2025 Kia EV9 GT Review: High Performance for the Extended Family

The three-row electric sport utility segment in Germany is no longer a quiet niche. Buyers seeking a combination of multi-passenger capacity and electric propulsion now have several sophisticated, albeit expensive, options on the market. The Swedish challenger, the Volvo EX90 Twin Motor, enters the arena at 96,200 Euros, while the veteran American Tesla Model X remains available from 98,970 Euros. For those who prioritize traditional luxury, the Audi Q8 e-tron 50 quattro offers a slightly smaller but premium alternative starting at 75,900 Euros. Kia has positioned its flagship to challenge these premium players directly, introducing a high-performance version of its large electric vehicle. The base rear-wheel-drive version of the standard EV9 starts at 72,490 Euros, while this high-performance GT variant commands 89,990 Euros.

According to manufacturer specifications, the high-voltage battery provides enough energy to cover standard driving cycles on a single charge. Under the WLTP testing cycle, the flagship GT variant is rated at approximately 505 kilometers of range on a single charge. By comparison, the larger battery of the Volvo EX90 Twin Motor achieves an estimated 622 kilometers, and the Tesla Model X is rated at 576 kilometers. The Audi Q8 e-tron 50 quattro, with its smaller pack, lags behind with an official rating of 491 kilometers. These ratings reflect the laboratory profiles of the European Union testing standards.

Real-world driving results typically diverge from laboratory ratings by fifteen to thirty percent depending on velocity, wheel size, and cabin climate settings. On German autobahns at a sustained speed of 130 kilometers per hour in mild weather, the vehicle consumes energy at a rate that yields an estimated highway range of 350 to 365 kilometers. Urban driving, which benefits from frequent regenerative braking, brings the efficiency closer to the official specifications, potentially exceeding 450 kilometers in mild conditions. In hindsight, planning long journeys around high-speed charging hubs remains a necessity for vehicles of this size. Aggressive use of the heating system during German winter months will shrink these estimates further.

Kia utilizes a lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry for the cells housed within the 99.8-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This chemistry choice offers high energy density, which is essential for transporting a vehicle of this mass, but it requires careful management of state-of-charge levels. To prevent premature degradation, the manufacturer recommends limiting daily charging to eighty percent of total capacity, reserving a full charge for longer trips. The 800-volt electrical architecture, however, provides a distinct advantage when connecting to high-power DC chargers, enabling a recharge from ten to eighty percent in approximately twenty-four minutes. The thermal management system uses liquid cooling and a standard heat pump to maintain battery efficiency in cold temperatures.

The vehicle sits on the Hyundai Group E-GMP architecture, which is a dedicated electric vehicle platform with a flat floor and a long wheelbase. High-strength steel reinforces the body structure, providing excellent rigidity to support the heavy battery pack and protect the cabin during impacts. The powertrain consists of dual permanent magnet synchronous motors, with a 160-kilowatt motor on the front axle and a 270-kilowatt motor at the rear. Together, they generate a system output of 374 kilowatts (508 PS) and 700 Newton-meters of torque, allowing the vehicle to accelerate from zero to one hundred kilometers per hour in 4.6 seconds before reaching a top speed of 220 kilometers per hour. To engage more traditional driving sensations, the system features a virtual gear shift program that interrupts torque delivery to simulate an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. While some drivers may appreciate this simulation of mechanical noise and stepped acceleration, it serves no thermodynamic or aerodynamic purpose on the highway. Total cargo capacity ranges from 333 liters with all seats upright to 2,393 liters when the second and third rows are folded flat.

The chassis configuration features a MacPherson strut front suspension and a multi-link rear setup, augmented by electronically controlled adaptive dampers. The suspension system manages the massive 2.7-ton mass of the vehicle with surprising composure over poor surfaces. To expect a tall, heavy three-row wagon to carve through corners like a lightweight sports car is like asking a heavy grand piano to double as a surfboard, but the adaptive dampers do an admirable job of resisting lateral roll. The system relies on a front-facing camera to scan the road ahead, preemptively adjusting the damper stiffness to absorb upcoming potholes or road imperfections. In hindsight, the standard passive dampers of the regular EV9 lacked this precision, resulting in a slightly busier ride over broken urban asphalt. The system actively adjusts the damping force at each wheel based on camera data and road texture.

Navigating this five-meter-long vehicle through standard European parking garages requires careful attention to its width.

The interior layout features three rows of seating with a completely flat cabin floor. Across the dashboard, Kia has installed a continuous glass panel that houses a twelve-inch driver display, a twelve-inch infotainment screen, and a smaller five-inch screen dedicated to climate controls. The climate display is wedged directly between the two larger monitors, positioning it exactly behind the steering wheel rim where the driver’s hand blocks it from view. Below the central screen, several primary infotainment shortcuts are integrated into the wood trim as touch-sensitive icons. These haptic shortcuts require a surprisingly firm press and lack physical boundaries, making them difficult to operate without looking down. The younger generation, like my son, is largely indifferent to buttons, preferring the swipe of glass, but those behind the wheel require a more reliable physical connection. However, Kia has wisely retained physical toggle switches on the center console for temperature and fan speed, which are easy to locate by touch alone. A digital display integrated into the center console shows the selected drive mode and terrain settings.

The second row of seats can be specified with either a standard three-passenger bench or two individual captain’s chairs that can swivel to face the third row. When configured as a six-seater, passengers in the second row benefit from ventilation, heating, and an integrated massage function. Legroom in the third row is surprisingly generous for a vehicle of this type, allowing average-sized adults to sit comfortably on shorter journeys. The digital rearview mirror utilizes a camera mounted under the rear spoiler, providing a clear view even when the rear window is completely blocked by cargo or passengers. Driver assistance systems include Highway Driving Assist, which coordinates lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, and automatic lane changes on designated routes. For those with utility in mind, the towing package allows the all-wheel-drive GT to pull a braked trailer of up to 2.5 tons. Audio entertainment is routed through a fourteen-speaker Meridian sound system.

Kia covers the entire vehicle, including the battery, with a seven-year or 150,000-kilometer manufacturer warranty. Early production runs of the standard vehicle in late 2023 and 2024 experienced minor recalls in Germany, including one to address loose seat mounting bolts and another for a software issue in the integrated charging control unit. Mechanically, the electric motors and single-speed reduction gears are far simpler than traditional multi-gear combustion engines, which should reduce the long-term maintenance burden. The complexity of the adaptive dampers and the extensive suite of cameras and sensors, however, may represent expensive wear items as the vehicle ages. Overall, owner reports in Germany indicate high satisfaction with the vehicle’s thermal efficiency and software stability, though long-term durability data for this specific GT model remains limited. The battery charging system supports standard Plug and Charge functionality at participating European fast-charging stations.