2025 Kia EV9 Review: The 3-Row Electric SUV We Actually Wanted (But Is It Worth $75k?)

Is the Kia EV9 the Real Deal or Just Hype?

Let’s get one thing straight right out of the gate: paying nearly $80,000 for a Kia feels weird. I know, I know, the Telluride changed everyone’s mind about the brand a few years ago, and the EV6 is a rocket ship, but dropping serious luxury car money on a badge that used to scream “budget rental” is a mental hurdle. I stood in my driveway staring at this massive, geometric brick of a vehicle, crossed my arms, and thought, “Okay, convince me.”

And you know what? It almost did immediately. The 2025 Kia EV9 isn’t just a “good effort” for an electric SUV; it is genuinely one of the most interesting cars I’ve driven this year. It looks like it drove straight off a sci-fi movie set. It doesn’t look like a melted bar of soap like the Mercedes EQS SUV, and it doesn’t look like a slightly bloated gas car like the BMW X5. It looks unapologetically digital. It’s boxy, it’s weird, and I love it.

But looks aren’t everything, especially when you are trying to haul a family of six and a dog across state lines. We need to talk about the elephant in the room: range anxiety. We also need to talk about whether this interior actually holds up against the Germans, or if it just looks cool in photos. I spent a week beating on this thing—school runs, grocery hauls, highway blasts, and sitting in traffic—to see if it’s actually a viable replacement for your gas-guzzling Suburban or if it’s just a wildly expensive toy.

If you’re tired of waiting for a mythical affordable 3-row EV, this might be your stop. But it’s not perfect. There are some quirks here that drove me up the wall, and we need to be honest about them before you sign that finance agreement.

This image is an AI-generated concept image.

The Specs: Heavy, Fast, and Hungry

Let’s talk numbers, because in the EV world, specs are the difference between making it to grandma’s house and calling a tow truck in the middle of nowhere. The EV9 is built on the E-GMP platform—that’s the same bones as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. That means it has the 800-volt architecture, which is a fancy way of saying it charges incredibly fast if you can find a working 350kW charger.

I drove the GT-Line, which is the top-dog trim. It’s packing dual motors and a massive 99.8 kWh battery. That sounds huge, but remember, this car has the aerodynamics of a filing cabinet and weighs nearly 6,000 pounds. Physics is a cruel mistress. While the acceleration is hilarious—0 to 60 in roughly 5 seconds in a vehicle this size is enough to scare your passengers—the efficiency takes a hit once you push it past 70 mph.

Here is the breakdown of what you are actually getting for your money:

The charging speed is the killer app here. I pulled into an Electrify America station with 12% battery. Usually, with other EVs, I have time to go buy a sandwich, eat it, scroll through Twitter, and maybe take a nap. With the EV9, I plugged in, walked into the store to grab a water, and by the time I came back, it was already screaming past 60%. It pulls over 200kW consistently. That changes the road trip math significantly, assuming the chargers actually work.

A Week in the Life: Living with the Beast

Specs are boring. Let’s talk about what it’s actually like to live with this thing. I threw the keys (well, the fob, which feels a bit cheap plasticky for a $75k car, by the way) in my pocket and used the EV9 as my sole daily driver for seven days. No cheating with my gas truck.

Day 1: The Parking Lot Test
The first thing you notice is the size. It feels wide. Pulling into the Trader Joe’s parking lot—which is historically designed for compact cars from 1985—was a challenge. However, the camera system on this car is insane. You have top-down views, side views, rim-saver views. It makes parking this tank surprisingly easy. I got out and did the “look back.” You know, where you walk away and look back at the car? It turns heads. People stared. A guy in a Rivian R1S actually rolled down his window to ask me how I liked it. That’s street cred I didn’t expect from a Kia.

Day 2: The School Run & The Lounge
My kids usually fight over who sits where. In the EV9 GT-Line, the second row has these “Relaxation Mode” captain’s chairs. They are heated, ventilated, and they have leg rests. Yes, leg rests. My 10-year-old felt like a CEO. The third row? It’s not a penalty box. I’m 6-foot-even, and I climbed back there. I had headroom. I had legroom. I even had my own USB-C port and cup holder. This is the first EV I’ve been in (other than the Rivian) where the third row is usable for actual humans, not just legless torsos.

Day 3: The Commute & The Quiet
On the highway, this thing is a vault. There is almost no wind noise, which is shocking considering it’s shaped like a brick. The ride quality is where Kia really nailed it. It’s buttery smooth. It floats over potholes that usually rattle the fillings out of my teeth in other cars. It doesn’t have air suspension, but the self-leveling rear dampers do a fantastic job. It feels expensive. It feels heavy, sure, but in a confident, “I own the road” kind of way.

Day 4: The Frunk Disappointment
I went to put groceries in the front trunk (frunk). It’s… small. In the AWD version, the front motor eats up all the space. You can fit maybe a charging cable and a small backpack. Don’t expect to put a suitcase in there like you can in a Tesla or a Lucid. It’s a glorified glovebox. I ended up just using the massive rear cargo area, which, even with the third row up, can still fit a decent amount of stuff. Drop that third row, and you have a cargo van.

Day 5: Night Drive & The Matrix
The lighting on this car is wild. The “Star Map” LED lights look incredible at night. Inside, the ambient lighting is customizable to an obsessive degree. But here’s a gripe: the steering wheel blocks part of the screen depending on how you sit. I had to adjust my seat specifically to see the climate controls on the sub-screen. It’s a weird ergonomic oversight in an otherwise thoughtful cabin.

Trims & Pricing: Don’t Get Fleeced

Kia has made the trim structure a bit confusing, so let me break it down in plain English so you don’t overpay for stuff you don’t need.

Light (RWD): The entry-level. It has a smaller battery. Unless you never leave the city, skip it. The range is too low for a vehicle this heavy.

Light Long Range (RWD): This is the efficiency king. You get the big battery but only one motor. It’s slow (0-60 in like 9 seconds), but you get over 300 miles of range. If you are a calm driver, this is the smart buy.

Wind (AWD): This is the sweet spot. You get the dual motors (fast), the big battery, and most of the good tech. You lose some fancy cosmetic bits, but you save thousands.

Land (AWD): Adds the fancy lights in the grille, nicer wheels, and better audio. It’s nice, but getting pricey.

GT-Line (AWD): The one I drove. It has everything. The massaging seats, the remote parking assist, the aggressive bumpers. It’s awesome, but at $75k+, you’re in luxury territory. I’d personally buy the Wind AWD with the Technology Package. It gives you the performance and range without the vanity tax.

What I Really Liked

The “Good Stuff” List

• Interior feels nicer than a BMW X5: I’m not joking. The materials are sustainable—lots of recycled fabrics and wool blends—but they feel warm and premium. It doesn’t feel like cold plastic.
• Third row actually fits full-grown adults: Finally. I sat back there for 30 minutes and didn’t lose circulation in my legs.
• Looks like a concept car: It doesn’t look like anything else on the road. It has presence.
• Cheaper alternative to the Rivian R1S: The Rivian is cool, but it’s $20k more. The EV9 gives you 90% of the utility for way less cash.
• Massive cabin beats out the Telluride: The flat floor means there is just so much room. It feels airy and open.
• Ride quality is buttery smooth: It soaks up bumps better than my couch.
• Tech features are absolutely stacked: Fingerprint reader to start the car? Check. Digital key? Check. Cameras everywhere? Check.

The interior vibe is really the selling point here. Kia didn’t just copy Tesla’s minimalism; they created a space that feels like a modern lounge. The haptic buttons on the dash are hidden in the wood trim until you turn the car on. It’s a party trick that never gets old. And the physical buttons for temperature and volume? Thank you, Kia. Thank you for not burying those in a touchscreen menu three layers deep.

Also, the V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) adapter is a lifesaver. We used the car to power a blender at a tailgate party. It’s a small thing, but being able to pull 1.9kW of power out of your charging port is super handy.

What Drove Me Crazy

The Annoying Parts

• Range anxiety hits hard on long road trips: The EPA says 270 miles for the GT-Line. At 75mph on the highway with the AC blasting? You’re looking at maybe 220. That’s a tight leash for a road trip car.
• Regenerative braking feels jerky: In “i-Pedal” mode (one-pedal driving), the transition from coasting to braking can be abrupt. It made my wife a little carsick until I turned it down to Level 2.
• Lane Keep Assist is too bossy: It beeps at you constantly. If you drift an inch, it fights the wheel. I found myself turning it off on back roads.
• The Digital Side Mirrors (Optional): My tester had these. They utilize screens inside the door instead of glass mirrors outside. They are disorienting. Your eyes focus differently on a screen than a mirror. Avoid this option if you can.

Owner Quote (The Happy Camper):
“Just got my EV9 GT-Line! Paid $78k OTD in California. Worth every penny. Rides like a dream and fits all the kids’ hockey gear without folding the seats.”

That owner is right about the utility. It swallows gear. But let’s look at the other side of the coin.

Owner Quote (The Regretful):
“I’m kinda regretting getting the EV9. The range anxiety is real, especially on road trips. I feel like I’m stopping every two hours to charge.”

This is the reality check. If you drive 80mph on the interstate, this brick pushes a lot of air. Physics wins. The range drops fast. If you are buying this strictly for long-distance cruising across states with poor charging infrastructure, you might want to stick with a hybrid Highlander or the Telluride. The EV9 is a suburban king, not a cross-country marathon runner unless you are very patient.

Shopping Tips & Finding a Deal

Here is the situation for 2025. The EV9 production is moving to Georgia, which should help with federal tax credit eligibility. Check the VIN. If it’s built in the US, you might get that $7,500 break at the point of sale. If it’s a Korean-built model, you likely have to lease it to get the credit passed through as a “capital cost reduction.”

My advice: Lease this car. Why? Because EV tech is moving fast. In three years, solid-state batteries or 500-mile ranges might be the norm. You don’t want to be stuck holding the bag on a $75k tech product that is obsolete. Let the bank take the depreciation risk.

What else should you look at?
If you have infinite money, look at the Rivian R1S. It’s more capable off-road and has more range, but it rides stiffer. If you don’t actually need the third row for adults, look at the Tesla Model Y—it’s way cheaper, but feels like a toy compared to the Kia. If you want a luxury badge, the Volvo EX90 is finally hitting streets, but good luck finding one without a markup.

Final Verdict

The 2025 Kia EV9 is a massive achievement. It proves that you don’t need a luxury badge to get a luxury experience. It’s quiet, comfortable, huge, and packed with tech that actually works. It makes the Tesla Model X look like a overpriced egg.

Buy it if: You have a home charger, you need a legit 3-row family hauler, and you want something that stands out in the school drop-off line. The Wind AWD trim is the smart money.

Skip it if: You do 400-mile road trips every weekend or you don’t have access to reliable high-speed charging. The highway range penalty is real, and until the charging network improves, a gas or hybrid SUV is still the king of the road trip.

For me? I’d take this over a gas Telluride any day of the week. It just feels like the future, and the future is surprisingly cozy.

This image is an AI-generated concept image.