KIA already offers one of the most capable/well-rounded electric tow car options on the market, the EV6. However, with the EV9, it looks like KIA is going to be offering the best overall electric tow car to hit the UK market to date. With a towing capacity of 2,500kg, only the BMW iX can match that, and the BMW is significantly more expensive. So let’s have a deeper look at the KIA EV9…
Table of Contents
Key KIA EV9 Specs
- Official Towing Capacity – 2,500 kg (all versions)
- Availability – Late 2023
- Price – Starting £60,000 (RWD) > £65,000 (AWD)
- Range (EV Database) – 280 miles (AWD) > 285 miles (RWD)
- Estimated Towing Range (50%) – 140 miles (AWD) > 143 miles (RWD)
- Maximum DC Charge Rate – 250kW (all versions)
- Rapid Charge 10% to 80% – 22 min (all versions)
- Check Used KIA EV9 Specs
KIA EV9 HP & Torque
- RWD – RWD with 201 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque
- AWD – AWD with 380 HP and 516 lb-ft of torque
KIA EV9 Towing Capabilties
So obviously, the headline figure here is a towing capacity of 2,500kg. That equals the current UK market leader when it comes to electric tow cars, the BMW iX.
I should note in terms of pricing, the £60K/£65K is yet to be officially confirmed, but they are the expected price points, which would make the EV9 the most expensive KIA on sale.
However, that shouldn’t be too surprising. The EV9 is big, very big. It has a length of just over 5 meters. As such, it can be configured as a six or seven-seater with enough legroom for adults in the third row.
With the six-seat configuration, as you will see in the video below, the middle seats are captain chairs that can be turned around to face the rear third row. A nice option as a family vehicle for long trips.
In terms of technology, the EV9 shares the same architecture as its smaller EV6 sibling. The main difference being the battery is larger, in the EV9, its a usable capacity of just shy of 100 kWh.
However, with the larger battery capacity, KIA has also decided they can up the already impressive 233kW rapid charging rate of the EV6 up to 250kW in the EV9.
Now, just by looking at the image of the EV9 above, you should be able to tell aerodynamic efficiency has taken a hit compared to the smaller/lower/sleeker EV6.
Therefore, the general efficiency figure for the EV9 is projected to be around 350 Wh/mi compared to the EV6, which gets a general efficiency figure of around 290 Wh/mi.
However, due to the larger battery, in both towing and none towing, the EV9 has a greater real-world range estimate. There is just one area of the specifications which concerns me…
Does The EV9 RWD Really Have Enough Power?
So I’m looking through the specs for the EV9, and while the AWD version of the EV9 would appear to have enough power/torque (380 HP/516 lb-ft), I’m not so convinced with the RWD version of the EV9.
Its stated that the RWD versions of the EV9 will get just 201 HP and 258 lb-ft of torque. That’s really odd, as it actually has less power than the RWD version of the EV6 (225 HP/258 lb-ft).
Remember, the EV9 (2,500kg) is a much larger and heavier car than its smaller sibling, the EV6 (1,985 kg). Therefore, KIA’s decision to give the RWD version of the EV9 less power is very odd.
If the projected pricing of £60K for the RWD EV9 and the £65K for the AWD version of the EV9 are correct, for just £5K more and significantly more power from the AWD version, it would appear the obvious choice.
First Look At The KIA EV9
As of writing this initial version of this article, the EV9 is still many months away from release. As I’ve stated above, we still don’t have finalised pricing on these vehicles.
There are also no automotive journalists who have been able to get behind the wheel of the EV9 to test its efficiency/range etc, but there are a few ‘first look’ videos floating around.
Now, something that Ginny references in her video above that KIA is apparently going to be introducing is this subscription for features you have already purchased with the vehicle nonsense.
BMW and Mercedes are the inventors of this terrible idea, and apparently, KIA wants to implement it to. If a vehicle is being purely rented/leased, sure, do all the subscription models for features you like.
But if someone has actually purchased a vehicle and certain features are effectively ‘locked off’ unless you continue to pay a monthly fee, I think its a disgraceful way to treat customers.
My Thoughts On The EV9…
I’ll put my thoughts on the subscription for features stuff to one side for a moment. While there aren’t test drives etc, available as yet, on paper, the EV9 as a large electric tow car is looking very promising.
What we do know (or I do, at least) is the smaller KIA EV6 is probably the best all-around package currently when it comes to electric tow cars, but its limited to a towing capacity of 1,600kg.
Therefore, for those who want to tow a larger caravan/trailer up to 2,500 kg, the KIA EV9 may end up being the default choice over the next couple of years, at least for its price point.
Though as I’ve stated above, I would avoid the RWD version of the EV9 and go for the AWD version. For only £5K more, it would be a much more capable/assured electric tow car with sufficient power.