By Ian Strachan.
The advent of fully electric cars has spawned an interesting range of design quirks, with vehicle designers no longer having to worry about air intakes and front grilles.
And of all the manufacturers, it’s Kia who seem to be the most innovative, with designs which start from the ground up, tearing up years-old conventions.
The striking EV9 is a case in point. This is a big car with head-turning good looks. from its chunky grille-less front end to its elegant side view and eye-catching 19-inch alloys with aero covers.
I test drove the rear-wheel drive “Air” version of this impressive seven-seat vehicle. With its electric motor only driving the rear wheels, its performance is not as peppy as the all-wheel drive version with its two motors. But its performance still feels more than adequate. Its electric motor develops 200 bhp, has a top speed of 114 mph and will take you from 0 to 60 mph in not much more than nine seconds. But what you get from the EV9 is engaging and comfortable driving, impeccable road manners and high specification.
The roomy interior of the EV9 is modern and well laid out, with a good driving position and high quality trim materials. The faux leather front and second row seats are heated and ventilated. The front seats have powered adjustment. with memory.
You also get a heated, faux leather multifunction heated steering wheel, all-round electric windows, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and ignition, ambient lighting, automatic headlights and wipers, smart cruise control, powered tailgate and masses of internal storage spaces.
Satellite navigation and other functions are controlled via a 12.3 inch driver display touchscreen. In-car entertainment includes Apple CarPlay with voice control, Bluetooth and an eight-speaker sound system. You also get automatic software updates, audio streaming and a wireless phone charger.
Specification on the EV9 also includes front and rear parking sensors, remote smart parking assist (useful for such a big car), 360-degree around view monitor, hill-start assist and a range of safety technology including lane keeping aid, blind-spot monitor, intelligent speed limit assist, forward collision avoidance assist, rear cross traffic alert and trailer stability assist.
Handling on the EV9 is excellent. This is a big, heavy vehicle but it feels as light as a feather on the road, with excellent handling, nicely-weighted power steering, sure-footed grip and a suspension which handles the ubiquitous potholes without too much drama.
Published combined driving range for the EV9 200 bhp is up to 349 miles. As with all fully electric vehicles, putting the heater or air conditioning on reduces range dramatically so I tried to avoid it, settling for the heated seats and steering wheel. Charging times are good with a 10-80 percent charge time of 24 minutes with a 350kw charger. A 50kw charger will take around 83 minutes.
This EV9 isn’t cheap. The rear-wheel drive seven seat EV9 in Air spec comes in at £65,025 on the road, but you get one of the best fully electric SUVs around with a very high specification and Kia’s industry-leading seven year warranty.
