The electric 3 row SUV has arrived. Let's get into it." [ proceeds to get out of it ]

[@mrpogi23]

Kia is offering 6-8k cash off the MSRP to stay competitive while its not yet part of the qualified cars. So you are getting huge discounts.. FYI most if not all of these same features cost more than 100K on other cars... you are getting an amazing deal plus great performance.

[@FelipeMartinin]

I don’t know why they didn’t place a 3rd row that seats 3 people like they did with the Telluride

[@dman7895]

"design flaw" at 6:20 is not exactly correct/accruate. those models dont have engine shut down/kill switches since it was technically NOT required, just they were basically the last holdouts not to have it. so it was by design, but unfortunately exploited

[@Fozzee.1970]

2.1kw per mile?

[@thibaultlibat368]

I assume he meant the opposite

[@thibaultlibat368]

2.1 miles per kw/h, so 210 miles with a 100kwh battery

[@Fozzee.1970]

@@thibaultlibat368 thats terrible I get 3.5-4 with mine

[@thibaultlibat368]

@@Fozzee.1970 yeah me too, that would be really bad. But it is a giant square truck so maybe

[@thibaultlibat368]

That would mean 210miles of range out of the 100kwh battery pack, which is not that far off the official range

[@benwillvv]

Remember, this is a zero emissions car, way cleaner than the average family hauler. It's worth it from that point alone.

[@user-sl5nx9en1g]

Well it isn't really the first three-row SUV. The Nio ES8, the Li Auto L9 and Aito M9 would all fit the description. Except maybe the last two which are really EREV. However, the ES8 has come with three-row's since 2021.

[@Sceptic850]

You butchered the efficiency numbers 😅

[@user-cz7sc9rt9o]

rebranding is a good idea, how can they feel confident sitting in a vehicle marked as 'kia'.

[@andreabarbera5444]

"Let's get into it", gets into the car...and steps out of it. Great scripting guys.

[@BoricuaFez]

If I had a second kid maybe, but I don't want to get a bigger car. Also, not a fan of the haptic buttons or big/wide touchscreens.

[@blueskunk9163]

It’s videos like this that make me thank KZbin for the 2x speed button. Unwatchable at 1x.

[@mariolouis6412]

Who in the actual hell would buy this for that much money 🙄

[@michaelkonen]

As The Verge continues to bash on Tesla any chance they get (while reporting on none of the good things), I’ve lots a LOT of respect for the tech blog. That being said, I thought this was a pretty good and fair review. My only complaint is when range is mentioned. You have to mention range with pricing. That’s really the difference in trim levels between EVs. Sure it was mentioned there are different trims and different pricing, but there was only one range mentioned, 304. Many people will think that’s included in the base pricing because most people won’t do their own homework. Folks that cover EVs need to get better on this point. That big nitpick aside, well covered.

[@ruzzelladrian907]

The first three-row electric SUV wax the Model X back in 2016. It took 8 years for a competitor to release their own three-row electric SUV. The Model X had the market all to itself. The Kia EV9 is the first in 8 years.

[@ptn2452]

Another blue GT Line provided by KIA. Nothing said here is new so it’s just a redundant video, one among many here on KZbin. I expected more from the verge.

[@tourer65]

Crucial DC charging problem....

[@raymondu99]

2.1kwh per mile?? Do you mean 2.1mile per kwh? 2.1kwh per mile is rubbish 😅

[@ekgphotographyuk]

Kia or KN? 😂

[@stephen_sezs]

Keeping 2023 jokes alive I see.

[@barry7391]

The "utility" nomenclature is misleading since there are three rows of seats. Just call it what it is, a station wagon. If you want utility in this thing then forget the third row seating.

[@newforcemedia]

Why does it have to be a stupid SUV? It's completely useless on normal city roads. A "normal" stationwagon of MPV will do just fine. If you want to sit higher than avergae, just buy a lorry truck (!)

[@joewardpr]

$60k for a Kia? ... The move to EVs is going to be much slower than necessary. How about the BYD Seagull?