Supersized six-figure Kia EV makes New Zealand debut

Friday, 25 August 2023

Don’t want to wait until October to see Kia’s all-new EV9? Well this one is touring the North Island as we speak.

We’ve talked plenty about how Korean carmakers Kia and Hyundai are currently on a tear in terms of both electrification and design. In terms of the design stuff, something that’s noticeable with both parties is how many of their wild, zany concept cars make it all the way through to production with minimal changes. And that’s certainly true of Kia’s new three-row SUV – the EV9.

The first EV9 landed in New Zealand earlier this month, and is currently making its debut to the public via a string of appearances at various Kia dealerships around the North Island. This weekend it is on display at Giltrap Kia on the North Shore, and next week it will pop up at Pukekohe Kia and Waikato Kia.

Not your standard wing mirrors... These are cameras, which project what they see in real time on two screens mounted inside each front door.

We caught up with the EV9 while it was on display at Botany Kia for a first peek ahead of its inevitable New Zealand launch programme.

The EV9 is the second of Kia’s dedicated electric ‘EV’-branded models. It follows in the footsteps of the excellent EV6 launched last year, with many more EV models to follow. The smaller EV5 is tipped to be revealed at this month’s Chengdu Motor Show, and a model purported to be the EV4 was recently spotted testing in Europe.

Once launched, the EV9 will represent one of the precious few fully electric 7-seaters on the market. Currently if you want to transport yourself and six others in pure electric comfort, your only options are LDV’s Mifa 9 people mover, Mercedes-Benz’s EQV minivan, or the entry-level Mercedes-Benz EQB.

Kia’s design department has been nailing it for years now, with the EV9 continuing its momentum.

As reported previously, three 7-seater EV9 models will be offered locally at launch; the $105,990 EV9 Light Standard Range, $115,990 EV9 Earth AWD Long Range, and $134,990 GT-Line AWD Long Range (not including on-road costs).

The standard range gets a 76.1kWh li-ion battery pack, with range abilities that had yet to be determined by the brand. The two all-wheel drive models, meanwhile, use a 99.8kWh li-ion battery, with range in the Earth grade rated at up to 541km on the WLTP cycle.

Kia has revealed its take on a large all-electric SUV - the Concept EV9.

The EV9 that’s touring the North Island at the minute is a GT-Line variant, identifiable via the vertical vents positioned on either side of the grille area, a deeper front splitter, chunkier side skirts, and its 21-inch wheels wrapped in 285/45 Continental PremiumContact rubber.

This particular vehicle is a handbuilt prototype, featuring several interior materials that won’t feature in production models – like the hard grey plastic trim on the back seats. It also isn’t set up to power on, meaning we couldn’t sample its infotainment system and attached software, nor open its tailgate.

This also meant that we didn’t get to see the trick LEDs mounted inwards of the headlights in action. They’re meant to shine through the EV9’s front fascia bodywork.

On the outside, the EV9 really does look like a concept vehicle come to life. Yes, it isn’t an exact clone of the Concept EV9 first shown off in November of 2021. Its proportions are less cartoonish, the ride height lowered, the sharply flared arches toned down a smidge, and the interior no longer looks like the cockpit of the Starship Enterprise.

Note the lack of buttons under the touchscreen ... just four basic climate control buttons and your hazards.

But, the core silhouette remains, as do the sci-fi looking headlights and tail lights. It’s minimalist looking at first, but there’s a huge amount of detail in its lights and grille elements.

Even with the concept-to-reality changes, the EV9 still looks like a huge, imposing, SUV. Measuring 5010mm long, 1980mm wide, and 1755mm tall, it is 200mm longer, 80mm wider, and 55mm taller than the Kia’s current largest model, the Sorento (and almost exactly the same as the North American Kia Telluride). Like most EVs, it boasts a huge wheelbase, too – 3100mm, or 285mm more than the Sorento.

Digital wing mirrors are starting to become more prevalent in mainstream vehicles. Time will tell if this trend has legs.

Under this body sits the largest version of Kia’s modular E-GMP platform to date, making this an official not-so-distant cousin to the EV6. And you can feel that inside, too. Space in the front two rows of seats is hugely generous with the third row looking reasonably usable, too.

Despite Kia’s current infotainment software being barely a few years old, the EV9 gets a new system that is reportedly quicker, and should support wireless phone connectivity (full local spec has yet to be confirmed, although wireless features are available in Australia’s EV9s).

As Kia New Zealand confirmed earlier this week, all models get dual 12.3-inch screens on the dashboard, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and ambient lighting.

Other neat additions we saw in the GT-Line included dual sunroofs, a Meridian sound system, and USB-C charging ports on the back of the front seats for those in the second row (they’re also available for the third row, apparently).

The biggest news, though, is the presence of camera-based wing-mirrors in the GT-Line flagship. Much like those featured on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited we tested earlier this month, these digital wing mirrors are made possible via cameras mounted on the outside of each door and a mirror-shaped monitor positioned inside each door.

The only model more expensive than the EV9 GT-Line in Kia’s line-up is the EV6 GT.

Generous space in the second row. Check out the flat floor ... no compromise on legroom for the middle seat occupant.

There’s almost more buttons on the steering wheel than on the dashboard.

Kia’s new logo has been in the market for just over two years now.

The evolution of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille has been interesting to follow. Compare the Stonic’s interpretation to the EV9’s.

The EV9 is big. In fact, it’s almost identical in size to the North American Telluride and its cousin, the Hyundai Pallisade.

Another big change to note of (perhaps only made big if you’re a car nerd like us…) is how Kia has ditched the ‘customisable’ control panel from the EV6, Sportage, and Niro.

It was one of the most interesting features; the brand packing two sets of buttons (climate on one side, audio on the other) into the one touch-based control panel underneath the main touchscreen, with a ‘toggle’ button allowing users to switch between the two sets of functions.

It was a clever solution, simplifying the amount of buttons available in each car, but it was also a fairly finicky solution. For the EV9 Kia has ditched the secondary panel; instead moving the bulk of the climate buttons into the touchscreen and leaving just a few physical buttons for the climate basics (temperature, mode, and wind speed).

It won’t be long before we start to see these EV9s on the road. Local deliveries are set to commence in October. They might be silent but, thanks to those huge dimensions and that futuristic styling, you’re unlikely to miss them.

Bonus images