Kia EV9 Review & Prices

The Kia EV9 has space-age styling to go with its modern tech, and in some ways it looks and feels closer to something you’d buy from Currys than from a car dealership — all swish displays and chunky design details. Sure, there are posher high-tech offerings than this, but the Kia hits hard with its combo of usability and quality.

Mind you, the biggest problem the EV9 has now is that it has some internal competition — Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 uses all the same basic bits and pieces underneath, but has a more airy cabin and it squeezes a touch more range from its battery.

Both Korean cars compete with models from premium brands too, such as the massive and massively expensive Volvo EX90, while there’s petrol-powered rivals such as the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tayron.

The thing that the Kia has over all of these, though, is style. The EV9 is really striking to look at, looking as if it could be used as set-dressing for a Judge Dredd movie. The Hyundai Ioniq 9 might have a touch more range, but the Kia is by far the better looking of the two cars.

Kia EV9: electric range, battery and charging data

Range: 313 - 349 miles
Efficiency: 2.8 - 3.1mi/kWh
Battery size: 99.8kWh
Max charge speed: 210kW
Charge time AC: 15hrs (10-100%, 2.3kW)
Charge time DC: 24mins (10-80%, 210kW)
Charge port location: Rear right side
Power outputs: 213hp, 378hp

That carries over to the interior too, with a big sweep of twinned digital screens on top of the dashboard, and slightly sci-fi designs for the seats. The ambient lighting really works well at night, bathing the cabin in a soft, neon glow for maximum Blade Runner vibes.

The big screens are good to use — not least because Kia hangs on to a few physical buttons too — but we’re less keen on the smaller screen, between the two big ones, which controls the climate functions. It gets hidden behind the rim of the steering wheel, and your left hand, too much of the time.

There’s no doubting the sheer amount of space on offer in the EV9 though, and you can choose from a standard seven-seat layout or, for posher models, a cool six-seat setup with individual seats in the middle row. There’s enough space for actual foot rests for those in that middle row (the front seats get them too, handy if you need to while away some charging time). Fold away the third row of seats and the boot is absolutely massive (as is the storage area in the nose).

There are some cheap plastics, however, which is a bit of a shame as the Kia’s pretty expensive by the brand’s standards, and higher levels of cabin quality would allow the EV9 to really fight with its premium-badge alternatives.

There’s a massive battery between the wheels, which gives the standard single-motor version a decent 349-mile range on one charge — that drops to 313 miles if you go for the faster four-wheel drive version, which is still enough for most family needs, but beware that the EV9 gets pretty thirsty on a long motorway drive.

On a twisty road, the EV9 is too big and too heavy to be much fun, although it’s not as much of a liability as you might think. It’s better on the motorway, although you do have to put up with quite a lot of tyre roar.

Around town, the EV9 is less of an elephant than you’d imagine, thanks to light steering and good visibility, but despite being pretty comfortable most of the time, you’ll feel every speed bump and pothole at lower speeds. Even so, the EV9’s combo of space, and space-age looks, puts it very high up our list of favourite family cars.

Check out our latest Kia EV9 deals to get one of these futuristic behemoths on your driveway, or have a look at EV9 lease deals for a different route into ownership. We also have used EV9s for sale through our network of trusted dealers, and there are loads of other used Kia models available if the EV9 is a bit too big for you. We can even help you sell your existing car when the time comes to make the switch.

The EV9 is definitely not cheap, and anyone whose last Kia purchase was an original Cee’d might want to sit down and draw a deep breath. Indeed, you don’t get much change from £66,000 if you’re buying an EV9, and even though it’s a very well-equipped car, that’s a lot of money whatever the badge on the bonnet.

Then again, the equivalent Hyundai Ioniq 9 is virtually the same price and offers a slightly longer range. A Volvo EX90 can only match the Kia for space, but it’s £15,000 more expensive, which puts the value ball firmly back in Kia’s court.

The Kia EV9 is generally pretty comfortable, but it’s not the quietest electric car at speed

In town

There’s no getting away from the fact that the Kia EV9 is a massive car, and when you’re sat in the driver’s seat the corners of the bonnet look miles away. Fortunately you get 360-degree cameras as standard, making it easier to navigate tight spots like inner-city width restrictors.

Where you might get caught out is the wide turning circle, which makes U-turns or tight junctions a bit trickier than they might otherwise be.

The light steering makes the EV9 easy to drive in town, though, and it’s generally pretty comfortable, but the odd pothole can send a bit of a thud through the cabin so it’s not quite as refined as you might hope.

One cool feature is the 'auto' brake regeneration setting. This uses sensors to judge your distance to the car in front, applying more braking as you get closer to the car ahead to bring you to a steady stop. It's also useful on the motorway, where it's more efficient to coast when you lift off, something the car will do automatically in this setting.

On the motorway

The suspension smooths out much more at higher speeds, and coupled with the comfy armchair-like seats, makes for a relaxing place to spend hours behind the wheel. The only complaint is that the big alloy wheels send quite a bit of tyre roar through the cabin, but it’s not enough to be annoying. In fact you’re so well-cocooned from wind buffeting outside that it feels like you’re going slower than you really are.

With so much power, the all-wheel drive version picks up and shifts the EV9’s considerable heft without so much as a hint of hesitation. It’s deeply impressive and wholly unnecessary, but great fun regardless. Accelerating up to speed on a slip road or pulling off a swift overtake takes little thought.

One handy trick is the blind spot monitoring system, which flashes up an image from the side-mounted camera when you flick the indicator to change lanes.

On a twisty road

Much like you’re always aware that the Kia EV9 is a big old beast in town, it also remains at the front of your mind out in the countryside. On narrow roads, with trucks bearing down on you, it can be a touch unnerving, particularly if you still have the lane-keeping assistance on, as it’s constantly nudging the wheel to keep you out of the verge. You will want to turn this off, though it’s an annoying few button presses that’s not easy on the move.

But when the road opens up and you get to enjoy a few corners, the EV9 actually defies its size and weight to become pretty good fun. Sure, the steering is as numb as we’ve come to expect from electric SUVs, but there’s decent grip and — in the all-wheel drive model — big power to put a smile on your face.

On particularly undulating country roads the soft suspension can make the car wobble from side to side though, so your passengers might be reaching for the sick bags if you’re being too enthusiastic…

The EV9 is a big SUV with plenty of cubby holes, but some of the storage that’s close to hand could be bigger

The EV9 is a big SUV with plenty of cubby holes, but some of the storage that’s close to hand could be bigger

A long run of touchscreen that is actually a trio of displays dominates the cabin, and given the size of the EV9 it’s no surprise to find that there’s plenty of space for both people and stuff across the interior.

The driving position is good as you sit high and have a great view of the road ahead, but if you have long legs you might find yourself wishing the wheel could come a bit closer.

The centre stowage area features a pair of good-sized cupholders that swivel away when not needed to create a larger stowage spot, and there’s a huge bin at floor level between the front seats. The glove box is also a very good size, although the door bins aren’t quite so handy but they will take a big bottle. However, they’re not lined so anything small in there will noisily rattle around when on the move. The under-armrest storage is also fairly shallow.

Once you’ve got comfortable in the big front seats, which isn’t a tricky task, you’ll spot a pair of USB-C chargers and a 12V socket in the front. The seats are powered across all specification levels, although the steering column is manually adjusted on the entry-level Air trim, above which point you also find memory front seats as standard.

Space in the back seats

The middle-row experience is very different depending on whether you go for the six-seat or more popular seven-seat layout

If you go with the six-seater – only offered on the GT-Line S top-spec car for about £1,000 more than the seven-seater – you are slightly limiting your people-carrying options, but there are some upsides. Not only can you walk between the middle two seats to get into the back row, rather than climbing through, but you also get clever swivel seats that rotate.

That means you can swing them 90 degrees for easy baby seat loading access, and swivel them 180 degrees for a conference-style arrangement of four people looking at each other in the back. But there’s not a great amount of knee room when you do that, and it is a bit of a faff creating enough of a gap to the front seats to actually swing them round. Basically, it’s no Mercedes V-Class when it comes to premium luxury transport, but it’s still a neat party trick.

Go for the seven-seater, and you get, obviously, an extra seat. The rear bench is split 60:40 and slides on rails to give you the choice of how much legroom to offer second and third row passengers, and flicks down easily at the touch of a button to let people into the third row.

The central middle passenger gets the least-good spot in the house; the seat is slightly harder, narrower and raised a little compared with those either side, though at least the flat floor means there’s no problem finding space for three pairs of feet back there.

The outer passengers will easily get their feet under the front seats, so it’s a pretty comfortable place to be. When there’s no-one in the middle seat, the armrest is on a ratchet so you can choose what height to position it, and it has a pair of cupholders.

Both the front seats have USB-C charging points in the back of them for middle-row passengers, but the rear door bins are small so it's useful you have access to two cup holders between the front seats. Top-spec models get a glass roof that makes the rear feel light and airy, but it's a shame this isn't at least an option on the lower trim.

Kia hasn’t forgotten third-row passengers, where there are another two USB-C chargers and a cupholder each, although it does feel more spacious in the third row of the six-seater versus the seven, thanks to the gap between the seats in front. That said, you can fit three six-footers one behind the other in both versions fairly comfortably.

Access to both rows is aided by the huge and wide-opening rear doors, which also helps make it easier to fit a child seat (even if you have the seven-seater and can't spin the second row seats). What's more, you also have ISOFIX mounting points in the third row for extra child seat carrying ability.

Boot space

The Kia EV9 has 333 litres of space even with all three rows of seats in place, which is a touch more than the Volvo EX90, although the Peugeot E-5008 is marginally bigger at 348 litres (but then the Peugeot has less room in its third row).

Fold the third row of seats and you get a massive 828 litres of space, so even if you don’t need the extra seats the EV9 is tempting for the sheer practicality it offers. That’s way more than the 650 litres you get in the EX90, while the five-seater BMW iX offers 500 litres.

It's handy that the parcel shelf can be stashed under the boot floor when you’ve got all seven seats in place, but it’s a shame there’s not really anywhere in the back for storing the charging cables. They need to go into the front luggage area under the bonnet if you don't want them in with your luggage, but then that’s no trouble because it’s massive; 90 litres in Air models and 50 litres in GT-Line trims.

The middle row of seats can be folded with the press of a button in the boot, and it’s a huge area when everything’s down. There’s also a three-pin socket in the boot that allows for charging or powering external devices when you’re parked.

There are some nice touches in terms of both look and feel of the cabin, but the quality is a bit of a mixed bag, considering the price

There are some nice touches in terms of both look and feel of the cabin, but the quality is a bit of a mixed bag, considering the price

The cabin looks good at first glance, with the big displays stretching across the interior space made up of 12.3-inch screens for the instrument displays and infotainment, separated by a 5.3-inch display for the climate settings.

The whole climate control screen design is rather baffling though, because the display is relegated to a screen that’s hidden by the steering wheel and your left hand. But then you also get chunky physical buttons to change the temperature, so it’s like Kia committed to neither layout and ended up with a messy solution.

This aside, the larger screens are clear and easy to use, and you get a nice haptic click feeling to let you know you’ve hit the icon you were aiming for – handy when you don’t want to take your eyes off the road to hit a button.

Quality is a little bit of a mixed bag; the roof lining is soft and plush and the top and middle of the dash are soft to the touch, but the Kia EV9 doesn’t have a premium feel across the whole cabin. There are cheaper feeling plastics lower in the cabin that mean the BMW iX and Volvo EX90 are more upmarket inside.

All models get some welcome standard equipment including heated and ventilated seats in the front and the outer middle row, along with the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity you probably expect these days.

Rear privacy glass, dual-zone air conditioning and second-row window blinds are all fitted as standard to every EV9, while stepping up to the mid-spec GT-Line adds seats that go into full reclining ‘cat-nap’ mode; handy for when you’re waiting for the car to finish charging mid-journey.

There are two motor options available with the Kia EV9, both of which come with a huge 99.8kWh battery. Also worthy of note is that every car comes with a heat pump fitted as standard, a feature which improves EV efficiency in cold weather.

The first option is a 203hp single-motor model that powers the rear wheels. It’s the least powerful of the two by some way, but the result is that it has the longest range at 349 miles. If you want more oomph you will want the dual-motor all-wheel drive model, which has a headier 378hp yet still respectable 313 miles of range.

That might be tricky to achieve, though, as we saw efficiency of just 2.3mi/kWh during our test. That’s some way off the official 2.7mi/kWh figure, and would result in a range of around 230 miles, though 250 miles should be reasonably achievable in warmer conditions.

Alternatives will do similar mileage (officially) from their big battery versions, with the Volvo EX90 and BMW iX promising around 370 miles (the BMW will get much closer to that figure in real-world conditions than the Volvo), and the E-5008 offering a whopping 415 miles.

Whichever EV9 you go for you get Kia’s super-fast charging speeds of up to 210kW, which means you can top up from 10-80% in about 24 minutes. Just enough time to stretch your legs and grab a coffee and pastry while you wait.

With this being a zero-emission vehicle there's the typical low first year road tax, then the standard rate from then on. There’s also the luxury car supplement to bear in mind from years two to six due to the EV9’s price, and that price is so chunky that the April 2026 change, raising the cutoff point to £50,000, won’t help you. There’s also the pay-per-mile charge for EVs to consider, which is due to come into force from 2028 onwards.

You do, however, get to enjoy the lowest benefit-in-kind rate as a company car buyer, but just remember that BIK rates are now on a slowly rising slope, from 4% to 10%, between now and 2030.

The Kia EV9 got the full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, scoring over 80% on all but the vulnerable road users section.

Safety kit is pretty good, as you would expect for an expensive, upmarket electric SUV. Standard equipment includes a 360-degree camera to make squeezing into tight spots easier, adaptive cruise control with lane-centring tech, front and rear parking sensors and an automatic parking system. Top-spec models also get a head-up display to help keep your eyes on the road.

Kia has a great reputation for reliability so despite the fact this is a new model, you shouldn’t have to worry about things going wrong. That said, Kia came third out of 32 manufacturers in the 2024 Driver Power owner reliability survey, a fantastic result, although that did drop back a bit, to a still-solid 18th place, in 2025.

What’s more, you benefit from one of the best warranties in the business at seven years/100,000 miles, whichever comes first – and this covers the battery if it drops below 70% capacity in that time. It’s only beaten by Lexus’s 10-year offering and helps make any Kia a tempting used buy, as the warranty transfers between owners.