Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission.The EV market is hotter than ever in the US, but there are only a handful of options for families who need three rows of seats and tons of storage space. There's theis similarly pricey, and its tiny rear row isn't suited for adults . That's why Kia's EV9 is such a big deal.
Even though it features a massive screen, the EV9 also has a combination of physical and capacitive buttons. You can change the temperature, mode and fan speeds with rocker switches on the driver and passenger side . You can also control heating and cooling using the small display next to the infotainment screen, but I found that a bit awkward while driving. It was sometimes obscured by the steering wheel, and there wasn't much feedback when changing settings on the screen.
My wife, who hasn’t spent much time with EVs, noted that she didn’t feel like she was actually driving while behind the wheel of the EV9. On well-paved roads, it rides smoothly without much discernible road noise. My wife took a while to adjust to the EV9’s touchy brakes — it’s easy to slam the vehicle to a halt — but that’s something I’ve noticed on many EVs.
Thankfully, the EV9’s high-resolution cameras, proximity sensors and 360-degree overhead camera helped me get out of tight spots. But even with those assists, it was still more annoying than the chunky Pacifica hybrid minivan I used to own.The Kia EV9 supports 210 kilowatt fast charging, and it’s compatible with both 400- and 800-volt chargers. Using the most powerful 800V hardware , the EV9 can charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 24 minutes.