First Drive: 2024 Kia EV9 Takes the Three-Row EV Mainstream

With generous interior room and a long estimated driving range, is the newest Kia the best midsized SUV EV or not?

Consider the 2024 Kia EV9 the first mainstream three-row all-electric SUV. Sure, the Tesla Model X arrived back in 2016, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Rivian R1S are also available. But those three models are all significantly more expensive than the EV9, which starts at $54,900. That price is more in line with the Tesla Model Y, which has a minuscule third-row seat that isn’t suitable for adults.

It’s not inexpensive by any means, however. The EV9’s price is a little steeper than high-end versions of midsized three-row SUVs that use internal combustion engines (ICE), such as Kia’s own Telluride and Hyundai’s similar Palisade, as well as models from Honda, Mazda, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswgen. While the EV9 has similar length, width, and height measurements as conventionally powered midsized three-row SUVs, its wheelbase (the distance between the center of the front wheels and the center of the rear wheels) is 5 to 8 inches greater, which can be seen in the roomy second-row seating.