Wind owner here: not having memory seats is the worst!! It’s my wife’s car but I drive it when we’re going somewhere as a family. Crazy to have to adjust every time.
Drove it. Liked it a lot. Can’t wrap my brain around $1000/mo for a Kia. Not when Tesla model Y is just as good for half the monthly payment. Don’t need the 3rd row so please don’t with that comment.
Great review! I agree about the memory seats..ridiculous it doesn't have it in Wind trim. I would lean toward Land trim for a happy medium. I'd love to see some efficiency stats at each update too. Thanks for the videos!
Thank you for doing this, we will test drive a Kia EV9 in about 6 months, we are 25 year Toyota customers actually thinking of leaving Toyota for the first time, seriously. Post-sales experiences are critical from actual real-world customers to help us feel confident that perhaps we will roll the dice with Kia for our next vehicle.
For the climate on the main screen, suggest you program the expanded view on the mode or star buttons on the steering wheel and becomes really handy. Thank you.
The majority of the features that you are missing are available in the Land trim! No need to have to go all the way up to the GT-Line. Land trims have finally arrived on the East Coast this week.
i can set pre-heating in the Kia "Connect" app here in Europe and set the climate temperature, time when it needs to be 'ready' and also set my heating steering wheel and seats (i can pick how strong i want it)
Great video. So, you talked about some of the factors you considered going with the Wind trim vs. GT-9. Was the fact that the Wind came with the 2nd row bench seat a plus for you (considering family/cargo)? I think the only thing that I dislike about the GT-9 is that you're currently restricted to the captain's chairs. I don’t like the idea of seeing that open space (or cargo ending up next to me in the event of a hard brake).
To be honest I had the Land trim on pre order which has the captains chairs; this wind came in early at the dealer so I hopped on it. I don’t mind the bench, there’s two car seats there anyway and the seats lay completely flat which is nice.
Great feedback. I was seriously considering the GT but at the end of the day it’s just too expensive compared to what features you can get in lower priced vehicles. Shame.
Thanks Matt. Great video. We have the exact carseat setting as you, one rear facing and one front facing. Not having to remove the car seats, do the second row seats bend enough if a smaller adult or a teenage is to get to the third row? I know for your case (6seats) they might be able to go from the middle of the two seats. But I'm considering a seven setting with the banch.
its a missed opportunity really, wished they had a Wind "Tech package" like on the EV6 that has many of the features you mentioned like memory seats, 360 view/blindspot cameras, front cameras that is Essential for this car. I would pay extra for those features without have to go Land trim. That is why its hard to let go of my EV6 with the premium features for 49k.
Thank you for the great review! Do you have any thoughts on how well the second row is for getting a baby and toddler in and out with rear facing and forward facing car seats? Have you had any problems with the battery draining at home? I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about it on Reddit. Thank you!
Hey Matt thanks for the review. Fellow Tesla owner here as well and was strongly considering trading my other car a sport utility - in for the model X as my next car,,,however after seeing the Ev-9 I have decided to reconsider that purchase. Like you I wanted more of a traditional Sport Utility type vehicle and the Ev-9 fits that description. My question for you is I am waiting for the Ev-9 to be built down in Georgia supposedly on or around September of 2024 and I am hoping that the Tesla charging connection will be in that US model. I am also guessing or hoping that the battery type may change in order to qualify for the US tax credits requirements and hopefully offer more distance. Am I hoping for too much? What do you think?
I’m pretty sure it will have the NACS connection. For our personal use we charge this car at home 98% of the time so wasn’t too big a deal for us. Not exactly sure about the tax qualifications by that time.
Hey, Matt. Seems so Kia in US is cutting a lot of features with different trims. I can do all the things you mentioned via the KIA Connect App with my EV9 Gt-Line. Including charging stats, etc. I live in Finland. Suspension is also different compared to Finland. Mine is quite soft l, even with 21" rims. What I like about EV9 suspension - no punching sounds on any terrain. It just takes and eats everything. I've noticed a lot of reviewers blame "boxy" shape and, as a result, poor efficiency. However, I'm getting 2,6 miles per kilowatt on average (34 f outside, average speed of 45 miles per hour). I say it is a damn efficient for a such a big car. Thanks for your video!!!
@mattscinto Matt, it might also be the difference between Americas and Europe versions. European KIA Connect App is different. We do not have smart watch support, layout, and theme are different. In Finland, we get KIA Connect Sunscription for 7 years without any tiers or payments (all features are complementary for 7 years starting the date of cae delivery). 🤷♂️
@@Sw33tBabyRays We have only two trim options in Finland. Standard EV9 AWD or GT-Line AWD. Only 99.8kWh batteries and only AWD models. Standard EV9 comes only as 7 seater. GT-Line can be 7 seater, 6 seats with swelling seats, or 6 seats with relaxation mode (middle raw with electric captain chairs). Differences (Standard vs GT-Line): 19" vs 21" rims 360 cameras Aluminum pedals Front Passenger comfort (relax) seat Front and rear bumpers Coverage area monitor in the instrument cluster Driver seat massage function Adjusting the side support for the driver's seat Electronic Adjustment of the driver's seat with memory function Driver comfort seat (relax) Dynamic front lights Vegan Leather upholstery in GT-Line design Electronic height and distance adjustment of the steering wheel Smart remote parking (no need to buy via KIA Store) In addition, 1st Edition model (available till March 2024) includes (only GT-Line): - HeadUp display - Meridian Sound System It is possible to purchase Comfort Pack for the standard model (2660 EUR extra): - Premium leather interior - Driver massage, electronic adjustment, relaxation, side support adjustment, and memory seat - Front passenger comfort seat - Electronically adjusted steering wheel GT-Line has only three addons: - Panoramic roof (+1500 eur) - Paint (+ up to 1550 for the matt colour) - Towing hook (+ 1500 EUR) The price difference between the two models (standard price, without discounts) is 81780 EUR vs 85614 EUR (3834 EUR). 1st Edition model is 87404 EUR.
I was concerned about having two EVs as well regardless of having solar home. My wife and kids love our EV Wind so we got one 4/18/24 but if I had to do it again, my choice would be the 2024 Hyundai Santa FE hybrid or PHEV. I don’t care what people say about the ugliness of the back; I never took a vehicle for a beauty pageant before😂.
Does the heated steering wheel heat the whole thing or just sections, like 3 and 9 o'clock? Does it have a security camera system like Tesla or Rivian?
It seems what you're missing is in the other trims. EV9 offers those features, unfortunately Hyundai/Kia/Genesis segment their vehicles with features. That's how they seperate the trims. A little piece of mind; JD Power just released their 3 year (21-23) dependability study. Kia ranked #8, Tesla was #25 😮. They track all repairs done to each brand over the 3 years.
Does yours feel floaty over bumps? I have the GT-Line, and certain rough patches of road make it feel like the steering wheel is getting away from me 🫨 Other GT-Line owners have said the same thing on Reddit…can’t decide if it’s just how this is set up, or a problem worth looking into
Odds that you can't turn on the heating steering wheel/seats via the Kia Connect app when I have a 2024 Telluride and I can turn those on via the app no issues. I went with the top trim Telluride which cost 60K though. I know for sure the lower trim Telluride's don't have them so I guess Kia only puts "All the features" in their top trim models.
That is not correct the kias at risk are old ones with actual keys not key fobs we just got one in California not much of an insurance increase from our 12 year old quest van
The problem with the current version of the EV9 is that it is limited to 85kW DC charging at 500V stations such as Tesla v3 superchargers. That’s a deal breaker for me. It looks to be a great family tosd trip car and the slow DC charging kills it. Maybe Kia will add a dedicated DC booster for the next model year. Right now they’re using the rear inverter which appears to be limited.
Are you missing frunk lid seals on the left and right side of the lid? Apparently kia does not install seals in those areas resulting in water and dust coming in to the frunk area.
Any reason why you didn't consider the Rivian R1S ? Assuming you didn't based on your last comments of saying that Model X was the other vehicle you considered.
It is super weird that in Kia Connect between U.S. and EU, in European cars you always get that remote heated/cooled seat and steering wheel control. That is just plain stupid design of different apps. Also the lay out in the app is totally different in European continent to U.S.
Wind owner here: not having memory seats is the worst!! It’s my wife’s car but I drive it when we’re going somewhere as a family. Crazy to have to adjust every time.
Drove it. Liked it a lot.
Can’t wrap my brain around $1000/mo for a Kia. Not when Tesla model Y is just as good for half the monthly payment. Don’t need the 3rd row so please don’t with that comment.
Tesla Y and EV9 aren’t really comparable given the size of each vehicle. But I agree there is nothing better deal wise than a Tesla
Great review! I agree about the memory seats..ridiculous it doesn't have it in Wind trim. I would lean toward Land trim for a happy medium. I'd love to see some efficiency stats at each update too. Thanks for the videos!
Well done real world review
Thank you for doing this, we will test drive a Kia EV9 in about 6 months, we are 25 year Toyota customers actually thinking of leaving Toyota for the first time, seriously. Post-sales experiences are critical from actual real-world customers to help us feel confident that perhaps we will roll the dice with Kia for our next vehicle.
For the climate on the main screen, suggest you program the expanded view on the mode or star buttons on the steering wheel and becomes really handy. Thank you.
Great one Matt, I love this car and am considering trading my Ioniq 6 for the EV 9 or maybe wait for the Ioniq 7.
Yes so quiet. Have the same one as you. Also felt same about GT
The majority of the features that you are missing are available in the Land trim! No need to have to go all the way up to the GT-Line. Land trims have finally arrived on the East Coast this week.
Yeah, and only 6 seats. We were forced into the wind trim. Why no memory seats?
Thanks for another update/review, I was wondering what sound system you are equipped with? And what are your thoughts on the quality? thanks!
I want to say it is a 8 speaker system.. GT-Line has premium audio. I think the sound system is quite good.
Such a great comparison with Tesla. Thank uou
Awesome video man! Thanks
What Tesla to ____ adapter are you using I need to buy one before I pick up my ev9
I just purchased one off Amazon, I think it was around $50
i can set pre-heating in the Kia "Connect" app here in Europe and set the climate temperature, time when it needs to be 'ready' and also set my heating steering wheel and seats (i can pick how strong i want it)
Great video. So, you talked about some of the factors you considered going with the Wind trim vs. GT-9. Was the fact that the Wind came with the 2nd row bench seat a plus for you (considering family/cargo)? I think the only thing that I dislike about the GT-9 is that you're currently restricted to the captain's chairs. I don’t like the idea of seeing that open space (or cargo ending up next to me in the event of a hard brake).
To be honest I had the Land trim on pre order which has the captains chairs; this wind came in early at the dealer so I hopped on it. I don’t mind the bench, there’s two car seats there anyway and the seats lay completely flat which is nice.
Great feedback. I was seriously considering the GT but at the end of the day it’s just too expensive compared to what features you can get in lower priced vehicles. Shame.
Thanks Matt. Great video. We have the exact carseat setting as you, one rear facing and one front facing. Not having to remove the car seats, do the second row seats bend enough if a smaller adult or a teenage is to get to the third row?
I know for your case (6seats) they might be able to go from the middle of the two seats. But I'm considering a seven setting with the banch.
Yes you can either bend the seat or just move the row up, there is a lot of room between the middle bench and the driver and passenger seats.
its a missed opportunity really, wished they had a Wind "Tech package" like on the EV6 that has many of the features you mentioned like memory seats, 360 view/blindspot cameras, front cameras that is Essential for this car. I would pay extra for those features without have to go Land trim.
That is why its hard to let go of my EV6 with the premium features for 49k.
100% agree
Thank you for the great review! Do you have any thoughts on how well the second row is for getting a baby and toddler in and out with rear facing and forward facing car seats? Have you had any problems with the battery draining at home? I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about it on Reddit. Thank you!
We have one front facing and one rear facing seat; plenty of room between the middle bench and the driver/passenger. No issues with my 12v battery.
Thank you!
Hey Matt thanks for the review. Fellow Tesla owner here as well and was strongly considering trading my other car a sport utility - in for the model X as my next car,,,however after seeing the Ev-9 I have decided to reconsider that purchase. Like you I wanted more of a traditional Sport Utility type vehicle and the Ev-9 fits that description. My question for you is I am waiting for the Ev-9 to be built down in Georgia supposedly on or around September of 2024 and I am hoping that the Tesla charging connection will be in that US model. I am also guessing or hoping that the battery type may change in order to qualify for the US tax credits requirements and hopefully offer more distance. Am I hoping for too much? What do you think?
I’m pretty sure it will have the NACS connection. For our personal use we charge this car at home 98% of the time so wasn’t too big a deal for us. Not exactly sure about the tax qualifications by that time.
Hey, Matt. Seems so Kia in US is cutting a lot of features with different trims. I can do all the things you mentioned via the KIA Connect App with my EV9 Gt-Line. Including charging stats, etc. I live in Finland. Suspension is also different compared to Finland. Mine is quite soft l, even with 21" rims. What I like about EV9 suspension - no punching sounds on any terrain. It just takes and eats everything. I've noticed a lot of reviewers blame "boxy" shape and, as a result, poor efficiency. However, I'm getting 2,6 miles per kilowatt on average (34 f outside, average speed of 45 miles per hour). I say it is a damn efficient for a such a big car.
Thanks for your video!!!
Very interesting.. I'm now wondering if I'm looking in the wrong place :D
@mattscinto Matt, it might also be the difference between Americas and Europe versions. European KIA Connect App is different. We do not have smart watch support, layout, and theme are different. In Finland, we get KIA Connect Sunscription for 7 years without any tiers or payments (all features are complementary for 7 years starting the date of cae delivery). 🤷♂️
The GT gets everything. He has the wind. Does the wind get those features in Finland?
@@Sw33tBabyRays We have only two trim options in Finland. Standard EV9 AWD or GT-Line AWD. Only 99.8kWh batteries and only AWD models. Standard EV9 comes only as 7 seater. GT-Line can be 7 seater, 6 seats with swelling seats, or 6 seats with relaxation mode (middle raw with electric captain chairs).
Differences (Standard vs GT-Line):
19" vs 21" rims
360 cameras
Aluminum pedals
Front Passenger comfort (relax) seat
Front and rear bumpers
Coverage area monitor in the instrument cluster
Driver seat massage function
Adjusting the side support for the driver's seat
Electronic Adjustment of the driver's seat with memory function
Driver comfort seat (relax)
Dynamic front lights
Vegan Leather upholstery in GT-Line design
Electronic height and distance adjustment of the steering wheel
Smart remote parking (no need to buy via KIA Store)
In addition, 1st Edition model (available till March 2024) includes (only GT-Line):
- HeadUp display
- Meridian Sound System
It is possible to purchase Comfort Pack for the standard model (2660 EUR extra):
- Premium leather interior
- Driver massage, electronic adjustment, relaxation, side support adjustment, and memory seat
- Front passenger comfort seat
- Electronically adjusted steering wheel
GT-Line has only three addons:
- Panoramic roof (+1500 eur)
- Paint (+ up to 1550 for the matt colour)
- Towing hook (+ 1500 EUR)
The price difference between the two models (standard price, without discounts) is 81780 EUR vs 85614 EUR (3834 EUR). 1st Edition model is 87404 EUR.
I was concerned about having two EVs as well regardless of having solar home. My wife and kids love our EV Wind so we got one 4/18/24 but if I had to do it again, my choice would be the 2024 Hyundai Santa FE hybrid or PHEV. I don’t care what people say about the ugliness of the back; I never took a vehicle for a beauty pageant before😂.
There's no 360 camera on the GT Line? Were you talking about the EV9 or EV6 when you said that?
Does the heated steering wheel heat the whole thing or just sections, like 3 and 9 o'clock? Does it have a security camera system like Tesla or Rivian?
Most people agree but most of the things you need is in the highest level
It seems what you're missing is in the other trims. EV9 offers those features, unfortunately Hyundai/Kia/Genesis segment their vehicles with features. That's how they seperate the trims.
A little piece of mind; JD Power just released their 3 year (21-23) dependability study. Kia ranked #8, Tesla was #25 😮. They track all repairs done to each brand over the 3 years.
How do I check the status of my 12v battery in the EV9 Gt-line?
Recently bought an EV9, after 8 days notice my AC does not get very cold. And takes awhile to get somewhat cold. Have you noticed this at all?
Great Video...what charger you have @ home?
I have Tesla HPWC Gen 2 80A, MX was 4 hrs, adapter for eTron 8hrs.... How Fast charge from 20-80% in EV9?
I use a Tesla wall charger. I typically only charge under 32 amps over night.
Does yours feel floaty over bumps? I have the GT-Line, and certain rough patches of road make it feel like the steering wheel is getting away from me 🫨 Other GT-Line owners have said the same thing on Reddit…can’t decide if it’s just how this is set up, or a problem worth looking into
I think that is within spec LOL. Same issue.
Odds that you can't turn on the heating steering wheel/seats via the Kia Connect app when I have a 2024 Telluride and I can turn those on via the app no issues. I went with the top trim Telluride which cost 60K though. I know for sure the lower trim Telluride's don't have them so I guess Kia only puts "All the features" in their top trim models.
It seems so. I have EV9 Gt-Line top in Finland. Can control steering wheel and seats heating/ventilation (set any level), 4 seats via KIA Connect App.
I'm curious about insurance cost. At least in WA and CA, many won't insure KIAs because of theft. I wonder if that extends to their EV lineup
That is not correct the kias at risk are old ones with actual keys not key fobs we just got one in California not much of an insurance increase from our 12 year old quest van
The problem with the current version of the EV9 is that it is limited to 85kW DC charging at 500V stations such as Tesla v3 superchargers. That’s a deal breaker for me. It looks to be a great family tosd trip car and the slow DC charging kills it. Maybe Kia will add a dedicated DC booster for the next model year. Right now they’re using the rear inverter which appears to be limited.
What charging adapter did you buy to use with your Tesla charging station?
This one has worked 100% www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7MN8LZ2?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
@@mattscinto thank you
Are you missing frunk lid seals on the left and right side of the lid? Apparently kia does not install seals in those areas resulting in water and dust coming in to the frunk area.
Haven’t had any issues with that
Any reason why you didn't consider the Rivian R1S ? Assuming you didn't based on your last comments of saying that Model X was the other vehicle you considered.
Ain’t got that kinda money LOL
@@mattscinto yeah I understood that. It's just u mentioned you considered a Model X and was curious why you didn't consider the R1S
I’d rather have a model X over R1S due to cheaper price and Tesla software and charging experience being superior.
@@mattscinto cheaper? No. Software by a little I think. Charging network will be a moot point soon once Rivian can use the Tesla network
Model X I can spec for 79k, R1S is over 90k when I'm done with it :D @@shaqdeez1
Those things, just need a software upgrade, it will come.
How do you like the stereo?
Solid. Could use more bass though.
@@mattscinto Good to know. Thanks.
It is super weird that in Kia Connect between U.S. and EU, in European cars you always get that remote heated/cooled seat and steering wheel control. That is just plain stupid design of different apps. Also the lay out in the app is totally different in European continent to U.S.
DC chargıng ıs a bıg problem...
😂😂 it's hilarious to me to video review a car after 1500 miles. But okay.