INDIANAPOLIS — There are many electric crossovers, ranging from Chevrolet to Maybach, but none have really lit up the three-row family crossover segment. What do you do if you want to go electric, but need to carry the entire tribe to baseball games and scouting camp-outs? The answer may lie in the stylish and luxurious Kia EV9 GT-Line. Think of it as a next-generation electric Telluride.
Which is appropriate as it looks like a Telluride had relations with a moon buggy. The view starts with a wide expanse of smooth plastic where a grille would be, but isn’t because it doesn’t need one. Twin towers of tiny LEDs, flanked by zigging driving lights, form headlamps on either side. The tall side profile looks fortified with girders, but black plastic around the wheelwells, shielding the lower bodysides, and as sci-fi covers for the 21” wheels lend the impression of off-road capability. Power door handles retract flush when not in-use. Thin taillamps seem to spider up the pillar and grab the hatch. It all looks radiant in Ocean Blue paint.
I drove the EV9 to pick up my daughter after a week at her grandparents’ and she about lost herself over the interior. We were welcomed by an expansive flat floor, dual 12.3” screens for gauges/infotainment, and quad captain’s chairs with extendable legrests. Front and middle rows are heated and cooled plus have their own sunroofs. We settled in and cranked up the Meridian audio system while she whipped through my music library.
While the interior looks like it returned from 30 years hence, it’s incredibly intuitive. It’s not as easy to use as earlier versions, but we quickly connected our phones through wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Charge wirelessly in the console. Kia took full advantage of the wide floors by installing an open console with under storage and a tray that slides rearward for the second row.
And, the EV9 cares for passengers with every conceivable safety system: Head-up display, adaptive cruise with lane-centering steering, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, and rear cross path detection with auto brake.
When you’re ready to go, the EV9 packs the stats. With dual-motor all-wheel-drive, it fast-charges 10-80% in 25 minutes and can travel 270 miles before doing it again. Skip AWD to go 300 miles. Kia claims a gain of 100 miles per 10 minutes. If you do it at home on a 240v charger, a full recharge comes overnight. It’s also quite swift, running 0-60 mph in just 4.5 seconds – Corvette territory not long ago. When you return home, use the key fob to autonomously back it into your tight little garage.
Yet, that’s not the entire driving story. I spent about 2.5 hours on the highway to retrieve my daughter. As expected for an EV, it is whisper quiet, honey smooth, and whisks away in a wink. I flat left a pesky Camaro in my wake. The heavy battery pack and wide track put weight low down in the chassis for handling and lends a wafty weight to the driving experience. It’s comfortably reassuring whether devouring asphalt or picking up your little niblets from a week away.
All of this comes at a price, but maybe one not as dear as you feared. It’s a Kia, after all. The base EV9 starts at $54,800, or about the price of a well-equipped gas-powered Telluride. However… our GT-Line with AWD and all the options comes to a more intensive $78,430. If you can afford it, I think you’ll drive away delighted in this family-friendly electric glide.
2024 Nissan Ariya Platinum+
There’s a wide swath of families who want futuristic concept car styling that fits their techy lifestyle, but don’t really need three rows of seats. They also don’t want to pay Mercedes, BMW, or Cadillac prices to get one. For them, the 2024 Nissan Ariya is a worthy choice.
I find it beautiful. Where a grille would normally be is a swathy black panel adorned with the new Nissan badge, illuminated by 20 LEDs and flanked by angry headlamps. The fluid design embraces the Japanese term iki, which implies cutting-edge nature. I’ll take that to mean it looks to be shaped by water and microchips. It’s especially fetching set over 19” slicer alloy wheels.
Interiors embrace ma, or a belonging to both space and time. Designers aimed for the feel of a starship lounge with minimalist space, curved twin flatscreens, wide flat floor, and center console that powers back and forth. There’s no transmission tunnel, so legroom is abundant. A panoramic moonroof, crisp 10-speaker Bose audio, and heated steering wheel add luxuries.
Examine the wood panel across the dash. It’s not wood and climate controls are flush integrated to the panel with capacitive haptic switches. It’s like changing temperature by clicking your finger on thin timber. I doubted I’d like the bluish-gray color of the Nappa leather seats against red paint, but they feel light and are heated/ventilated up front. Wireless phone charging keeps phones humming while a head-up display focuses eyes forward.
Our vehicle delivers 267 miles, but also lays down 389 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque through the all-wheel-drive system. Use Eco mode for the best economy. Also depress the e-Step button for regenerative braking. Recharging 10-80% on a fast charger takes 40 minutes — longer than competitors — and expect a 14-hour recharge on a 240v home charger.
Driving further into the future, our car was equipped with Nissan’s ProPILOT Assist 2 system that allows for hands-off cruising on designated highways. It’s not as smooth as some competitors, but it was a nice addition to the adaptive cruise control for a relaxed cup of coffee en-route. Automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and rear cross path detection with auto brake enhance safety.
Base models start at $39,590, but our Platinum+ e-4ORCE with the larger battery pack, AWD, and Nappa leather interior topped $60k.
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