The 2024 Kia EV9 is either the most awaited SUV in its class or one of them. It’s also Kia’s first electric SUV with three rows. That means it will fight with luxury-class SUVs like the Tesla Model X, Rivian R1S, and Mercedes-Benz EQS, the only three-row electric SUVs on the market now. The Kia has to compete with regular gas-powered three-row SUVs like the Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid and Chevy Traverse. It also has to be a popular EV in luxury cars. The price of the EV9 is essential because of how it stands out in the market. This will change as more non-luxury, three-row electric SUVs come out. How much does it cost to buy a 2024 Kia EV9? The base model (Light) of the 2024 Kia EV9 with rear-wheel drive costs a reasonable $56,220. This puts it at the higher end of the trim walks for several popular midsize three-row SUVs, like the Grand Highlander, the GMC Acadia, and others (and a few thousand dollars above Kia’s similarly cheap, gas-powered Telluride three-row). Still, it also puts it lower than the base Rivian R1S or Tesla Model X. If a single electric motor with 215 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque in a big, battery-packed SUV doesn’t do it for you, Kia has a high-performance version called the GT Line. It has two motors, one in the front and one in the back, which send 379 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels. The GT Line will, of course, cost more than the base model, but Kia hasn’t said how much it will cost yet. What can you get with your money? Even the essential EV9 Light has a leading 800-volt electrical design. This lets the Kia quickly and efficiently take in a lot of energy from a DC fast charger. Other high-voltage electric vehicles on the market include the Porsche Taycan and Lucid Air, the Genesis GV60, Kia’s own EV6, and different versions of the Hyundai Ioniq and Hyundai Sonata. Kia says that a 350-kW DC fast charger can bring the EV9’s battery from 10% charged to 80% charged in less than 25 minutes. The EV9 Light RWD model has 19-inch alloy wheels, a heated and ventilated eight-way power driver’s seat, “SynTex” leather seating, and super fast charging. Two 12.3-inch screens are used for entertainment, and a 5.0-inch screen is used for heating and cooling. Kia decided to use physical buttons and touch-style haptic controls for the infotainment features to make everyone happy. The physical buttons control things like the sound, the temperature, and the fan’s speed. The “Connected Car Navigation Cockpit” (ccNC) user interface (UI) is in charge of infotainment. Kia says it will quicken the experience and let users swipe to do temporary jobs they use often. The EV9 works with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and it comes with a wireless phone charger that keeps both devices charged when they are linked. The “Digital Key 2” from Kia is also available, and it enables users to use their smartphones as keys to their vehicles. Digital keys can now be sent to friends and family via text message, and users no longer have to hold their phone up to the car door to open it. In other countries, EV9s will be sold with exciting features like Level 3 driver aid and second-row seats that can be turned. However, neither of these features will be available in the United States. What are the most common ways to keep people safe? In 2024, the Kia EV9 Light RWD will have various safety features and driving aids. Kia didn’t say much about each one, but it did say that “Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist” (FCA-2) will be a regular feature. As its name suggests, this feature will “detect and prevent” collisions “under certain conditions.” Kia says that the technology in the EV9 has been improved so that it can see cars turning left in front of it at a junction, cars crossing in front of it at an intersection, and cars, pedestrians, and cyclists in front of it while moving. If the system sees cars in front of the vehicle when changing lanes or cars coming from the opposite direction when passing, it will use the brakes and steering to avoid or reduce collisions. In addition to the ones that come standard, there are likely to be more driving aid systems that can be added as options. As the planned release date for the EV9 in the second half of this year gets closer, we expect to learn more about it, as well as the other trim levels and engine options. We’ll watch for any new facts about the EV9 until then.
