Kia EV9 AWD GT-Line range test
The newly introduced Kia EV9 is off to a great start with warm reception by reviewers and early adopters alige. So obviously we had to perform our range test and see how well it stacks up against the competition. The bulky EV9 has all odds against itself - it’s shaped like a brick wall and weighs as much as two cars. But since it’s aimed primarily at families, efficiency is still going to be important.
Our test car is the Kia EV9 99.8 kWh AWD GT-Line, which is the most powerful version of the model at the time of writing, outputing up to 283 kW (379 hp). It is an SUV that offers seating for 6 or 7 people (depending on the configuration) and a wide array of options and features for a comfortable and pleasant drive.
We are about to publish our detailed review, but first we will dive into its consumption and efficiency. Let’s look at what we measured on our test routes, which include driving at constant speeds at the same place with each car we test.
Range test results
- 37 mph
- 56 mph
- 81 mph
Mercedes-Benz EQS 450+
BMW i7 xDrive60
Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV 580 4Matic
Tesla Model Y Long Range (2023)
Hyundai Ioniq 6 LR AWD
Kia EV9 99.8 kWh AWD
Volkswagen ID.4 GTX
The ambient temperature while testing was {{11°}} - slightly below the ideal, but not too taxing on the overall efficiency.
At our lowest testing speed of 37 mph the Kia EV9 consumed the rather impressive 4.6 mi/kWh. For its size this is a great achievement and shows just how efficient the rest of the electrical consumers on-board are.
Once we move on to the next speed of 56 mph the EV9 begins its struggle against its greatest nemesis - physics. Consumption rises rapidly and we’re now looking at the worst result in our database so far. Even though it has a 0.28 Cd drag coefficient, the EV9 is still a 5,787 lb vehicle with an ample front section, which means it requires a lot of energy to move through the air.
At the highest testing speed of 81 mph the EV9 solidifies its position as the electric equivalent of a “gas guzzler”, needing significantly more energy to drive at this higher speed than any other model we’ve tested.
The Kia EV9 performance was as we expected given its size. Thanks to its big battery capacity, it is able to achieve a solid range, but its consumption is higher than anything else we've tested yet. But to put it in perspective the EV9 is the most versatile vehicle that we’ve ever tested and the twice as expensive Mercedes EQS SUV isn’t that much more economical, despite its aerodynamic shape. Although the EV9 consumes a lot, it remains a great choice for families and severely undercuts its competitors in price, while offering most of the same features and creature comforts.
We now suggest you use the widget below to find out the Kia EV9’s range in every combination of speed and temperature you might need. We've used our real world tests and a complex model to provide an estimate that should be as close to the actual performance as possible.
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Reader comments
- Anonymous
Those numbers on the range test look pretty decent, but that consumption rate is a bit higher than I expected.
- 13 Mar 2024
- dN{
