Kia EV9 Review

Range 

Kia claims a WLTP figure of 349 miles for the EV9 Air, and between 315- and 313-miles for the AWD model depending on whether you go for the 20- or 21-inch wheels.

Given that the EV9 weighs more than a Rolls Royce Cullinan we didn't expect the best efficiency, but even in temperatures hovering around the zero mark it was averaging 2.9 miles per kWh, which means a real-world range of 300 miles is possible in most conditions. We haven’t driven it yet, but the Air should go a little further; we’d estimate around 320- to 340 miles depending on conditions. Every Kia EV9 gets a heat pump, which helps to deliver more efficient running in winter (and is a pricey option on some rivals). 

Battery

A big SUV with this much space inevitably needs a big battery. For now, the UK only gets one battery option – a 99.8kWh lithium-ion pack that has a usable capacity of 95kWh. It’s paired with a single motor, rear-wheel drive powertrain in the entry-level EV9 Air, while the rest of the lineup gets a more powerful, dual-motor, all-wheel drive setup.

Charging

Thanks to Kia’s 800 volt electrical system and 220kW peak charging rate, you'll be able to add around 60 miles of range into the EV9’s battery in just six minutes using a super-fast 350 kW charger (usually found around the motorway network) making it easy to top up on longer journeys. A 10-80% top-up will take under 30 minutes. The more common 150kW rapid chargers, found in most motorway services, will do a similar 60 mile top-up in around 12 minutes, or will deliver a 10-80% charge in around 40 minutes.  

If you’re charging at home on a standard 7kW domestic charger, you can expect a charge from nearly empty to take around 16 hours.

The EV9 comes with standard Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality, which means that you can plug any electrical device (or even another electric car) into the EV9 and charge it from the high voltage battery at a rate of 3.6kW. That’s only a little bit faster than the charge rate you get from a standard domestic socket, but it’ll still be great for running your mini fridge while camping, charging portable power tools and more. 

Via the Kia Connect Store, customers will be able to add Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) compatibility, which enables you to sell electricity back to the grid - provided you’ve got a home charger with this functionality.