The new electric Kia EV9 is finally in the Czech Republic. This year’s significant novelty of the South Korean brand is already coming to us, and we already had a look at the official price list at the beginning of September. It was only now that we finally had the chance to see the brand’s new flagship live, drive it for the first time, and generally absorb the first impressions. The new Kia EV9 is not only a modern electric car, but also a full-fledged family car.
The electric Kia EV9 has been revealed with the brand’s new design philosophy of “Connected Opposites”. If we have to explain the marketing jumble to you in human terms, the automaker has developed the latest electric car with a minimalist design and clever practicality. In the luxurious interior, the Kia EV9 is incredibly spacious and richly equipped. At the same time, Kia reminds that it is introducing the new product with a six- or seven-seat interior.
The modern architecture of the interior is based on the dashboard with a triple panoramic display of the digital instrument panel and infotainment. For the largest electric car in the portfolio, Kia has also developed comfort functions to make the stay in the cabin more pleasant during charging, thanks to which the first two rows of seats can be simultaneously adjusted to a resting position. However, with a powerful electrical architecture, recharging does not take too long.
But let’s go back to the interior. As standard, the Kia EV9 is available in a seven-seat configuration, with the more luxurious six-seat configuration currently only available for the higher GT-Line trim. And even in two variants – with two relaxing seats in the second row for CZK 18,000, or two seats that turn 90 degrees towards the open doors or 180 degrees to the passengers in the third row for CZK 12,000.
In a huge family SUV with a total length of more than five meters and a wheelbase of 3.1 meters, you will have plenty of space. At the same time, the novelty benefits from the technical advantages of the purely electric platform E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) and has a flat floor. A high-voltage battery with a usable capacity of 99.8 kWh is hidden under it in both currently sold variants.
The Korean electric novelty is currently sold in our country in two introductory equipment affecting the configuration of the drive. The Earth Launch Edition specification with rear-wheel drive of 150 kW (204 hp) and 350 newton meters is standard. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.4 seconds and has a range of up to 541 kilometers in the WLTP cycle.
A more powerful all-wheel drive variant is available along with the more luxurious GT-Line Launch Edition with a combined output of 283 kW (384 hp) and a maximum torque of 700 Nm. The four-wheeler is significantly more powerful, but at the same time it offers a lower range, which the automaker claims is up to 505 kilometers in the WLTP cycle. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 5.3 seconds.
For the first time, we rode the Korean electric novelty on Czech roads only briefly, while we were able to touch the more powerful four-wheeler. The first peculiarity when getting to know the EV9 is simply “starting” and choosing the direction of travel – both of which are controlled by the selector located under the steering wheel on the right side. However, once you get used to this detail, you will immediately feel at home in the brand’s latest electric car.
I won’t lie when I say that the new Kia EV9 simply drives like today’s electric car. Nowadays, it’s no longer a bad thing, because the most modern electric cars on our roads are refined, comfortable and pleasantly nimble. With an instant response of seven hundred newton meters, the Kia EV9 is really fast, it could compete with sports cars, but it remains a family bus in which you will take your children to kindergarten.
However, we will have to wait for our first experience with the real range, so far we have only been able to ride the novelty for a short time. However, the automaker states that thanks to the 800-volt architecture and ultra-fast charging, the brand’s largest electric car is able to pump enough electric energy for another 250 kilometers of driving in just 15 minutes, so it allows you to comfortably travel longer.
The new electric Kia EV9 enters the Czech market with a base price of CZK 1,949,980 with the Earth Launch Edition equipment package and a standard seven-seater seating configuration. For the more luxurious and powerful GT-Line Launch Edition specification, you will pay a price from CZK 2,099,980.
