Nice review. I just saw an EV9 pass by while i was walking to my bus stop. I thought it was a Soul until it came closer. Those diamond headlights made my jaw drop.
Great concise and informative review, Tom. I can already see this winning multiple SUV of the Year awards. I expect many of my customers will be trading in their Tellurides and maybe Model Xs for an EV9 in the upcoming year because it's just so much nicer.
Thanks Tom as ever for the balanced review. If I may request something for your EV reviews, highway range is really the only range metric that matters to most EV owners. Range doesn’t matter for most trips, but knowing how far I can go at 70mph is why I got my EQS for long trips (I took it from Texas to Connecticut and back, with 2 kids under 4). I know on those press events your time is limited but as a potential buyer the highway range is by far the most important, the EPA and WLTP numbers don’t really help much for highway range. If you’d be able to provide a rough estimate based on the watts per mile at 70mph (often the vehicle displays this somewhere on the dash), or extrapolate it from using a few percent of battery on the highway and tracking mileage done. It’s spit ball maths but it’s more indicative than the EPA rating.
First off, thanks AJ! TBH, a 70 MPH range test is difficult for me to do because of where I live. Just getting to a 70 zone means driving 25 miles, and then, that's where hilly mountainous conditions begin for us in the PNW. So I'll be sticking to my mixed range evaluation (typically 30% city / 70% highway). And assessing an EV's range is REALLY hard because of all the factors (as you already know). I've had a Bolt hit 260 miles (mostly highway) but also no more than 210. I'm buying an EV and plan on doing road trip stories and such. Hoping to extrapolate some data from my experience. Enjoy your Merc!
Something that's starting to come out and be talked about but doesn't get covered by auto reviewers, is the battery efficiency in extreme cold weather or in areas where there's alot of snow and freezing temps. Ya know, real life stuff..😅
@chrisbullock6477 I can update you on that. I own EV9 Gt-Line in Finland. Two weeks ago we had -25C (-13F) for a week. 70/30 highway/city. Snow covered roads. Wind gusts. Average consumption was ~30 kW/ 100 km (2.07 miles per kW).
@@chrisbullock6477 you’re kidding right? If you read comments on EV videos, Reddit posts, etc, there’s always a discussion about how cold weather impacts EV range. This is a standard talking point.
Good video, Tom 👍🏽. Local Kia dealership had one right before the new year. Salesmen said it was a customer car and wouldn't be getting another until march... and there is one on the lot now. Not sure if they were new or nervously trying hard to make a sale because it was a lot of confusing information provided. But I'm excited to see these on the road.
Great review as usual and an impressive showing from Kia. That price kills it for me though. If I could afford 70 to 80k I'd probably be shopping other brands. I couldn't justify this when i could get a well equipped telluride for 45 to 48k. That extra $30k is just too much to go electric.
I feel the same, stretched to get the top trim telluride at $50k, my budget can't afford more. Plus I wouldn't get one without all wheel drive (so the base two wheel drive model doesn't do much for me).
People have to get over the name of the brand and price. Evaluate the vehicle for what it is. There are Dodge, Jeep and Ford vehicles that cost a lot more than this. People pay it for what the vehicles are. This vehicle competes well at this range no matter the name. Kia came to play and has really stepped up their game.
@@DrivenCarReviews Not all of them. We will be getting this car later this year. Maybe we could be brand ambassadors and show folks what Kia is really up to.
The biometric and smartphone recognition is awesome. I hate how my telluride (top trim) only recognizes my phone for the infotainment, but the seating postion, dash screen, heads up display, and rear view mirror all need adjusting (okay, the rear view mirror is a tall order)
Looks like a nice option for families. Q: Are the second-row seatbacks still motorized if you choose not to have electric seat adjustment and/or the bench seating in that row? I think some curious shoppers may want to know...
I visited Airport Kia of Naples yesterday when my wife’s Sorrento was getting serviced and I looked at the EV9. It is a beautiful car inside and out. Great review but I have to agree with some of the other writers. There’s nothing game changing about an electric SUV however this one definitely offers a lot for that $80000 price tag. I think when they’re comparing the inside of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce I think they’re talking about the second row reclining seats with the foot rest. You don’t see that in any other luxury car at this price point. I don’t see them selling many of the rear wheel drive option that only gets around 200 miles of range. 🤷🏽♂️
I’ve seen a couple of these on the streets up here in Edmonds. They look amazing. Got inside one at the Seattle Auto Show and it’s worth whatever they charge, no pun intended.
@@DrivenCarReviews I would take significantly less performance for AWD and more range and a lower price tag. But I'm sure Kia's market research has found I am in the minority :)
GREAT coverage Tom. Just my two cents regarding the industry trend towards touch screens/buttons. I gave it considerable thought... and I think I have a good solution for manufacturers to start doing. With traditional tactile buttons, people prefer them because once your finger senses the button, you can push/pull/tap it without having to take your eyes off the road. Meaning, no matter where your finger is on that knob or button, it will work because it relies on moving parts. Well, with touch buttons, all they really need to do is make the sensors around the buttons bigger. Instead of forcing us to hit a small target everytime with our fingertips (bc it's often difficult while driving), make it so that if a touch spot on the screen is designed for a function, make that area where your touch will be detected bigger. So that you can just glance at it, eyeball it and your fingers can then aim for a less precise area.
True, be nice if manufacturers started producing budget friendly EVs that they promised us years ago. So far the best budget friendly EV for me was the 2024 Kona, which is now the size of the old 2019 Tucson it replaced.
I'm not impressed. Make an awesome, desirable, and reliable car in volume for under $30K with no dealer greed markup. That would be truly a "game changer."
It looks like a really nice vehicle. I have a Soul and it's awesome. Are customers rethinking EV's especially with the isseus surrounding battery life and charging in extremely cold weather? Kinda seems that way. I'm leaning towards a PHUV.
Yes, there are issues with Evs in the cold. These have been well known for a long time. If you dig into those articles about cold-weather charging, there are some unforced errors by the owners. And there really are no issues about battery life, that's pretty much a myth. It's pretty common for batteries to lose very little of their capacity over 100,000 miles. But PHEVs can be great (if they're charged). Buy the car that works for you.
You do the best vehicle reviews Tom - so thanks for that. The EV9 is indeed a game changer, but i can't go with a Kia costing north of $70K, and that's before Kia dealers notorious "adjusted market value" There will be plenty of them in my Southern California environs, I'm sure, but it's not a good value proposition. The materials just aren't premium enough to justify the price tag.
The way you keep Kia Telluride buyers happy is make sure when they go EV they can still brag about how much it cost. They can't be seen driving a cheap Tesla Model Y like the unwashed masses. 😁 Clearly going head to head with the Rivian R1S.
Great review as always, Tom. But why are you an apologist for this thing in the comments? The review should speak for itself on the facts, without you having to come to KIA's defense in the comments.
Great review. I want one, but i need my wife to get with the program because i don't want to here no complaining for the next 10 years. LoL at the kids go straight to the third row. It's a thing.... I'll ride with the third row down 360 days a year.
This "standard practice" has been in place since I was born. I understand the optics don't look good. And certainly there are attendees that are there for the nice room and good food. But very few. Many of these writers have families they're leaving days. The travel is a grind. It's a job. The schedule can be grueling (I typically skip half the meals to get the shots I need). Most of the writers are there to get accurate info and pass it onto people like you. It's good in that it gives me access to vehicles, engineers and marketing people that I wouldn't normally have. And the way I see it, if they don't like what I say, I won't get invited again (which I'm pretty sure has happened with a few automakers). And I'm fine with that because it really can be a grind.
@@DrivenCarReviews all true. Thank you for your reply, Tom. I was strictly speaking of those few you mentioned. In much of the business world, well “much” may be an overstatement, it seems there has been more of a crackdown on bribes and gifts than in this unique industry. And indeed, the amount supplied to you is likely only adequate to make the job tolerable, but there are those few that are paid grandiose sums to simply sing the praises of a car. That was the core my comment was aimed at, and certainly not directly at you. If it seemed so, I apologize, because you are truly one of very few reviewers I trust, and your scripts are by far the best written.
In Finland Kia Sorento hybrid business luxury cost about 71k and gt-line 1st edit EV9 90k. Diesel taxes 1000 euros / year vs ev 300 euros / year. Diesel cost 15-20 euros 100km (1.8-2.2 euros / liter) vs electricity 2-9 euros / 100km. Here EV9 is budget. I ordered one in october because I didn’t like my weird BMW ix40. Too small battery, too slow charging, too small, too odd, poor seats and it doesn’t feel permium and it was almost 100k. Bye bye bmw, welcome Kia.
I would love a practical 3 row electric suv for around $40k, most Americans who have kids cannot afford $55-75k without depleting their 401k or taking out a second mortgage on their home.
@@DrivenCarReviews A quick search on Autotrader shows 2,361 new EV9’s available, that’s up over 100 inventory cars from just yesterday. I would think inventory will continue to climb because Kia is trying to compete priced in the range of higher end EV’s but it is lacking the power and range people like about EV’s www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/all-cars/kia/ev9/port-saint-lucie-fl?isNewSearch=true&searchRadius=0&zip=34986
@@DrivenCarReviewsI posted a link but I see it was removed, it’s now up to 2,421 unsold EV9’s in inventory today. It’s easy to search new inventory on any of the big car listing websites.
@@DrivenCarReviews I have posted a working hyperlink several times now and they are removed. It’s easy to do an inventory search and just search nationwide on any of the big auto listing websites
The way I understand it, there's a "Kia Digital Store" where you can download new features. I believe you're able to choose one of the four offering for free, the lighting pattern is one of them.
Love the look. The space though needs much improvement. How can the Tesla model y have so much more storage space for a smaller vehicle? Def a miss with Kia
I have no experience with Kia dealers. Given the push to higher price points are the dealers prepared to deal with what are likely to be more sophisticated and more demanding buyers?
You can't compare EV9 price to internal combustion engine vehicle's price. You need to compare to similar EV from other manufacturers such as Model X. EV9 is good priced vehicle 20k - 30k cheaper than competition (and better engineered vehicle).
Second row sears taking 10 seconds to move forward is extremely annoying. 5 seconds to open the liftgate is annoying too. Do they think they can solve any problem with an electric motor? Do they think people cannot lift the gate with their hand?
270miles of range, under optimum conditions, is not great Tom. It’s about average. And everything I read and hear from friends is that the charging infrastructure is just not there yet. Looks like I’ll be waiting until the late 2020’s for battery packs (and infrastructure) worthy of long trips.
For a larger 3-row family vehicle, mostly highway type miles and a cool day, it's not too shabby. And this charges fast. But yeah, the travling infrastructure needs to grow.
If it could go an honest 400-450 miles on a charge and cost under 60k, maybe it would be worth looking at. At $80k, real world 200-250 mile range. No thanks.
Yeah that's not great ground clearance, the model y is 6.6 inches. As per usual, these "crossovers" are getting marketed like SUVs when they really have no off road chops to speak of
I find electric cars boring, too much like driving a PlayStation. I drove the F-150 lightning and it was fast but not that exciting for my taste. I know they are fast, mechanically less complicated and possibly environmentally friendly, but I’m just not excited by them.
EVs are on life support. They're niche at best, but some automakers are marketing them as "game-changers"! Totally laughable. Toyota is way more forward thinking than all the others.
@ChristopherWalkenPUA and how is that relevant when talking about a new car that is not susceptible to the theft technique in question. Either way, it still isn't the car makers fault that people choose to break the law and take what is not theirs.
Every UA-camr is saying this car is a "game changer". Of course they are, they want the clicks and the paycheck that goes along with it. How about be HONEST, tell the TRUTH about this and every other car you review. This is yet again another SMALL 3 row SUV wannabe, a third row for people that have children with no legs, that third row is not meant for humans to sit in. It's compact, it's not large at all. it looks like a stretched out Kia Soul. Its fugly. Yes Fugly! Then go to the dealership and see the 10-15k mark up on top of the already ludicrous $78k starting price point, and it's a H-NO for me! This thing is not worth a $78k starting price point. That is a Rivian starting price point for and ACTUAL full size SUV. This is a wannabe suv, a crossover, very little utilitarian use. Its nothing more than a soccer/target/starbucks mom crossover ugly kia. I'm not suggesting this video is bad, but it's not an actual honest review. No one on UA-cam will give an honest review/opinion of anything because they are all about the money. Sad.
Truth is spoken here. It's a great vehicle (though not everyone needs a vehicle this large). It's not compact, it's considered a larger mid-sized vehicle. At 5'9" I'm fine for trips across town in row 3, I'd rather sit there than a Toyota Sequoia, When a vehicle is the only one in its class, that's considered game changing.
It is huge. If you want a functional third row, buy a minivan. Clearly, you want it, but they asked $15K over the sticker. Well, this is capitalism for you. Don't like it - buy American.
@@DrivenCarReviews Both are enormous as well. All vehicles grew to silly dimensions in the last twenty years, the EV9 is 4930x2055 - this is HUGE. Cars used to be about 1.7 m wide for a long time (self-imposed Japanese restriction?) 2 meters is as wide as a delivery van. Ford Transit is 2059 wide. I would take something like a fourth gen Honda Accord Wagon (4745x1714) built according to M/M principle instead of this abomination any day.
BUT, if you scratch the bottom of the car (the bottom of the battery) without even denting it, it will cost you about as much a new identical car. This assertion is based upon multiple occurrences, with Corporate providing only sympathy.
Enough with this already. There's no telling what the battery replacement cost for this EV9 will be, and obviously costs will go down as manufacturers, engineers, mechanics, and insurers better understand replacement processes. These things take time.
@@DrivenCarReviews I’ve talked with car dealers who are dealing with this problem right now. Tell the truth in your videos instead of the bullshit stories of performance everyone knows EV s can outperform. But at what cost?
Great review ( as usual, from Tom) of an unfortunately underwhelming vehicle. An SUV nobody needs. At prices most can't or won't pay. At least not for a KIA. And how much will they charge you for a new battery when debris hits the battery casing under the vehicle. I enjoyed the video like i do all Tom's reviews, but this car is plain and forgettable.
I like to see someone do a real world test on the EV9, no, I am not talking about driving it until it's dead and then getting the range from the data, I am talking about real world use. My neighbor works for KIA (not dealership), I was interested and asked him if the EV9 get the range of 304 miles, he said "no, not even close in the real world". So he goes on to explained that the EV9 is a people carrier, like a mini-van, without the mini van look, and 100% of the buyers of the EV9 are not solo drivers, they are most likely to be a family of 3 or 4, add the extra weight in with the family, and family usually take trips, to grandma, 4 hour drive to Disneyland, up the coast to the Golden Gate Bridge, short road trips here and there, and the minute you get on the freeway, with the added weight and once you hit 65mph or above, you'll lucky to get 220mph. He said that's just the nature of boxy EVs, it's not a design flaw, but the nature of aerodynamic and physics, the F150 Lightning isn't immuned from it either. He said you should be fine, driving around town with the kids, but not a good EV for family road trips. So Tom, put the wife and 2 other friends in the EV9, take a short round trip, and report back to us.
Thanks, Tom. I'm looking ahead to replacing my 2018 Pacifica Hybrid PHEV *and* my 2022 Mach-E GT with a single vehicle when the Mach-E goes back in mid-2026. I would consider this, but I'm more looking forward to whatever Ford's announced upcoming 3-row EV is like, especially since it will have this against which to benchmark.
Knowing how these things go, I can't see the Ford being out until the end of 2024 or later. Kia really does have the market all to itself right now unless you want to buy a Rivian, Volvo or Model X.
No apology necessary. I understood what you meant. I’m very comfortable in my skin, and in this business, it needs to be thick. But honestly, the vast majority of writers on these trips work their asses off. They really want to get good information out. And the ones that don’t are pretty easy to spot.
Thank you for a fine first look at this KIA. I began thinking I should revisit your Volvo pre-release video from a few months ago. Then you mentioned the brand!
Hey Tom, here's a question you may not know the answer to. Do you get an extra $0.01 if I watch the ads in your video all the way to the very end, including the last part where the circle gets colored in in the upper right corner? Or do you get credit for me watching the ad if I just let the first 10 seconds play, then click on "Skip"? Just curious because I want you to do as well as possible and am happy to watch the 30 second ads. Thanks for your review - great job as usual.
Over priced lease mobile, why would you buy something that pricey which will be obsolete in 18-24 months... the EV's are like cell phones, throw away. Oh the irony of 'doing something for environment' - you're doing something alright, more waste! But hey you are virtuous when doing it😂
@@genzigzag Hmmm, give me hard concrete numbers that back up your claim. All the data I've seen says EVs last quite a long time. Even my brother's 2013 Leaf had solid range at 120K miles before it was totaled in a crash.
@@DrivenCarReviews 120,000 miles of longevity is an achievement? There are Toyota Corolla's' that have regularly done over 400,000 miles. What is being done to recycle the batteries? What about resale, currently consumers don't want to touch a used EV, they are sitting on dealer lots, which is leading to dealers refusing to buy EV's at auction or take them on trade in. Let's not forget the ubsurd prices for a replacement battery, Kia and Hyundai charge $45k USD for replacement batteries for the EV6 and Ioniq 5/6. I wonder what a replacement motor for a Corolla costs. EV's are being forced onto consumers through legislation, the infrastructure is not there nor is the technology. Take a look at what happened in Chicago last week with all the dead Tesla's. No thanks I'll keep my ICE vehicle.
@@mystery8820 it becoming cumbersome when you no longer need to start anything... It is like picking your cell phone then have to press a button to turn on the screen.
The problem with these vehicles are the Korean cars will depreciate like a stone. While the tech stuff is well sorted, it’s not worth the price and the loss after. These are lease vehicles that are disposable…..sad
The extra $ is for the most part the battery pack (as it is with ALL EV's) as well as upscaled interior materials and tech. It's still *thousands* less expansive than any other *usable 3rd row* EV SUV available in NA. Can't afford buy ICE. Kia will sell all the EV 9s they can produce I'm sure. At least until there is a real competitor in the mass market (non luxury) space. BTW HMG was #2 in EV sales for 2023, #1 was Tesla.
The government and manufacturers push EVs because of "green" lower sustainable resource and fuel use. Now that they are building vehicles people actually need, the focus has shifted to performance, technology, luxury, and price is up substantially. DIY and flat tire change impossible. Repairs costs extremely high as is insurance. Impractable for long distance travel. And these vehicles track everything you do and locations. EVs were supposed to be about economy and lower costs. These EVs are a trojan horse. I smell a rat.
Vehicle manufacturers have zero chance of making EV's the standard if the cost of batteries with any decent range continues make vehicles this expensive. That combined with the dealer mark-ups, maintenance/repair fees, inflated insurance and the ongoing lack of charging infrastructure means EV's will continue to be a novelty for the wealthy, upper middle class and minority of people crazy enough to buy something absurdly out of their budget.
That’s a whole whack of dough for a KIA, and that’s coming from a Genesis G80T owner, but I saw one on the road the other day; they’ll sell every single one they can build.
Actually, the data suggests a large number of buyers do want them. And as more and more EVs hit the market in different sizes, form factors and price ranges, you'll see a lot more of them. EVs aren't for everyone but they work very well for many.
It’s great to see new options to ICE vehicles and even more options as technology improvements are made! We’re retired and love our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-line, it works for us but would have bought this EV9. We see lots of EV’s here in Florida, mostly Tesla’s so we love having one that is different and that you don’t see everywhere. Enjoy your reviews, well put together and informative!
Nice review. I just saw an EV9 pass by while i was walking to my bus stop. I thought it was a Soul until it came closer. Those diamond headlights made my jaw drop.
Great concise and informative review, Tom. I can already see this winning multiple SUV of the Year awards. I expect many of my customers will be trading in their Tellurides and maybe Model Xs for an EV9 in the upcoming year because it's just so much nicer.
If this wins any award over the Lucid Gravity then the presenters should be fired.
Thanks Tom as ever for the balanced review. If I may request something for your EV reviews, highway range is really the only range metric that matters to most EV owners. Range doesn’t matter for most trips, but knowing how far I can go at 70mph is why I got my EQS for long trips (I took it from Texas to Connecticut and back, with 2 kids under 4). I know on those press events your time is limited but as a potential buyer the highway range is by far the most important, the EPA and WLTP numbers don’t really help much for highway range. If you’d be able to provide a rough estimate based on the watts per mile at 70mph (often the vehicle displays this somewhere on the dash), or extrapolate it from using a few percent of battery on the highway and tracking mileage done. It’s spit ball maths but it’s more indicative than the EPA rating.
First off, thanks AJ! TBH, a 70 MPH range test is difficult for me to do because of where I live. Just getting to a 70 zone means driving 25 miles, and then, that's where hilly mountainous conditions begin for us in the PNW. So I'll be sticking to my mixed range evaluation (typically 30% city / 70% highway). And assessing an EV's range is REALLY hard because of all the factors (as you already know). I've had a Bolt hit 260 miles (mostly highway) but also no more than 210. I'm buying an EV and plan on doing road trip stories and such. Hoping to extrapolate some data from my experience. Enjoy your Merc!
Something that's starting to come out and be talked about but doesn't get covered by auto reviewers, is the battery efficiency in extreme cold weather or in areas where there's alot of snow and freezing temps. Ya know, real life stuff..😅
At 70 MPH I hope you'll be driving in the truck lane.
@chrisbullock6477 I can update you on that. I own EV9 Gt-Line in Finland. Two weeks ago we had -25C (-13F) for a week. 70/30 highway/city. Snow covered roads. Wind gusts. Average consumption was ~30 kW/ 100 km (2.07 miles per kW).
@@chrisbullock6477 you’re kidding right? If you read comments on EV videos, Reddit posts, etc, there’s always a discussion about how cold weather impacts EV range. This is a standard talking point.
Great review, as always, with impeccable editing and production.
Good video, Tom 👍🏽. Local Kia dealership had one right before the new year. Salesmen said it was a customer car and wouldn't be getting another until march... and there is one on the lot now. Not sure if they were new or nervously trying hard to make a sale because it was a lot of confusing information provided. But I'm excited to see these on the road.
It seems to be all over the map. Some people are saying their dealer has seven or eight, others are saying no availability.
@@DrivenCarReviewsI'm wondering if they are filling dealers that sell the EV6 and telluride well?
Great review as usual and an impressive showing from Kia. That price kills it for me though. If I could afford 70 to 80k I'd probably be shopping other brands. I couldn't justify this when i could get a well equipped telluride for 45 to 48k. That extra $30k is just too much to go electric.
excaly...not many will pony up 70-80k for a kai:)....
I feel the same, stretched to get the top trim telluride at $50k, my budget can't afford more. Plus I wouldn't get one without all wheel drive (so the base two wheel drive model doesn't do much for me).
You just have to pay more for the EV regardless of brand. You are paying premium because of expensive battery.
Great review!! Thank you!!
This is a grand slam home run for KIA!!!
People have to get over the name of the brand and price. Evaluate the vehicle for what it is. There are Dodge, Jeep and Ford vehicles that cost a lot more than this. People pay it for what the vehicles are. This vehicle competes well at this range no matter the name. Kia came to play and has really stepped up their game.
I agree with you. But many people can't get past their own perceptions.
@@DrivenCarReviews Not all of them. We will be getting this car later this year. Maybe we could be brand ambassadors and show folks what Kia is really up to.
The biometric and smartphone recognition is awesome. I hate how my telluride (top trim) only recognizes my phone for the infotainment, but the seating postion, dash screen, heads up display, and rear view mirror all need adjusting (okay, the rear view mirror is a tall order)
At the price they are asking it is hardly a GAME CHANGER!
Where I'm at the dealer had a mark-up of 10 thousand dollars!😯
that is terrible@@tino5271
Nice review Tom. Quite a few in stock here in DFW. MSRP does not look like it will be a problem to get.
Looks like a nice option for families.
Q: Are the second-row seatbacks still motorized if you choose not to have electric seat adjustment and/or the bench seating in that row? I think some curious shoppers may want to know...
Would like an option to delete the 3rd row.
I visited Airport Kia of Naples yesterday when my wife’s Sorrento was getting serviced and I looked at the EV9. It is a beautiful car inside and out. Great review but I have to agree with some of the other writers. There’s nothing game changing about an electric SUV however this one definitely offers a lot for that $80000 price tag. I think when they’re comparing the inside of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce I think they’re talking about the second row reclining seats with the foot rest. You don’t see that in any other luxury car at this price point. I don’t see them selling many of the rear wheel drive option that only gets around 200 miles of range. 🤷🏽♂️
11:26 There is an option to drag the hvac into the second screen for a more full screen view.
I’ve seen a couple of these on the streets up here in Edmonds. They look amazing. Got inside one at the Seattle Auto Show and it’s worth whatever they charge, no pun intended.
My only small gripe is the price for the 4 wheel drive, but its reasonable vs other ev suvs, just wish it competed with ice vehicles a smidge more
Not just AWD, significantly more performance.
@@DrivenCarReviews I would take significantly less performance for AWD and more range and a lower price tag. But I'm sure Kia's market research has found I am in the minority :)
GREAT coverage Tom.
Just my two cents regarding the industry trend towards touch screens/buttons.
I gave it considerable thought... and I think I have a good solution for manufacturers to start doing.
With traditional tactile buttons, people prefer them because once your finger senses the button, you can push/pull/tap it without having to take your eyes off the road. Meaning, no matter where your finger is on that knob or button, it will work because it relies on moving parts.
Well, with touch buttons, all they really need to do is make the sensors around the buttons bigger. Instead of forcing us to hit a small target everytime with our fingertips (bc it's often difficult while driving), make it so that if a touch spot on the screen is designed for a function, make that area where your touch will be detected bigger. So that you can just glance at it, eyeball it and your fingers can then aim for a less precise area.
You might be in the wrong biz...
Would love if they redesigned the Soul to look like the EV9 for those of us that love the styling but prefer a smaller package.
True, be nice if manufacturers started producing budget friendly EVs that they promised us years ago.
So far the best budget friendly EV for me was the 2024 Kona, which is now the size of the old 2019 Tucson it replaced.
Do a web search for Kia EV3. Kia tends to deliver production vehicles close to its concepts.
@@therealcdnuser Until battery costs drop even more, it'll be more upscale vehicles that help automakers recoup costs.
I'm not impressed. Make an awesome, desirable, and reliable car in volume for under $30K with no dealer greed markup. That would be truly a "game changer."
It looks like a really nice vehicle. I have a Soul and it's awesome. Are customers rethinking EV's especially with the isseus surrounding battery life and charging in extremely cold weather? Kinda seems that way. I'm leaning towards a PHUV.
Yes, there are issues with Evs in the cold. These have been well known for a long time. If you dig into those articles about cold-weather charging, there are some unforced errors by the owners. And there really are no issues about battery life, that's pretty much a myth. It's pretty common for batteries to lose very little of their capacity over 100,000 miles. But PHEVs can be great (if they're charged). Buy the car that works for you.
I'm rural, if that thing had better range, or was a PHEV, I'd be all over it. very good looking.
You do the best vehicle reviews Tom - so thanks for that. The EV9 is indeed a game changer, but i can't go with a Kia costing north of $70K, and that's before Kia dealers notorious "adjusted market value" There will be plenty of them in my Southern California environs, I'm sure, but it's not a good value proposition. The materials just aren't premium enough to justify the price tag.
Awesome alternative to the much more expensive R1S! Love it. Truth is a lot less to break as well.
The way you keep Kia Telluride buyers happy is make sure when they go EV they can still brag about how much it cost. They can't be seen driving a cheap Tesla Model Y like the unwashed masses. 😁 Clearly going head to head with the Rivian R1S.
Great review as always, Tom. But why are you an apologist for this thing in the comments? The review should speak for itself on the facts, without you having to come to KIA's defense in the comments.
Where am I apologizing? Because I'm not.
Great review. I want one, but i need my wife to get with the program because i don't want to here no complaining for the next 10 years. LoL at the kids go straight to the third row. It's a thing.... I'll ride with the third row down 360 days a year.
What the heck. I wish these software updates would come to the ev6
Thanks!
Oh no, thank YOU!
One pedal driving and OTA nice. But also birds eye view camera system, take THAT Tesla.
"Standard practice in this industry..." And therein lies a problem.
This "standard practice" has been in place since I was born. I understand the optics don't look good. And certainly there are attendees that are there for the nice room and good food. But very few. Many of these writers have families they're leaving days. The travel is a grind. It's a job. The schedule can be grueling (I typically skip half the meals to get the shots I need). Most of the writers are there to get accurate info and pass it onto people like you. It's good in that it gives me access to vehicles, engineers and marketing people that I wouldn't normally have. And the way I see it, if they don't like what I say, I won't get invited again (which I'm pretty sure has happened with a few automakers). And I'm fine with that because it really can be a grind.
@@DrivenCarReviews all true. Thank you for your reply, Tom. I was strictly speaking of those few you mentioned. In much of the business world, well “much” may be an overstatement, it seems there has been more of a crackdown on bribes and gifts than in this unique industry. And indeed, the amount supplied to you is likely only adequate to make the job tolerable, but there are those few that are paid grandiose sums to simply sing the praises of a car. That was the core my comment was aimed at, and certainly not directly at you. If it seemed so, I apologize, because you are truly one of very few reviewers I trust, and your scripts are by far the best written.
Game changer: Lucid Gravity
A big EV: Kia
차가 매우 단단하고 튼튼해 보인다.
In Finland Kia Sorento hybrid business luxury cost about 71k and gt-line 1st edit EV9 90k. Diesel taxes 1000 euros / year vs ev 300 euros / year. Diesel cost 15-20 euros 100km (1.8-2.2 euros / liter) vs electricity 2-9 euros / 100km. Here EV9 is budget. I ordered one in october because I didn’t like my weird BMW ix40. Too small battery, too slow charging, too small, too odd, poor seats and it doesn’t feel permium and it was almost 100k. Bye bye bmw, welcome Kia.
Love mine
I would love a practical 3 row electric suv for around $40k, most Americans who have kids cannot afford $55-75k without depleting their 401k or taking out a second mortgage on their home.
That’s not at all realistic though when a loaded ICE Subaru Forester costs 40k.
I would like a Frank Lloyd Wright home for $150K. Neither will be happening in the near future.
@Tom - any word from Rivian if/when they'll get an R1S to you for review??
There's a new PR guy there. And I know him...
Doesn’t seem like it is the big new thing to have in 2024, a quick check shows 2,250 already sitting unsold at dealers and they just came out.
Can you send me a link to your source? Thanks!
@@DrivenCarReviews A quick search on Autotrader shows 2,361 new EV9’s available, that’s up over 100 inventory cars from just yesterday. I would think inventory will continue to climb because Kia is trying to compete priced in the range of higher end EV’s but it is lacking the power and range people like about EV’s
www.autotrader.com/cars-for-sale/all-cars/kia/ev9/port-saint-lucie-fl?isNewSearch=true&searchRadius=0&zip=34986
@@DrivenCarReviewsI posted a link but I see it was removed, it’s now up to 2,421 unsold EV9’s in inventory today. It’s easy to search new inventory on any of the big car listing websites.
@@RoyalCrane Hmmm, try posting again RC. I'd like to see how you're arriving at the number. It shouldn't have been removed.
@@DrivenCarReviews I have posted a working hyperlink several times now and they are removed. It’s easy to do an inventory search and just search nationwide on any of the big auto listing websites
Best thing KIA/Hyundai ever did for their brand was hire those Germans from Audi and BMW
13:18 I had heard Kia was charging a subscription fee to change the lighting pattern. Did they roll back that decision?
The way I understand it, there's a "Kia Digital Store" where you can download new features. I believe you're able to choose one of the four offering for free, the lighting pattern is one of them.
I just stoped watching after the $70k price reveal at 1:58
lol...'kai can make enought of" My local dealer is alread dicsounting them by 5k off of msrp!
Wonderful. Go for it!
So many other options at that price point. Nice features on this thing though.
Wish this was a minivan...
You and 20 other buyers. 😉
@@DrivenCarReviews Haha, true. But I bet there's more minivan enjoyers than people who will ever take their 3-row SUV offroad...
Love the look. The space though needs much improvement. How can the Tesla model y have so much more storage space for a smaller vehicle? Def a miss with Kia
What space do you speak of?
I have no experience with Kia dealers. Given the push to higher price points are the dealers prepared to deal with what are likely to be more sophisticated and more demanding buyers?
Every dealership is different. The only ones I find consistently educated and polished are Porsche stores.
@@DrivenCarReviews Can’t argue with that!
That volume scroll barrel is gonna be gunky and gross after a couple years. I don't expect that to last at all.
You can't compare EV9 price to internal combustion engine vehicle's price. You need to compare to similar EV from other manufacturers such as Model X. EV9 is good priced vehicle 20k - 30k cheaper than competition (and better engineered vehicle).
Nice. The worry with all these new pricey EVs is massive depreciation. Kind of rolling the dice with all this new tech.
Maybe. But not for people who buy cars and keep them for a long time.
Seems like this would of been better as a Genesis product over a Kia product since it’s price point.
An Electrified GV70 is about the same price so the (inevitable) 3-row Genesis will be in the $90K region.
@ $78K, I'll buy a Rivian.
Shouldn’t the Red light be something that’s a red flag compared to the competition? Is there any EV that has a spare tire(Rivian aside).
Sometimes the Red Light is simply a bad trend.
Second row sears taking 10 seconds to move forward is extremely annoying. 5 seconds to open the liftgate is annoying too. Do they think they can solve any problem with an electric motor? Do they think people cannot lift the gate with their hand?
Hey Tom how about the Kia Ev 2 ?
From what I understand, that's more for the Euro market. But the concept looks cool. Sadly, Americans don't like small cars.
@@DrivenCarReviews thanks for replying. I hope that car comes to America and then they can drop one off in Olympia. Take care great video.
👍👍
270miles of range, under optimum conditions, is not great Tom. It’s about average. And everything I read and hear from friends is that the charging infrastructure is just not there yet. Looks like I’ll be waiting until the late 2020’s for battery packs (and infrastructure) worthy of long trips.
For a larger 3-row family vehicle, mostly highway type miles and a cool day, it's not too shabby. And this charges fast. But yeah, the travling infrastructure needs to grow.
I’d be lucky to get 270 miles on my Mazda CX5 😩
Model Y only gets you about 20 miles more, so I'd say Kia with 270 is not bad
You’re absolutely high if you think this years “it” car is an $80,000 Kia
If they badged it Genesis would people be more apt to accept the price?
The interior isn't up to Genesis standards. Genesis EV have to have a much nicer interior.
@@th003g Agreed
If it could go an honest 400-450 miles on a charge and cost under 60k, maybe it would be worth looking at. At $80k, real world 200-250 mile range. No thanks.
It's basically a ford flex.
My brother (a Flex owner) is jazzed about this.
Lotta bucks for an ipad on wheels dude..
78K for a KIA? Jokingly surprised! Maybe I’ll see it in the couple year old used market for half the price
Toyota Camry has about 5.7 inches of ground clearance & drives just fine in cities & snow. You don't need a big SUV thing
But if you need to haul more than five, or need the cargo space....
Yeah that's not great ground clearance, the model y is 6.6 inches. As per usual, these "crossovers" are getting marketed like SUVs when they really have no off road chops to speak of
78 grand and not real leather seats. No thanks.
thats BEFORE the 10-15k dealer mark ups! Thats a hell-no for me!
It makes perfectly good sense in a world gone mad with people paying $100k for a pickup.
Kia dealers already discounting them $3,000 to $5,000
That's good then. It makes this better value. It's expensive, but considering what it packs, kind of worth it.
tellurides all have market adjustments and people are still buying them, you don't know what you're talking about
yeah...nothing game changing here at $70k
You lost me at 189hp for such a large vehicle. Deal-breaker.
379 horses and 516 lb-ft for the GT-Line I tested
A $75k Kia. Yep that’s a hard pass for me!
It could be worst dodge is charging 80k for a charger
I find electric cars boring, too much like driving a PlayStation. I drove the F-150 lightning and it was fast but not that exciting for my taste. I know they are fast, mechanically less complicated and possibly environmentally friendly, but I’m just not excited by them.
Beautiful fossil fuels provide the electricity for these vehicles.
Not where I live.
EVs are on life support. They're niche at best, but some automakers are marketing them as "game-changers"! Totally laughable. Toyota is way more forward thinking than all the others.
The nightmare scenarios of a battery swap costing upwards of $50,000 has put me off Hyundai/KIA, doesnt justify the fuel savings🤷♂️
Nope. Not true.
@@DrivenCarReviews then whats the cost of battery replacement? Have you watched the report by Motormouth regarding Hyundai Canada?
@@afrostigmeister Even you know that that's a fringe situation. And it would be covered by insurance.
Yes, another expensive EV. Making room for the Chinese made one. This is how you kill your market share.
I have a hard time trusting Kia. My neighbor's Kia and my cousin's KIA were both stolen by the local KIA boys here in WA state...
Any of them with pushbutton start can't be hacked. Even the newer ones with a regular key were redesigned a couple years ago.
That's a trust issue with Kia? Why not a trust issue with your town?
@@th003g Kias have a design flaw which allows them to be easily stolen. You can quickly search google or youtube on how to steal them.
@@th003g They don't live in the same town, they live 1 hour apart. Older KIA's have a design flaw which allows them to be easily stolen.
@ChristopherWalkenPUA and how is that relevant when talking about a new car that is not susceptible to the theft technique in question. Either way, it still isn't the car makers fault that people choose to break the law and take what is not theirs.
Meh….
Every UA-camr is saying this car is a "game changer". Of course they are, they want the clicks and the paycheck that goes along with it. How about be HONEST, tell the TRUTH about this and every other car you review. This is yet again another SMALL 3 row SUV wannabe, a third row for people that have children with no legs, that third row is not meant for humans to sit in. It's compact, it's not large at all. it looks like a stretched out Kia Soul. Its fugly. Yes Fugly! Then go to the dealership and see the 10-15k mark up on top of the already ludicrous $78k starting price point, and it's a H-NO for me! This thing is not worth a $78k starting price point. That is a Rivian starting price point for and ACTUAL full size SUV. This is a wannabe suv, a crossover, very little utilitarian use. Its nothing more than a soccer/target/starbucks mom crossover ugly kia. I'm not suggesting this video is bad, but it's not an actual honest review. No one on UA-cam will give an honest review/opinion of anything because they are all about the money. Sad.
Truth is spoken here. It's a great vehicle (though not everyone needs a vehicle this large). It's not compact, it's considered a larger mid-sized vehicle. At 5'9" I'm fine for trips across town in row 3, I'd rather sit there than a Toyota Sequoia, When a vehicle is the only one in its class, that's considered game changing.
It is huge. If you want a functional third row, buy a minivan. Clearly, you want it, but they asked $15K over the sticker. Well, this is capitalism for you. Don't like it - buy American.
@@TinLeadHammer It's 8 inches shorter than a Honda Odyssey, 11 inches less than Sequoia (and has nearly the same cargo capacity).
@@DrivenCarReviews Both are enormous as well. All vehicles grew to silly dimensions in the last twenty years, the EV9 is 4930x2055 - this is HUGE. Cars used to be about 1.7 m wide for a long time (self-imposed Japanese restriction?) 2 meters is as wide as a delivery van. Ford Transit is 2059 wide. I would take something like a fourth gen Honda Accord Wagon (4745x1714) built according to M/M principle instead of this abomination any day.
The Ioniq 5 is a POS, if this is same platform I would stay far away. I say this as a Kia fan with 2 new Kia cars.
@DrivenCar. Me too
@DrivenCarReviews. Yeah on there I won't scam you I promise
BUT, if you scratch the bottom of the car (the bottom of the battery) without even denting it, it will cost you about as much a new identical car. This assertion is based upon multiple occurrences, with Corporate providing only sympathy.
Ah, your summary is not accurate. The cooling system was damage in the one that went viral.
Scratch? No. And insurance doesn't cover heavy damage? It takes a lot to damage a battery pack, they're shielded.
40;000 dollars to replace the battery. Insurance cost astronomical
Enough with this already. There's no telling what the battery replacement cost for this EV9 will be, and obviously costs will go down as manufacturers, engineers, mechanics, and insurers better understand replacement processes. These things take time.
Stop. Chances are this battery will never need to be replaced. Only if it's physically damaged, and that means you're doing something stupid.
Multiple cases of Ioniq 5 hitting road debris, battery replacement cost quoted at $60,000, more than the cost of the entire vehicle brand new.
there is also the issue of side impact wrecks damaging the battery bank.
@@DrivenCarReviews I’ve talked with car dealers who are dealing with this problem right now. Tell the truth in your videos instead of the bullshit stories of performance everyone knows EV s can outperform. But at what cost?
Lexus 500h all day long
TBH, the interior quality of EV9 and TX are quite similar
Great review ( as usual, from Tom) of an unfortunately underwhelming vehicle. An SUV nobody needs. At prices most can't or won't pay. At least not for a KIA. And how much will they charge you for a new battery when debris hits the battery casing under the vehicle. I enjoyed the video like i do all Tom's reviews, but this car is plain and forgettable.
I like to see someone do a real world test on the EV9, no, I am not talking about driving it until it's dead and then getting the range from the data, I am talking about real world use. My neighbor works for KIA (not dealership), I was interested and asked him if the EV9 get the range of 304 miles, he said "no, not even close in the real world". So he goes on to explained that the EV9 is a people carrier, like a mini-van, without the mini van look, and 100% of the buyers of the EV9 are not solo drivers, they are most likely to be a family of 3 or 4, add the extra weight in with the family, and family usually take trips, to grandma, 4 hour drive to Disneyland, up the coast to the Golden Gate Bridge, short road trips here and there, and the minute you get on the freeway, with the added weight and once you hit 65mph or above, you'll lucky to get 220mph. He said that's just the nature of boxy EVs, it's not a design flaw, but the nature of aerodynamic and physics, the F150 Lightning isn't immuned from it either. He said you should be fine, driving around town with the kids, but not a good EV for family road trips. So Tom, put the wife and 2 other friends in the EV9, take a short round trip, and report back to us.
Thanks!
Thanks Pablo! I will enjoy that coffee. I'll buy Martin the fancy stuff.
Brilliant Tom, just brilliant. Coffee on me buddy.
The way you move those plastic pieces in the back sounds like they'd fall apart in the hands of my kids before I leave the dealer lot.
Thanks, Tom. I'm looking ahead to replacing my 2018 Pacifica Hybrid PHEV *and* my 2022 Mach-E GT with a single vehicle when the Mach-E goes back in mid-2026. I would consider this, but I'm more looking forward to whatever Ford's announced upcoming 3-row EV is like, especially since it will have this against which to benchmark.
Knowing how these things go, I can't see the Ford being out until the end of 2024 or later. Kia really does have the market all to itself right now unless you want to buy a Rivian, Volvo or Model X.
No apology necessary. I understood what you meant. I’m very comfortable in my skin, and in this business, it needs to be thick. But honestly, the vast majority of writers on these trips work their asses off. They really want to get good information out. And the ones that don’t are pretty easy to spot.
Thank you for a fine first look at this KIA. I began thinking I should revisit your Volvo pre-release video from a few months ago. Then you mentioned the brand!
Nobody does reviews better than Tom Voelk.
Hey Tom, here's a question you may not know the answer to. Do you get an extra $0.01 if I watch the ads in your video all the way to the very end, including the last part where the circle gets colored in in the upper right corner? Or do you get credit for me watching the ad if I just let the first 10 seconds play, then click on "Skip"? Just curious because I want you to do as well as possible and am happy to watch the 30 second ads. Thanks for your review - great job as usual.
I really don't know. But to be honest, you shouldn't waste your time for that little money.
Over priced lease mobile, why would you buy something that pricey which will be obsolete in 18-24 months... the EV's are like cell phones, throw away. Oh the irony of 'doing something for environment' - you're doing something alright, more waste! But hey you are virtuous when doing it😂
Not true.
@@llaughridge prove me wrong
@@genzigzag Hmmm, give me hard concrete numbers that back up your claim. All the data I've seen says EVs last quite a long time. Even my brother's 2013 Leaf had solid range at 120K miles before it was totaled in a crash.
@@genzigzag you prove your statements first.
@@DrivenCarReviews 120,000 miles of longevity is an achievement? There are Toyota Corolla's' that have regularly done over 400,000 miles. What is being done to recycle the batteries? What about resale, currently consumers don't want to touch a used EV, they are sitting on dealer lots, which is leading to dealers refusing to buy EV's at auction or take them on trade in. Let's not forget the ubsurd prices for a replacement battery, Kia and Hyundai charge $45k USD for replacement batteries for the EV6 and Ioniq 5/6. I wonder what a replacement motor for a Corolla costs.
EV's are being forced onto consumers through legislation, the infrastructure is not there nor is the technology. Take a look at what happened in Chicago last week with all the dead Tesla's. No thanks I'll keep my ICE vehicle.
EV from ice manufacturer need to stop putting power button on their ev. It should be get in hit the brake to power on and start moving.
I'd rather that than not know I started the car...
@@mystery8820 it becoming cumbersome when you no longer need to start anything... It is like picking your cell phone then have to press a button to turn on the screen.
The problem with these vehicles are the Korean cars will depreciate like a stone. While the tech stuff is well sorted, it’s not worth the price and the loss after. These are lease vehicles that are disposable…..sad
The extra $ is for the most part the battery pack (as it is with ALL EV's) as well as upscaled interior materials and tech. It's still *thousands* less expansive than any other *usable 3rd row* EV SUV available in NA.
Can't afford buy ICE. Kia will sell all the EV 9s they can produce I'm sure. At least until there is a real competitor in the mass market (non luxury) space.
BTW HMG was #2 in EV sales for 2023, #1 was Tesla.
The government and manufacturers push EVs because of "green" lower sustainable resource and fuel use. Now that they are building vehicles people actually need, the focus has shifted to performance, technology, luxury, and price is up substantially. DIY and flat tire change impossible. Repairs costs extremely high as is insurance. Impractable for long distance travel. And these vehicles track everything you do and locations. EVs were supposed to be about economy and lower costs. These EVs are a trojan horse. I smell a rat.
Vehicle manufacturers have zero chance of making EV's the standard if the cost of batteries with any decent range continues make vehicles this expensive. That combined with the dealer mark-ups, maintenance/repair fees, inflated insurance and the ongoing lack of charging infrastructure means EV's will continue to be a novelty for the wealthy, upper middle class and minority of people crazy enough to buy something absurdly out of their budget.
That’s a whole whack of dough for a KIA, and that’s coming from a Genesis G80T owner, but I saw one on the road the other day; they’ll sell every single one they can build.
Most buyers don't wan an EV - - -for numerous reasons
Actually, the data suggests a large number of buyers do want them. And as more and more EVs hit the market in different sizes, form factors and price ranges, you'll see a lot more of them. EVs aren't for everyone but they work very well for many.
It’s great to see new options to ICE vehicles and even more options as technology improvements are made! We’re retired and love our 2022 Kia EV6 GT-line, it works for us but would have bought this EV9. We see lots of EV’s here in Florida, mostly Tesla’s so we love having one that is different and that you don’t see everywhere. Enjoy your reviews, well put together and informative!
@@DrivenCarReviews wanting and being able to afford them are two very different stories...
Not a game changer. Next gen batteries would be game changer…230 mile range…meh
You lost me at $78,000