Coast2Coast: 8,000 Kilometers in the Kia EV9
If you spend a good three days continuously in a car over the course of three weeks, it has to be something special, and you can assess it well. And we immediately award Kia its accolades right from the start because:
- It proves to be extremely reliable and solidly built
- It scores with a suspension that finds the sweet spot between always comfortable yet always firm enough
- It offers plenty of space for four people with ample travel luggage, but can also accommodate six passengers on board
- It manages charging planning well – so cautiously that even if some charging stations are defective, you'll still reach the next charging point
- It charges quickly: reaching 20 to 80% SOC always took well under 30 minutes – unless the charging point didn't allow it
- It is fairly priced with a base price of 73,900 US dollars, which is 66,192.23 Euros (as of August 27, 2024) for the GT-Line AWD. The RWD base with the large long-range battery starts at 53,025.44 Euros – all before taxes!
And so the exact 8,044.77 kilometers across the USA – partly on the trails of the legendary Route 66, which once connected Chicago and L.A., was a pleasure! Always well air-conditioned, never any back pain, and almost always offering a real 400 km range (sometimes 385, sometimes 425). But because of the cautious charging planning, we didn't manage with just 20 to 25 charging stops; instead, we charged a total of 47 times!
On average, the display reported 2.7 miles per kWh, which translates to exactly 23.0 kWh/100 km net before and around 25.3 kWh/100 km net after charging losses. For fast highway sections (sometimes at 80-85 miles) and an air conditioning system often working at 40 degrees outside temperature, this is an absolutely acceptable value. We had expected more here!
And yes, it did take more time than with an internal combustion engine vehicle and unfortunately led to four to five unpleasant experiences, ranging from non-existent charging points to non-functioning charging facilities to a fight at a charging station. And we soberly had to conclude: The land of unlimited possibilities is not yet fully ready for the World Car of the Year 2024…
Does it have any disadvantages at all? Yes, we don't want to hide those either, although they are details:
- The voice input works so-so, and the same goes for navigation: Sometimes we found the destination better by voice, sometimes by entering it manually. But US addresses with numbers at the start are sometimes tricky.
- You can get lost in the submenus: Nevertheless, we couldn't find a way to change the interior lighting from pink-purple to another color combination. So we always felt like we were driving in the "Flamingo" in Las Vegas at night.
- The speed alarm stays silent, but the fatigue warning cannot be turned off in the USA – and became hyperactive every three hours – but when our eyelids really did get heavy, it didn't seem to have any consequences. So we ask: What does the EV9 measure in the USA?
Finally, we come to the soft factors like design: It polarizes and is well received – we experienced numerous thumbs up – especially from classic chrome-hooded trucks and Harley riders. And we soon realized: This look with the vertical lights and masterful angularity should have actually been brought by Cadillac! This was accompanied by repeated questions about consumption, charging speed, and whether we were satisfied.
What we could confirm – yes, we were satisfied and concluded at the end: The EV9 is not only the World Car of the Year 2024 but also a game-changer for Kia. It elevates the brand from the homogeneous mix of other Asian and American SUVs in the U.S. market – in which even some Europeans get lost.
What does that mean?
The Kia EV9 may not be the "Best Car in the World" in every respect – but it came damn close in our experience and marks a turning point for the brand, where it fully comes into its own and visually forges a unique and strong path for the first time. The EV9 is not just any Asian SUV; it is: THE KIA!
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