Kia has traditionally been the automotive equivalent of Aldi: a brand that majors on no-nonsense value for money. The new EV9, however, is the size of a Range Rover and costs from £65,985. It pushes Kia into conflict with upmarket SUVs from Solihull and Stuttgart – not to mention Hyundai-Kia’s own premium marque, Genesis. Can this luxurious EV win over the Waitrose crowd?

It gets off to a strong start. Firstly, the EV9 was voted World Car of the Year 2024 by a selection of jurors, including Motoring Research’s very own Richard Aucock. Secondly, it’s one of the only full-size EVs with seven seats. If you have more than three children – or perhaps a five-a-side team to ferry around – there aren’t many other options.

The EV9 is powered by a whopping 99.8kWh battery sandwiched into its flo

See Full Page