If the last year of bumpy electric vehicle growth has proven anything, it’s that Americans are done making big compromises just to buy an electric car. If what’s out there doesn’t have enough range, isn’t the right size or is too pricey, they’re probably just going to buy a hybrid or a straight-up gas car and call it a day.
The days of rich geeks lining up to buy anything and everything electric are behind us.
Gallery: 2024 Breakthrough Nominee: Kia EV9
The good news for buyers is that the list of trade-offs one has to endure to go electric is shrinking by the day. For proof, just look at the Kia EV9, a stylish three-row SUV that has single-handedly introduced a whole new kind of buyer to the wide world of EVs.
Smell that? That reeks of a breakthrough.
(Welcome to The Breakthrough Awards, InsideEVs' year-end awards program recognizing the EVs, people and technologies that are paving the way for our clean energy transition. Read about the awards and the other contenders below.)
Why The EV9 Is A Breakthrough
American families looking for an electric three-row SUV had few options until the EV9 launched. Everything was either weird, expensive, not that spacious or a combination of the three. Consider the egg-shaped Tesla Model X, the pricey Rivian R1S and the pricey and egg-shaped Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.
“It’s wild how every three-row EV has some weird caveat,” says Kevin Williams, InsideEVs Staff Writer.
There just wasn’t a mainstream, affordable option for people who loved their Kia Telluride or Toyota Highlander and wanted something like that. And that brings us to the EV9’s breakthrough: As the first three-row electric SUV with mass appeal, it electrifies a hugely popular vehicle segment in a way that others before it have not.
It aims to address one of the most critical yet overlooked barriers to wider EV adoption. Buyers won’t even begin to confront their anxieties around charging infrastructure, range or cost of ownership if they can’t even find an EV in the basic form factor they want to buy.
Some segments have been oversaturated with battery-powered options. In America today, there are as many electric pickup truck models as full-size gas-powered options. There are around 20 premium electric crossovers from the likes of Audi, Porsche, Lexus and more. Full-size electric three-rows have been woefully overlooked.
Kia plugged that gap with the 2024 EV9, which starts at $56,395 and comes in spacious six- and seven-seat configurations. That’s not exactly cheap—we’ll come back to that later—but its arrival slashed the entry price for a three-row EV by around $20,000 overnight. And you get a lot for the money. The EV9’s striking style, excellent tech, solid range and industry-leading charging speeds make it super appealing compared to both gas and electric competitors.
“Today, if you want a three-row SUV of any type, the mainstream option with the best design and best tech is the Kia EV9,” says InsideEVs Deputy Editor Mack Hogan. “The fact that it’s electric is a bonus.”
We loved its roomy third row, especially compared to the Rivian R1S. Many praised its highway driver-assistance tech, which smoothly follows lane lines and keeps up with surrounding traffic in most situations. One knock: It’s still a hands-on system, unlike Ford’s BlueCruise or GM’s Super Cruise. The EV9 is a charging champ, too, with long-range models able to juice up from 10-80% in a speedy 24 minutes, according to Kia. On a road trip, I charged my tester from 18-80% in a brisk 22 minutes, topping out at 216 kilowatts and confirming the automaker’s claims.
In general, we thought the EV9 rode comfortably and quietly and didn’t have major complaints on that front. InsideEVs Editor-in-Chief Patrick George said it drove the best out of any big SUV he’s tested, agnostic of what powers it.
“Let me tell you the dirty secret about the three-row crossover: Americans may love these things, but they absolutely suck to drive,” he said. “The sole exception to this is the Kia EV9.”
There were still gripes that came up more than once. The touch-based climate-control panel, though attractive, is completely obscured by the steering wheel. In base guise, an EPA-estimated 230 miles of range is just OK. But those small complaints aren’t why we ultimately decided against the EV9 in our inaugural Breakthrough EV of the Year competition.
Why It’s Not Our Winner
Although the EV9 represents a serious leap forward for a key segment, it’s tough to overlook its price compared to gas-powered rivals. A Telluride will run you as little as $37,585, destination fee included. That’s nearly $20,000 less than the cheapest EV9, setting aside for a moment the amazing lease deals that have proliferated thanks to the “leasing loophole” in the federal EV tax credit.
Must-have features widen the gap further. Adding on the long-range battery pack bumps the SUV’s range to 304 miles and the price to just over $60,000. Equip a second motor for all-wheel drive and you’re looking at over $65,000. The fully-loaded GT-Line variant I tested, for example, pushed $80,000.
While the EV9 is a fantastic pick for a whole host of reasons, there are many hybrids and gas SUVs that do the job almost as well for far less money. On top of all that, our winner’s value proposition was clear as day.
Contact the author: Tim.Levin@insideevs.com.
Kia EV9 Specs
