On July 6th, pre-orders began in the UK for the Kia EV9, Kia’s brand new flagship three-row SUV. It’s been a bumper week of information, with pricing and specifications revealed as well as news of a public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed where it will take on the iconic Hill Climb.

First, let’s look at the EV9 and what it’s all about. The original EV9 concept was first seen in 2021 and stays relatively close to that as a finished product. Joining the many other all-electric SUVs currently on the market, this one comes with a few differences. It is Kia’s first three-row electric flagship SUV and is available as a six or seven seater. Being marketed as having “bold styling and premium versatility”, I can kind of see what Kia is getting at. Visually, it has the combined look of a Range Rover and Defender, and Kia’s signature ‘Opposites Untied’ design aims to deliver a vehicle that is “ready for anything”. An electric SUV that is equally as comfortable on the road as it is off-road? Time will tell on that front.

Anyway, the real stats I’m sure you’re after are to do with range and charging time. A handy 336 miles is the target thanks to its 99.8 kWh long range battery pack with heat pump. The car features 800V ultra-fast charging technology, which enables it to charge from 10 to 80% in 24 minutes from a 350kW high-powered charger. Plenty of time to get a coffee but not so much to leave you twiddling your thumbs.

A day before the pre-order service became available, Kia announced its UK pricing and specification for the EV9. A starting price of £64,495 is the figure for this car which is one of several new models to be part of Kia’s electrification plan known as ‘Plan S’. The mid to long-term strategy will see Kia launch 15 EVs globally by 2027, with nine set to come to the UK.

Kia will offer three options to EV9 buyers in the UK known as ‘Air’, ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’. The first deliveries of the ‘GT-Line S’ will start in January 2024, with ‘Air’ and ‘GT-Line’ models due to follow later. As standard, all models come with a generous range of equipment and features, including a three-screen dashboard layout, heated seats, rear privacy glass, heated steering wheel, 360-degree surrounding view monitor, front and front parking sensors and many many more. I could go on forever, but let’s take a look at what distinguishes the three models from each other.

Kia EV9 ‘Air’ – from £64,995

Offering the highest potential driving range despite being the cheapest of the three options, its rear-wheel drive single motor powertrain produces 201bhp and 350 Nm of torque, with its 19-inch alloys capable of taking you up to 336 miles on a single charge. Due to the range of equipment that comes with all models, the only addition that customers can choose on the ‘Air’ is paint colour, with customers offered Aurora Red as standard as well as the option of three premium finishes – Midnight Black, White Pearl or Lithium Silver – for £725.

Kia EV9 ‘GT-Line’ – from £72,495

Offering a dual motor, all-wheel drive powertrain as standard, the ‘GT-Line’ is an upgrade from the ‘Air’, producing 378bhp and 700 Nm maximum torque, making the car capable on all road types. While the range of 308 miles on a single charge is slightly less than the ‘Air’, the EV9 ‘GT-Line’ does come with a wider range of standard equipment including special exterior styling, two-tone ‘GT-Line’ upholstery, small cube LED headlamps, roof rails and aluminium pedals.

Kia EV9 ‘GT-Line S’ - from £75,995

Top of the range is the ‘GT-Line S’ variant, which offers the same dual motor, all-wheel drive powertrain with 308 miles of potential range. Coming as standard are 21-inch alloy wheels, front and second-row sunroofs and a 14-speaker Meridian Premium Sound System.

However, ‘GT-Line S’ models are exclusively available with a six-seat interior layout, featuring second-row swivel seats. This will cost you slightly more at £78,745 and replaces the three-seat middle bench with two individual ‘captain’s chair’ seats with adjustable armrests. They can turn around 180 degrees, recline to help you sleep on long journeys and create space to help younger children get into their seat.

If you’re not content with your EV9 while you own it, there is the ability to improve your car using the Kia Connect app. A similar model to BMW, users can unlock features like smart parking assist and acceleration boost to improve their car. Keen to see more of the EV9? Well, your luck is in as the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed from 13-16 July will see the flagship SUV make its UK public debut.

Taking on the hillclimb event, the event provides the platform for Kia to showcase the EV9 to the many fans in attendance. Pro driver Jade Paveley will drive the car on the 1.16-mile hill several times throughout the weekend. Having driven the EV6 GT at last year’s Festival of Speed, Paveley has a wealth of experience, competing in various motorsports since the age of 15.

When the EV9 is not taking on the hill, it will be on display in the ‘First Glance Paddock’ as well as a second example on ‘Electric Avenue’, with Kia representatives on hand to provide more detail into what makes this release so highly anticipated.

Words: Mike Booth
Pictures: Kia