The Kia EV9 is expected to launch in Malaysia very soon. This would be the brand’s third fully electric model in Malaysia following the launch of the Kia EV6 and the Niro EV. While there are plenty of electric SUVs in the market, the Kia EV9 stands out for having a bold boxy design and is one of the very few to offer up to 7 seats.
Several months ago, a Kia EV9 was spotted around Glenmarie and we recently got a chance to get an early look at this chunky people mover. This particular unit is a right-hand drive (RHD) model but take note that this isn’t the actual version for the Malaysian market. This means some of the features shown here might be different from the actual car for our market. This Kia EV9 GT-Line model comes with a 6-seat configuration without the swivel seats for the second row.
Kia EV9 key specs and figures
Globally, there are several versions of the EV9 – Single motor RWD and dual motor AWD, with options of either a 6-seater or 7-seater configuration. It comes with a 76.1kWh battery pack for the base RWD model and a larger 99.8kWh battery for the long-range RWD model and the dual-motor AWD version.
The long-range RWD version pushes a rather low 150kW (201hp) and 350Nm, capable of doing 0-100km/h in 9.4 seconds. But the “standard” RWD version is slightly more powerful as the motor pushes 160kW (215hp), making the 0-100km/h time slightly quicker at 8.2 seconds.
The AWD model pushes a much higher 283kW (379hp) of power and 600Nm of torque. The dual motor setup can propel this boxy SUV from 0-100km/h in 6.0 seconds. If that’s not quick enough, there’s a Boost feature which unlocks the maximum 700Nm of torque, bringing down the century sprint time to 5.3 seconds.
Being a three-row SUV, the EV9 is huge as it is 5,010mm long, 1,980mm wide and has a wheelbase of 3,100mm. It’s wider and longer than the BMW iX and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV but it is 115mm shorter than the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, which also has 7 seats. On paper, the EV9 AWD weighs over 2.6 tonnes, which is about 200kg lighter than the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV (2,810kg).
This boxy SUV has road presence
Unlike the Kia EV6 which has more curves and an organic shape, the Kia EV9 is going for a boxy look with heaps of polygonal elements. It looks tough and futuristic like something you would drive on Mars.
Over at the front, you get a wide body-coloured front while the headlamps are individual LEDs stacked vertically at the corner. There are also active air-flap at the lower part of the grill for better aerodynamics while cruising at highway speeds. What makes this EV stand out are its “Star Map” LED daytime running lights while the rear gets an interesting light array which stretches vertically and horizontally
The EV9 also gets hidden Digital Pattern Lightning Grill which can be animated to your liking. We didn’t get to see it in action but this is a feature that can be activated if you purchase it like a “Tesla-style” add-on from the Kia app.
For a cleaner look and better aerodynamics, it also gets flush full-width pop-up door handles that are easier to hold. This particular EV runs on 21″ wheels wrapped with Continental PremiumContact C tyres
The Kia EV9 is loaded with tech and features
While most new EVs are going full-on with touchscreens with fewer physical controls, the EV9 adopts a very utilitarian interior with physical buttons and switches, which is very fitting for a large SUV. There’s a good mixture of plush soft-touch leatherette surfaces, fabric and textured plastics which give it a sturdy yet modern feel.
On the centre stack of the dash, there’s a row of toggle switches for the climate control and there’s also a row of capacitive media control buttons which offer a nice haptic feedback. There’s also a wide scroll wheel above the hazard light button which doubles as a volume control and power button for the media features.
Similar to the Kia EV6, you get two large fully digital displays for the instrument cluster and the infotainment system but Kia has added a third 5″ screen in between which is dedicated to climate control. While the dedicated climate control screen seems to be a great idea, isn’t practical for the driver as it gets blocked by the steering while seated in an optimal driving position. Fortunately, the climate control changes do appear on the bottom of the infotainment screen when you adjust the aircon using the physical toggle switches.
Overall, the digital screens are pretty good and the EV9 offers a fresher and more modern-looking user interface than what you get on the Kia EV6, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6. It also supports Apple Car Play and Android Auto, and the car offers heaps of USB-C charging ports on all three rows.
The best of Hyundai and KIA driver assist features are still retained on the EV9. The instrument cluster still offers a blind-spot view monitor which provides a live video feed when you indicate left and right, and a 360-degree camera which makes it easier to park this mammoth in the car park. Also included is a Head-Up Display, which lets you view your speed and blindspot without keeping your eyes off the road. In some markets, the EV9 even offers Level 3 autonomous driving which lets drivers take a short break from holding the steering wheel where it is allowed.
The EV9 also gets a rather nice 4-spoke steering wheel and interestingly, the drive selector and terrain mode buttons are placed in the middle, which is not easy to reach when you have both hands on the wheel. Being the most expensive Kia ever, the brand isn’t skimping on tech features and they have digital side-view cameras that provide live video feed to extra screens on the interior. If your rear passengers or cargo is blocking your rear view, they have also included a digital rear-view mirror which can be turned on with a simple flick of a tab.
To maximise more storage on the central console, the EV9’s gear selector is placed on a stalk behind the steering which also houses the EV power button as well. Similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, you’ll have to change between Drive-Neutral-Reverse by twisting the stalk upwards and downwards, and the Parking is activated by pressing the side button.
There are a couple of things that I don’t like about this particular EV9. Firstly, I’m not a fan of the brown colour combination which gives it a rather drab and old look, and hopefully, Kia Malaysia will bring the all-black or black/white combo interiors. The glossy buttons on the centre console, door trims and steering wheel do look a bit cheap and I feel they could have used more premium finishes or materials for the buttons.
Another big question mark is whether Kia Malaysia will bring Kia Connect for the EV9. At the moment, Hyundai and Kia EVs sold in Malaysia lack built-in connectivity. As a result, you won’t be able to monitor or control your EV remotely, which shouldn’t be acceptable in this day and age.
MPV-like creature comforts
Built on a dedicated e-GMP EV platform with a 3100mm long wheelbase, the EV9 offers loads of space which is great for family road trips. For this GT-Line unit, you get powered relaxation seats which offer an extendable leg rest for both front and middle-row passengers. The driver gets an “Ergo-Motion” massaging seat which offers pelvic, lumbar or whole body options. When you set the drive mode to Sports, you can feel the seat tighten around the sides to hug you during spirited driving.
The EV9 also gets ceiling-mounted air-con vents for both the second and third rows, and there’s also a panoramic glass roof for the rear in addition to a normal sunroof for the first row. Oddly, the sunshade of the front is manually operated, like the new Proton S70. Behind the central console is a clever storage bin which has a retractable lid that can extend far enough to double up as a side table. There are also integrated privacy shades for the second row which is a nice touch.
Getting to the third row can be done by going through the centre pass-through area or you can recline and slide second-row seats forward electronically at a push of a button. For adults, headroom is not an issue on the last row but knee room can be decent if you balance out the space for the first and second row seats. However, the floor does feel a little high up and as a result, it feels like you’re squatting slightly as there’s a lack of under-thigh support. Personally, it feels alright to be seated for short trips but it is better suited for children.
Even with all seats up, the Kia EV9 still offers ample storage for your luggage which is equally as crucial if you’re travelling in a group. The EV9 has a rated boot space of 333 litres but you can increase it to 828 litres with the third-row seats folded. For maximum storage, the EV9 offers a whopping 2,318 litres of storage with both second and third-row seats folded flat. As a comparison, the longer Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV only offers a measly 195 litres of storage with all the seats up.
Under the bonnet, there’s also a frunk (front trunk) storage of about 50 litres which comes in an odd shape. It isn’t huge but at least there’s still extra storage, unlike its German rivals.
Depending on how you plan to use the EV9, we reckon the 7-seater option would be more practical as it works as a 5-seater SUV with a huge boot. With the 6-seater option, you’ll only get 4 seats when the last row is folded down. Folding the rear seats from the boot is fairly easy as there are pull straps for the third row and you can also fold the powered second-row seats with a push of a button while standing from the rear of the vehicle.
The rear also gets a decent underfloor storage which can store the tonneau cover and the tyre repair kit. The rear area also offers a 12V power socket as well as a Vehicle-to-load (V2L) power outlet which you can use to power up your home appliances like a vacuum cleaner, coffee machine, air fryer or microwave. Similar to the EV6, you can also plug in an adapter at the charging port for an extra power outlet for your camping needs.
Limited range but it offers ultra-fast DC charging
For a large SUV that’s designed for family road trips, the advertised range of the EV9 is quite underwhelming. The range-topping GT-Line with dual motors and a large 99.8kWh battery pack only has a WLTP-rated range of just 505km. This means in the real world, you could be looking at about 400-450km of range for a fully loaded EV9 on a single charge.
Fortunately, the EV9 uses an 800V battery architecture and you can charge from 10-80% in just 24 minutes as it supports DC fast charging of up to 235kW. Realistically, most family trips would need to make some stops for toilet breaks or refreshments. With its fast charging rate, range anxiety shouldn’t be an issue if you can top-up over 200km of range in just 15 minutes.
The good news is there are now more DC fast chargers along the North-South Expressway and hopefully more will be deployed on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia as well as in East Malaysia.
For AC charging, the EV9 comes with an 11kW onboard charger (OBC) and 10-100% charge takes about 9 hours. This is where the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV has the upper hand for AC charging as its 22kW OBC can provide a full charge in 5 and a half hours.
So far there are no pricing and availability details yet for the Kia EV9 in Malaysia. We reckon that it should be priced between RM400,000 to RM450,000, depending on the model and seating configuration. Yes, this will be the most expensive Kia to land on our shores but given its space, features and design, I think this three-row EV packs pretty good value compared to other fully electric SUV contenders in the RM400,000 to RM500,000 segment.
