Kia has announced UK prices and a three-tier grade-structure for the 2024 EV9, a £64,995 entry point confirming it as the most expensive vehicle the firm has ever sold in Europe, but one that still stays true to Kia’s origins by massively undercutting its rivals.
Not that it has many rivals because three-row electric SUVs are still a rarity. Tesla’s quirky Model X is one, but it’s now only available in left-hand drive, which isn’t much fun in right-hand drive Britain, and you might argue that the Mercedes EQS covers some of the same ground, but that’s going to cost almost £130,000. The most obvious rival is Volvo’s new EX90, but that starts at £96,255, although Volvo does have a £75k entry-level model coming next year.
The base Kia Air’s £64,995 price is slightly misleading in those comparisons because that cash only buys you a single 201 hp (204 PS / 150 kW) electric motor driving the rear wheels, whereas the other three-row EVs we’ve mentioned are all-wheel drive and twice as powerful. But you do get seven seats, four of which are heated and ventilated, 360-degree Surround View Monitor, a triple-screen dashboard, 19-inch alloys and an army of safety-related systems. And in common with all EV9s, the base model gets a huge 99.8 kWh battery that in the Air’s case delivers 336 miles (541 km) of driving range.
Related: Kia EV9 Korean Prices Suggest Electric SUV Could Cost $63k In U.S.
Step up to the £72,495 EV9 GT-Line and you gain sporty exterior trim, two-tone upholstery, ‘bridge-type’ roof rails, a black headliner, aluminium pedals, electrically adjustable steering column, cube-design LED headlights and the special reclining massage seats that allow you to really kick back when charging – which all EV9s can do at the speediest 350 kW chargers. But the GT-Line’s big advance is the powertrain. It gains all-wheel drive via the addition of a second motor for a total of 380 hp (385 PS / 283 kW), though the extra weight trims the driving range slightly to 308 miles (496 km).
Heading the range is the GT-Line S, which costs £75,995 in seven-seat guise, or £78,745 when optioned as a six-seater. The second of those configurations replaces the middle bench with two captain’s chairs that can move forwards and backwards, recline, and even be spun through 180 degrees, something not possible on North American EV9s. S models also gain 21-inch wheels, a head-up display, 14-speaker Meridian sound system and dual sunroofs, and the six-seater comes exclusively in the same Pacific Matt Blue paint seen on the 2021 concept car.
The UK order book opens on July 6 and the first deliveries are scheduled for early 2024. We imagine Kia will have plenty of interest, much of it from buyers who might not have considered a Kia before and think that its £64,995 base price represents strong value. But it’s worth noting that the EV9 launched in Korea last month with a starting price of just 78.1 million won, which equates to £47,350 (or $60,000), and U.S. versions are likely to follow that lead.
