Kia EV9 - Electric motor, drive and performance

The star turn of the Kia EV9 is its ride quality, which has been expertly judged. This vehicle is unashamedly focused on comfort, which helps to make it a very relaxing way to travel and highly comfortable on a motorway cruise. Like many electric cars, the low-speed ride can feel a tad brittle over larger potholes, but the smaller 19-inch wheels of the Air model take the edge off of sudden impacts better than GT-Line and GT-Line S models with larger 21-inch wheels.

The trade-off at higher speeds with this soft suspension is that it can take a moment for the EV9 to settle again over undulations, and the body leans over a bit in sharp corners. It feels more like the Land Rover Discovery in this regard, and isn’t as nimble as the sportier BMW X5, or smaller Mercedes EQB. Grip levels with the EV9 are decent from the EV-specific, road-biased tyres, so you will build up confidence in carrying speed on a twisty country road.

The steering is nicely weighted and remains accurate enough for a large SUV, and the car never feels like it’s genuinely struggling to get out of its own way. The hardest part of driving the EV9 will come due to its size when navigating the confines of city streets. It feels smaller from the front two seats, although a quick look over your shoulder soon reminds you how much car is behind you. A little more steering lock (or rear-wheel steering) would certainly help with tighter manoeuvres, though all-round visibility is better than you might expect in something this vast.

As with most electric cars, the EV9 comes with regenerative braking to improve efficiency and increase the range slightly by generating a little bit of electricity when slowing down to be put back into the battery. You get a pair of paddles behind the steering to increase or decrease the slowing strength. Alternatively, you can put it in an automatic ‘i-pedal’ mode or use its strongest ‘max’ setting for one-pedal driving. We’ve found the latter useful in stop/start traffic in town, whereas the automatic or lowest setting is better for motorway journeys where you can coast without the car slowing too drastically. The mechanical brakes feel more than powerful enough to slow down the mass of the EV9.

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0-60 acceleration and top speed

The quickest EV9 is the 378bhp twin-motor version, which accelerates from 0 to 62mph in just 5.3 seconds and has a top speed of 124mph – all despite weighing more than 2.6 tonnes. The 200bhp, single motor, rear-wheel drive Air model isn’t as quick, taking 9.4 seconds to get from 0-62mph and topping out at 114mph.

The dual-motor version didn’t hold back regarding performance. In typical electric car fashion, its huge reserves of power and torque are available right from the off, enough to make this seven-seat SUV feel hot-hatch quick when you want it to. 

However, this isn’t the sort of car to be driven spiritedly, so we’d recommend the 200bhp version. While its performance time looks leisurely compared with the dual-motor version, it has a similar acceleration time to a typical diesel-powered seven-seater SUV, such as the Kia Sorento. We’re yet to try it with a full complement of passengers on board, but we suspect it’ll be fast enough for most people when tackling mundane tasks, such as taking children to school or heading to the supermarket.