Americans love their three-row SUVs, and South Korean automaker Kia Motors (000270.KS) hopes Americans will love electric versions as well.
The EV9, a large, sturdy, yet futuristic-looking SUV, was fully introduced to American dealerships in December 2023. With a starting price in the mid-$50,000 range, it was seen as a strong candidate to steal sales from automakers. There are no large electric SUV products.
Kia’s US sales were strong in the first quarter, an increase of 9% compared to a year ago. But Kia electric vehicle sales were even stronger, increasing 131% year over year. EV9 sales were steady during the quarter, totaling 4,000 units through March, but Kia offered deep discounts to move the EV off showroom floors.
While interest in EVs in the US is waning, there’s a lot going on with the EV9 at the moment. There aren’t that many large all-electric SUVs to choose from. The only true full-size EV contenders are the Rivian R1S (starting at $74,900), Mercedes EQS SUV ($125,000), and Tesla Model X ($83,490).
The EV9’s starting price of $56,395 ($63,900 with all-wheel drive) is a relative bargain, even though it looks as expensive as its luxury rivals.
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The EV9 looks like a distant relative of the iconic Range Rover, with hard edges rather than soft, a brutal front end, a high waistline with large fender bulges, and a roofline that makes it look shorter than it actually is. The rear is all buttoned up and has a spoiler mounted above the swing-up hatch. And his unusual four-spoke wheels further enhance its futuristic appearance.
The EV9’s interior was similarly futuristic, with an almost premium look and feel. Our test vehicle in top-of-the-line GT Line trim featured comfortable seats with ‘SynTex’ synthetic leather trim, soft-touch materials on the dash and door panels, a 30-inch ‘panoramic’ digital display, and his second captain’s chair. was equipped with. line.
The infotainment system driving the digital display was surprisingly easy to use and customizable. The only downside to this system was that the digital temperature controller was difficult to access.
Drive: Full size yet nimble drive
When the EV9 came out of the garage for road testing, it looked huge. Think big with the Chevrolet Tahoe.
Despite this, the EV9 is surprisingly fast for such a large vehicle. His EV9 in GT Line trim has dual motors, 379 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque and accelerates to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. Please note that the vehicle weighs approximately 5,900 lbs. But much of that weight comes from the battery, which sits low in the car’s floor and helps with the car’s dynamics and handling.
What sets the EV9 apart from its rivals (and not in a good way) is the lack of adaptive suspension and air suspension. But given the price, Kia buyers might not miss out on these features.
The base EV9 has just 215 horsepower and 330 miles of range from its 76.1 kWh battery, making it a tough sell for many buyers, even at a low starting price of $56,000. If you need extra power, the Wind AWD trim is the way to go with 379 horsepower and 400 miles of range.
Will EV9 break through and become mainstream?
Kia doesn’t have a popularity problem, as overall sales increased 9% last quarter, along with EV sales.
The success of the EV9 will likely depend on whether Kia can mass-produce these EVs profitably (it’s unclear whether they will be profitable or not), whether they can extend the range and make them more affordable, and whether they can be sold in the U.S. mainstream. It will depend on whether the company accepts EVs or not.
get caught 2024 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year The award it won at the New York Auto Show earlier this month certainly helps this cause.
Additionally, with no true rivals in the space, the EV9 has options for a wide range of buyers. And perhaps the EV9 could eventually become a strong competitor as more Americans see these giant EVs, similar in size to Kia’s hugely popular Telluride. That’s what Kia and the auto industry hope will happen.
Pras Subramanian is a reporter for Yahoo Finance.you can follow him twitter And even more Instagram.
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