2026 Kia EV9 GT review

This is a three-row electric SUV with a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain and a 4.5-second 0-100km/h claim.

And it’s a Kia.

And it’s priced at about $130,000 before on-road costs.

So it occupies a very small gap in the market, but if you can get past all of that the Kia EV9 GT is a terrific car.

How much does the Kia EV9 cost?

Here’s a rundown of the entire Kia EV9 range, to provide context around where the range-topping dual-motor performance-focused GT grade fits in. 

There aren’t many other three-row electric vehicles on the market, but some to consider include the new Tesla Model Y L – which costs about $55,000 less than this. Another smaller option could be the Mercedes-Benz EQB. 

Or you could look at the related Hyundai Ioniq 9 large SUV, or the Volkswagen ID. Buzz people mover, or maybe wait and see what China has up its sleeve in the form of electrified (but not fully electric) seven-seat models over the next 12-18 months, because it looks like it’s going to get busy in this part of the market.

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What is the Kia EV9 like on the inside?

I’ve driven a few versions of the Kia EV9 now and, honestly, the cabin just feels properly thought-through.

Now, I’m not going to go into every single detail again because a lot of the fundamentals carry over from the rest of the range, but there are some GT-specific touches here.

The lime-green highlights look terrific, with green stitching throughout the seats and steering wheel. It could have come across a bit tacky, but it feels special and sporty.

The seats themselves? Exceptional.

They’re not super-soft lounge-chair style seats, but they are brilliantly supportive. There’s loads of electric adjustment on offer too, including for the side bolstering and lumbar support, and there are even seat controls for the passenger side accessible from the driver’s seat.

Then there’s the massage functionality and, yep, it’s genuinely good. You can cycle through different massage modes including lumbar, pelvic and full-back settings, so long-distance drives are going to be comfy.

There’s a GT button on the steering wheel, which instantly sharpens the whole experience up. You can also cycle through Eco, Normal and Sport modes, plus a configurable My Drive setup.

And yes, there are terrain modes too – Snow, Mud and Sand – but let’s be honest: most owners probably won’t be taking their six-figure electric SUV too far off-road. I wouldn’t. 

The steering wheel controls are mostly logical and easy to learn, though there are a couple of buttons that owners will quickly become familiar with. One disables the lane-keeping steering intervention if you don’t like the wheel wriggling around in your hands, while another mutes the speed sign warning chimes.

And if you’ve driven a modern Hyundai or Kia product lately, you’ll know exactly why that second button matters.

The column-mounted gear selector is neat once you get used to it – twist forward for Drive, back for Reverse, with Park on the end – though you absolutely will select the wrong direction of travel at least once in your first few weeks with the car.

Material quality throughout the cabin is excellent. There’s soft-touch trim everywhere you regularly interact with, and the overall presentation feels plush. 

The central 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen allows wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is probably what most buyers will care about, but there’s also an enormous amount of configurability buried in the menus.

There are EV-specific displays for charging and energy use, connected services available through the Kia app, plus seat controls, climate functions, vehicle settings, and even a performance timer if you really want to performance benchmark your gigantic electric family SUV.

The climate control system includes a separate display panel alongside the main infotainment screen. It can take a moment to get used to because some functions are slightly hidden behind the steering wheel. 

Storage is another strong point. There’s a huge open area beneath the centre console, a wireless phone charger, deep cupholders with adjustable bases, and a massive centre bin. Even the glovebox is enormous. And there are USB-C ports everywhere.

Little details stand out as well, like the sliding cupholder arrangement, the retractable cover for the console area, and the adjustable sun visors that actually do a good job of covering the side windows during sunrise or sunset drives.

And the second row is a roomy place to be.

I’m about six-foot (182cm) tall, and even with the driver's seat set for my driving position, I had heaps of legroom and headroom behind. The second-row seats slide and recline electrically, and you can move them forward to free up extra third-row space if needed.

The captain’s chairs in this GT version get heating, ventilation and massage functions, plus adjustable armrests. 

There are thoughtful family-friendly touches everywhere in the middle row – USB-C ports, cupholders, storage compartments, climate controls, and integrated sun blinds that do a good job of blocking light.

Access to the third row is easy enough as well. You can simply walk through the centre aisle between the captain’s chairs, or adjust the seats forward electrically to give you a broader entryway.

The third row is actually usable for adults.

There’s decent legroom, proper headroom and adjustable seatbacks, and if you get those in the second row to shuffle forward a bit, even six-footers will fit back there without too many complaints.

Rear-row inclusions comprise USB-C charge ports, cupholders and overhead ventilation, and because of the massive glass roof overhead, the whole cabin feels airy when the shades are open.

Boot space is impressive, with 333 litres of capacity with all three rows in use, and a massive 828L behind the middle row when you fold the third-row seats down.

All of the expected boot amenities are accounted for, including shopping bag hooks, a powerpoint, electric seat folding buttons, and even a ‘shorty switch’ (an electric tailgate button at the side of the cargo zone, so you don’t have to reach up to the regular one), along with some underfloor storage to holster your cargo cover or other odds and ends.

But you won’t find a spare wheel under there, and that could be a concern for some – instead, you just get a tyre repair kit.

At least you can store that and the charging cables you might need ready access to pretty easily, because the EV9 also has a frunk, or front boot area. It offers up 52L of additional capacity, which is handier than you might think.

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The GT produces 374kW of power and 740Nm of torque – up 91.4kW and 40Nm over the GT-Line – with Kia claiming a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds, making it 0.8 seconds quicker than the GT-Line.

The official energy consumption number is on the high side, but this is a sizable machine, so if you can achieve 21.7kWh per 100km, you’ll be happy.

Over a mix of freeway, urban, country-road and spirited driving, I saw a consumption figure of 24.1kWh/100km – a bit thirsty. So, if efficiency is your absolute priority, this might not be the EV for you. Derr.

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Kia EV9 drive?

This thing is absurdly quick.

Like, genuinely difficult-to-comprehend quick for something this large and this heavy.

You’ve got to remember that the EV9 GT is a massive three-row SUV, and it weighs a heap – 2679kg without anything or anyone on board.

But because there’s instant torque at both axles, the way this big SUV punches out of corners and fires itself towards the horizon is hilarious. And sometimes a bit scary.

You just squeeze the throttle and it absolutely launches. The 0-100km/h claim is 4.5 seconds and in a non-scientific test I saw a 4.18-second time, which is rapid for any car, let alone one that's over five metres long and weighs almost 2.7 tonnes. 

And the handling is far sharper than you’d expect from something this big. There’s real body control here, and the all-wheel drive system does an excellent job of putting the power down cleanly. 

Then there’s the braking performance, which honestly deserves as much praise as the acceleration.

Electrified cars can sometimes have weird brake pedal calibration because they’re trying to blend regenerative braking with the regular friction braking, but Kia has nailed it here. The pedal feel is immediate and confidence inspiring, and it pulls up incredibly well.

You can also configure the regenerative braking intensity using the paddle shifters, ranging from basically free-wheeling through to almost a one-pedal driving setting. 

Put it into GT mode and the whole car tightens up noticeably. The suspension firms up, the steering gains extra heft, and the EV9 suddenly feels far more focused and tied down.

Personally, I think the steering gets a little too heavy in the most aggressive setting. The good thing is you can customise a lot of the drive settings individually, similar to Hyundai’s performance EVs, so you can mix and match them to your liking.

Once you calm down and start driving it normally – like a three-row SUV, you could say – it still impresses.

It is firmer than the regular EV9 variants, no question about it. This is the performance-focused version, after all, and you do notice that in the ride quality. 

But Kia’s local suspension tuning team has still done a commendable job because it handles rough Aussie roads better than you might expect. The 21-inch wheels and relatively low-profile tyres mean you do get a bit of surface chatter coming through at times, and occasionally there’s a slight wobble over bigger undulations.

In the Normal drive mode, the steering actually feels more natural: lighter, easier to place, and better suited to everyday urban driving.

The one thing you absolutely notice around town is the big 12.4-metre turning circle, which means the EV9 definitely feels its size when you’re doing tight manoeuvres. If your daily life involves lots of tight carparks or three-point turns, expect this car to occasionally turn those into five-point turns instead.

And then there are the digital side mirrors, which some people will probably love. I don’t.

In day-to-day driving – especially parking – they can feel a bit unnatural. Judging distances and the actual physical extremities of the car takes some getting used to because you’re looking at screens instead of real mirrors.

But the drivetrain is well resolved for everyday driving. Despite the enormous performance on offer, the throttle calibration is smooth and progressive, so it never feels jumpy or difficult to drive gently.

Refinement is strong, too. There’s very little road or wind noise, and while you occasionally notice some tyre roar on coarse-chip surfaces, overall the EV9 feels appropriately premium for something at this price point.

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The GT sits at the top of the EV9 model range so it comes pretty well loaded with gear, building upon the variants below it in the lineup.

2026 Kia EV9 Air RWD equipment highlights:

• 76.1kWh lithium-ion battery
• 160kW/350Nm rear-mounted electric motor
• Claimed WLTP driving range of 443km
• Rear-wheel drive
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• 5.0-inch climate display
• Kia Connect
• Over-the-air software updates
• Column-mounted shifter with push-button start
• Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) interior power outlet
• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Flush-fitting exterior door handles
• Triple-zone climate control
• Multiple USB-C charging ports across all three rows
• Walk-in second-row seating function for third-row access
• Smart regenerative braking
• Self-levelling rear dampers
• Australian-specific local suspension tuning
• Reversing camera 
• Front and rear parking sensors

The EV9 Earth AWD adds/changes:

• 99.8kWh lithium-ion battery
• Dual-motor all-wheel drive
• 283kW/700Nm
• Claimed WLTP driving range of 512km
• Terrain drive modes:
• • Snow
  • Mud
  • Sand
• Ambient mood lighting
• Illuminated steering wheel logo
• Surround-view camera
• Blind-spot view monitor
• Reverse Parking Collision Avoidance Assist

The EV9 GT-Line AWD adds/changes:

• Claimed WLTP driving range of 505km
• 21-inch alloy wheels
• Digital side mirrors
• Augmented reality head-up display
• Digital centre mirror
• 14-speaker Meridian premium sound system
• Heated and ventilated outer second-row seats
• Premium Relaxation front seats with powered leg rests
• Dual sunroof
• Remote Smart Parking Assist 2
• Exterior Vehicle-to-Load (V2L)
• Interior trim upgrades

The EV9 GT AWD adds/changes:

• Claimed WLTP driving range of 510km
• 374kW/740Nm
• 21-inch machined alloy wheels
• Neon green-painted brake calipers
• Electronic Controlled Suspension
• Electronic limited-slip differential
• Digital Grille lighting
• Six-seat layout
• Second-row captain’s chairs
• Relaxation and massage function for second-row seats
• Remote-folding third-row seats
• Three-spoke GT steering wheel
• GT-specific styling details

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Kia EV9 safe?

The Kia EV9 scored the maximum five-star safety rating from ANCAP in 2023. 

Standard safety equipment across the range includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• • Car, pedestrian, cyclist detection
  • Junction turning/crossing assist
  • Direct/oncoming lane change detection
• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Blind-spot assist
• Lane-keep assist
• Lane Following Assist (lane-centring)
• Highway Drive Assist 2 with Lane Change Assist
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Safe exit assist
• Intelligent speed limit assist
• Driver attention monitoring
• Leading vehicle departure alert
• Rear occupant alert (sensor-based)
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera

Choose the Earth or higher, and you also get:

• Surround-view camera
• Blind-spot view monitor
• Reverse Parking Collision Avoidance Assist

All versions of the EV9 come with nine airbags, including dual front, front centre, front side, second-row side, and three-row curtain airbags.

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Kia EV9 cost to run?

Kia arguably negates some of the benefit of choosing an electric car by mandating shorter service intervals than some other EVs.

Whether or not the shorter intervals is a real issue could depend on your mileage, obviously, but at least the other ownership provisions are mostly positive.

But if you’re worried about the short-by-industry-standards battery warranty, maybe wait for the MY27 version, which will boost battery coverage to the industry-standard eight years or 160,000km. 

To see how the Kia EV9 lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Kia EV9 GT

I love the idea of this car. Three rows of seats, loads of practicality, electric propulsion and potentially very low running costs for a car with this much performance.

How much performance? Quite frankly, it’s staggering. 

But so is the price, and I think this is a hurdle for Kia to overcome, because as good as the EV9 GT is, it’s hard to say whether the Korean brand justifies its asking price.

If this flagship vehicle was priced at $100,000, it would sell considerably better than it’s going to at about $140,000 once it's parked in your driveway.

Either way, it’s a very impressive three-row EV for fast-moving families.

What do you think? Has Kia nailed it, or has it missed the mark? Have your say in the comments.

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