The all-electric Kia EV9 will start at £64,995 in the UK

The really, really big electrically powered brother to the recently facelifted Kia Picanto is nearly here. Yep, we’re talking about Kia’s new flagship – the EV9.

Not lying about the similarities to the dramatically restyled Picanto, are we? There’s definitely a familial resemblance to those faces. And yet the EV9 is really rather large indeed. In fact, it’s over 5m long, almost 2m wide and can seat up to seven people inside. 

The price tag is set to be equally large too, because Kia has announced that the entry level Air trim will start at £64,995. Good grief. 

That will get you plenty of kit though. All EV9’s come with the three-screen dash layout as standard – there’s a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, a 12.3-inch dial display and a 5.3-inch touchscreen for the climate controls. They also all come with wireless phone charging, Apple and Android connectivity, heated and cooled seats (two in the front and two in the middle row), a heated steering wheel, dual-zone air conditioning, an electronic rearview mirror, LED lights all round, a 360-degree camera system, V2L charging, a power tailgate and a three-pin socket in the boot. And that’s just the vaguely interesting stuff. Blimey. 

It's worth noting that the base spec Air will get you furthest on a single charge too. All EV9’s in the UK will get a massive 99.8kWh battery and an 800V architecture for really-rather-rapid charging (10 to 80 per cent can take as little as 25 minutes if you find a 350kW charger). However, the Air pairs that battery with just a single 201bhp motor that powers the rear wheels, and when paired with the smallest 19-inch wheels that means up to 336 miles of WLTP range. Not bad for a giant brick with seven seats. 

Above that will be the GT-Line trim, which introduces the twin-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain that makes 378bhp and a whopping 516lb ft of torque. That drops the range to 306 miles, but in recompense it adds ‘GT-Line styling’, adaptive headlights, a massage seat for the driver and a two-tone interior.

If you want to be an early EV9 adopter though you’ll need to spec the GT-Line S trim. Those cars will arrive on our shores first (from January 2024) and will cost from… wait for it… £75,995. For that you’ll get 21-inch wheels, two sunroofs, a head-up display and a 14-speaker premium sound system as well as everything else listed above. 

But wait, there’s a way of spending even more on your EV9, and this time you’ll get less in return. You see, there will also be a ‘GT-Line S’ six-seat option with two captain’s chairs replacing the bench in the middle row. Said chairs can recline further than the bench, and they can even swivel outwards towards the doors or turn 180 degrees while the car is stopped. That option will cost £78,745 here in the UK and can only be paired with the ‘Pacific Matt Blue’ paint.

Now, we appreciate that’s a whole lot of info to take in. But what are our initial impressions, internet?