The 2024 Kia EV9 is considered one of this yr’s greats. Nevertheless it begs the query: What took so lengthy?

SUVs are the household car of selection, a minimum of thus far this century, whereas EVs signify the expertise of selection for a rising subset of the American public. But up till now, with the arrival of the 2024 Kia EV9, there hasn’t been a non-luxury electrical SUV that’s actually family-sized for America, with a 3rd row that’s adult-sized and straightforward to entry (sorry, Mannequin Y).

What has arrived is a gaggle of sporty-looking crossovers that may be nice for {couples} or empty-nesters however aren’t fully formatted for households—just like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, our Finest Automotive To Purchase 2021, and even the Kia EV6, a finalist final yr. 

The EV9 is spacious, permitting sufficient flexibility to suit grandparents and little one seats collectively, or to have grownups match within the third row whereas little one seats are within the second row, for example. Or flip the third row down and switch what’s already an enough 20 cubic ft within the farthest-back quadrant right into a flat-floor loading zone prepared for the big-box journey. There’s a frunk, too—adequate to verify the purse and laptop computer bag are out of sight. 

2024 Kia EV9

2024 Kia EV9

2024 Kia EV9

2024 Kia EV9

It additionally presents a easy, quiet journey, with a tender sophistication that’s an ideal match for the household mission, damping out all however probably the most jarring bumps, and presenting on the highway with an impression of muted heft. It’s not one you’ll be craving to tackle canyon roads, nevertheless it’s assured.

The 2024 Kia EV9 is available in Mild, Wind, Land, and GT-Line trim ranges, and thus far Inexperienced Automotive Experiences has solely pushed the top-spec GT-Line, providing up 379 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque in its all-wheel-drive structure. That brings robust acceleration and it’s good for a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. However in order for you single-motor rear-wheel-drive output, the numbers are far decrease, at 201 or 215 hp, and 258 lb-ft for each.

2024 Kia EV9

The 2 figures correspond to battery packs. Base Mild variations may be had with a smaller 76.1-kwh pack, whereas the remainder of the EV9 lineup will get a 99.8-kwh battery pack. 

Driving vary meets expectations, too. With the bigger pack, the EV9 goes as much as 304 miles, whereas the bottom model with the smaller pack will get a 223-mile EPA vary ranking. 

The good vary numbers come due to quite a lot of work with the wind tunnel. Whereas its Telluride-meets-futuristic exterior seems crisp and sharp in some respects, it manages an amazing 0.28 coefficient of drag. 

Wallbox Quasar 2 with Kia EV9

The EV9 can be the one electrical three-row SUV constructed on an 800-volt structure, allowing super-quick road-trip fast-charging of 10-80% in lower than 25 minutes, in response to Kia. All however the base Mild trim embrace a warmth pump (it’s elective with the longer-range Mild), which ought to assist hold vary numbers from plummeting within the chilly.

Bidirectional charging comes commonplace within the EV9, too, and may be enabled for house energy backup now or potential future vehicle-to-grid assist with a factory-supported Wallbox resolution.

The EV9 can even tow as much as 5,000 kilos. Off-roading isn’t out of the query both, because the EV9’s 7.8 inches of floor clearance and 18.5 inches of water-fording depth ought to give outdoorsy households what they should get out to the trailhead. 

2024 Kia EV9

It isn’t all honeymoon, however they’re minor gripes. We’re not thrilled with a few of the sprint supplies, which don’t match the worth in feel and look, and whereas the 12.3-inch gauge cluster flowing neatly into the 12.3-inch infotainment may be an excellent have a look at first look, we nonetheless see the 5.0-inch display house bridging the 2 as a step backward in comparison with the EV6’s twin strip of actual buttons. 

The EV9 is on sale now in all 50 states. Preliminary U.S. deliveries of the EV9 are coming from South Korea, however that’s set to alter by mid-2024 with the arrival of U.S.-built EV9s coming from Kia’s meeting plant in West Level, Georgia. 

2024 Kia EV9

And that results in the ultimate level: The EV9 is predicted at the moment to be eligible for a minimum of a few of the EV tax credit score. With 2024 Kia EV9 costs beginning at $56,395 and spanning as much as $75,395, all the lineup matches under that credit score’s $80,000 ceiling—and under the beginning value of three different U.S.-built three-row electrical SUVs, the Rivian R1S, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, and upcoming Volvo EX90.

Don’t be concerned about why it took so lengthy. It is right here now.