Kia EV9 374kW GT 99.8kWh AWD 5dr 7St Auto

Ten Second Review

Kia's most ambitious model and its fastest-ever SUV is this car, the EV9 GT. This flagship EV has more power than a seven-seater in this segment could ever need, plus an exclusive feel - and an exclusive price.

Background

What exactly might be the price ceiling for any sort of Kia? The brand is continually pushing the boundaries of that question and here it does so again with this car, the EV9 GT. With over 500bhp, this flagship version of the brand's all-electric EV9 luxury seven-seat SUV aims to set a fresh standard for just how fast you can go in an electric car with three rows of seats. But obviously there's a high price to pay for that. Still, in return you get a very exclusive-feeling EV9 indeed. Whether you could really use all of that performance with all three rows occupied is quite another question.

Engines and Tech Spec

Let's leave aside for the moment why anyone would want a seven-seat electric luxury SUV with 515bhp. And instead take a closer look at just what's on offer here. Namely the most powerful SUV that Kia has ever made, courtesy of a 215bhp motor on the front axle and a 362bhp motor at the rear. The total output is 124bhp more than the fastest standard EV9 model can produce. And catapults this 2.7-tonne family SUV to 62mph in just 4.6s, making it one of the fastest seven-seaters ever made. The power is delivered to the potent accompaniment of the same simulated gearbox and 'engine' sound system used by a close cousin model that shares much the same engineering, Hyundai's IONIQ 5N. This set-up can be controlled by using paddles on the steering wheel. To handle all that power, there's electronic suspension which adjusts its firmness based on drive mode. There's also an electronic limited-slip differential that distributes power to the wheel with most traction. Like other EV9s, this one can tow 2,500kgs and has Level 3 autonomous drive technology. There's the same 99.8kWh battery as used by lesser EV9s, but its range takes a dive with this GT - to 280 miles, down from 349 miles with a base EV9. Stopping power is boosted by bigger front brakes.

Design and Build

GT-spec changes over the ordinary EV9 are subtle, but followers of this luxury SUV will recognise them immediately. There's a sportier bumper design and the same acid green brake calipers that characterise the EV6 GT. Those upgraded brakes sit behind bespoke 21-inch wheels and wider tyres. Inside, the acid green theme repeats with neon highlights around the cabin and can be matched to the car's ambient lighting system. There are bespoke sports seats with leather and microsuede upholstery, acid green stitching and a GT logo. The unique three-spoke steering wheel has a special GT button, offering direct access to the sportiest drive mode. Otherwise, it's the same as any other EV9. In the rear, there's a choice of six or seven-seat layouts being offered: choose a six-seater and the middle row has two 'captain's chairs' that can swivel to face the third row seats. Or can be swivelled towards the door openings to help elderly folk in and out. There are tray tables on the front seat backs and a digital climate control panel for the middle row. Depending on seat positioning, expect a large boot too - 572-litres in size. With all the seats flat, capacity rises to 2,319-litres.

Market and Model

Expect a big price jump over the plushest variant in the standard EV9 range, the 'GT-Line S'. One of those requires around £78,000 from you. You'll need around £82,000 for this EV9 GT in seven-seat form - and £1,000 more if you want the six-seater version with its more indulgent 'Captain's chairs' in the second row. As for equipment, well we covered many of the specific GT elements in our 'Design' section. And this top variant does of course feature all of the 'GT-Line S' features. All EV9s come with complete LED illumination for the headlights, the LED daytime running lights, the tail lamps and the rear fog lights. Plus you get power-folding mirrors, auto headlamps and wipers, a rear spoiler, rear privacy glass, roof rails and silver front and rear skid plates. Plus fingerprint recognition and 'Digital Key' keyless entry. You also get a 'Smart' power tailgate with height adjustment, all-round parking sensors, rear self-levelling suspension, a Thatcham category one alarm, a heat pump to preserve driving range in cold conditions and a clever Vehicle-to-load (V2L) system that allows you to power external devices from the car's main battery. Inside on all models, you get 12.3-inch driver display screen and a 5.3-inch climate control screen. There's also three-zone climate control, ambient lighting, an electronic rear view mirror, a wireless mobile phone charger and a 360-degree surround view monitor. Plus you get manual window blinds on the second row, six USB-C interior charge ports and a four-spoke heated steering wheel with an illuminated emblem. Media features are taken care of by a 12.3-inch touchscreen navigation with voice control. And all variants get Kia's latest 'highway driving pilot' system that uses 15 sensors (including a couple of lidar sensors) to offer 'Level 3' autonomous driving (where conditions allow).

Cost of Ownership

In our 'Driving' section, we gave you the range from the 99.8kWh battery - 280 miles. Like the EV6 and other larger Hyundai Motor Group products, this electric Kia uses an 800V e-GMP platform electrical architecture that allows access to the new generation of ultra-rapid public chargers that are springing up around Europe. Connect up to one of these and this EV9 is capable of gaining up to 148 miles of range in just 15 minutes. The EV9 is also able to distribute charge to other vehicles at up to 3.6kW using it's Type 2 socket, as part of an incorporated 'vehicle-to-load V2L' function. We're not quite sure why you'd ever want to do that, but it might conceivably be useful to charge large appliances using the car's battery 'on an outdoor adventure' according to Kia. Like the EV6, the EV9 is fitted with energy-recuperation technologies to maximise driving range. This includes Kia's latest-generation energy-efficient heat pump which scavenges waste heat from the car's coolant system. This ensures that at minus 7 degrees Celsius, the car can achieve 80% of the range that would be possible at 25 degrees Celsius. Also featured is the latest generation of Kia's smart regenerative braking system, which is operated by paddle shifters behind the steering wheel so drivers can quickly and easily slow the car and recuperate kinetic energy to maximise driving range and efficiency.

Summary

Kia is getting ever bolder as an automotive brand - and it's hard to imagine a much bolder statement in the here and now than this EV9 GT. Obviously, the UK importers would like to sell a few, but this variant's really importance lies in the message it sends to its segment and beyond. That Kia is now well capable of producing properly premium and credibly high performing products. If you weren't completely sold by that rhetoric with the EV6 GT, you might be more convinced by it here.