KIA EV9

The Kia EV9 is available with three upholstery options for both of its variants – light grey, brown, and black for the Air variant and black, brown, and navy blue for the GT-Line variant. The ‘three-stage sustainable design strategy’ of the cabin employs numerous recycled and sustainable materials, which include bioplastics, post-consumer material plastic, bio PU, recycled PET fabric, and bio paint. 

With a wraparound theme for the cabin, the Kia EV9 has a two-spoke multi-functional steering wheel with a wide full-TFT dual-screen cockpit behind it that comprises dual 12.3-inch full-TFT screens. There is also an intuitive head-up display for more information while on the move. The central layer of the dashboard of the Kia EV9 has a sleek appearance, while housing touch-sensitive controls for the three-zone automatic climate control while having a scooped design for the middle layer below it.

The cabin of the EV9 has more features like a wireless charger, powered and ventilated front seats, a panoramic sunroof, a 14-speaker Meridian sound system, digital review mirror, surround view monitor, two 12V power outlets, vehicle-to-load system and Ottoman seats in the second row of the six-seater version. 

The overall design of the Kia EV9 is eye-catching and futuristic, while not being too overboard in its approach. The EV-specific elements do catch one’s attention, with the traditional upright stance of a conventional SUV only helping it to make the look even more handsome. 

The Kia EV9 has a ‘digital tiger face’ with a closed grille in the middle, which is becoming a norm for all-electric offerings from Kia. There are digital pattern lightings on the sides, with the EV9 having vertically aligned sweptback all-LED headlamps that are accentuated by zig-zag daytime running LEDs on their outer sides. 

The side profile of the Kia EV9 exhibits its upright stance and long wheelbase, with the electric SUV having flush-type door handles, functional roof rails, and flared hexagonal wheel arches with gloss black cladding. The large 21-inch alloy aero machined alloy wheels look subjective but go well with the futuristic theme of the SUV. The clean-looking boot of the EV9 has Christmas tree-themed LED tail lamps on the outer edges. 

The suspension setup of the Kia EV9, comprising of Macpherson struts at the front and a five-link multi-link combination at the rear, delivers a well-sorted and comfortable ride quality. It also has a self-leveling damper system, which adjusts the ride height as and when needed. For a more planted ride quality and engaging driving experience, there are four driving modes in Kia EV9 – Eco, Normal, Sport, and Snow. 

Starting with the base-spec Air variant of the Kia EV9, its single-motor setup claims 215 PS and 350 Nm, while also enabling it to reach the 100 kmph mark from a standstill in 8.3 seconds. Its 76.1kWh battery delivers a maximum range of 370 km in a full charger. On the other hand, the GT-Line variant has a dual motor setup with one motor each on the front and rear axles, with them claiming combined power and torque outputs of 385 PS and 700 Nm respectively. While it can do 0-100 kmph in 5.3 seconds, its 99.8kWh battery pack returns a range of 505 km. 

The Kia EV9 is loaded with a plethora of modern safety features, with the well-acclaimed driver assistance systems from Kia in their best iterations. The safety net of the Kia EV9 comprises seven airbags, blind spot collision avoidance assist, forward collision avoidance assist, parking collision avoidance assist, high beam assist, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, driver attention warning, blind spot view monitor, smart cruise control with stop and go, safe exit assist, 360-degree parking camera, front and rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring system, auto brake hold, remote smart parking assist, ABS with EBD, hill hold assist, hill descent control, traction control, vehicle stability control and tyre pressure monitoring system. 

With futuristic design in and out that can give similarly-priced luxury SUVs a run for their money in overall visual appeal and feel, along with plenty of features and impressive powertrain and drive modes, the Kia EV9 is one of the best and ultimate born-electric cars one can buy in the current times.