Family Car Review: 2024 Kia EV9

How big is the boot of the 2024 Kia EV9?

The Kia EV9's boot is practical for family use, whether you use all seven seats or just the first two rows.

Storage in the boot of the seven-seat Kia EV9 is practical for large families when using all seven seats. The boot floor is nice and flat for an emergency nappy change.

Underneath the boot floor is a storage area for the cargo blind.

On the right-hand side of the boot is a household plug socket, which is great for charging laptops or charging things on family camping trips.

On the left-hand side of the boot, there is a 12V socket.

When using all seven seats the boot of the Kia EV9 will hold nine shopping bags. Which is just one less than a Kia Carnival and way more than a Land Rover Discovery which holds three, or a Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series which holds four. A Nissan Patrol comes close with room for eight shopping bags. 

When using all three rows of seats, the Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…

…will fit in the Kia EV9 boot with three shopping bags.

The Thule Urban Glide 2 single is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…

… with one of the back wheels removed, it will fit in the 2024 Kia EV9 boot with two shopping bags.

The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…

… fits in the boot of the Kia EV9 with four shopping bags.

You can also fit one 90L and one 70L Thule Chasm duffle bag in the boot of the Kia EV9.

Or a small-sized dog.

When using the first two rows of seats in the EV9, the boot will hold nineteen shopping bags, which is one more than the Land Rover Discovery or Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series that both hold 18. For comparison a Kia Carnival holds 26 and a Nissan Patrol has room for 22 shopping bags.

When using all three rows of seats, the Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat…

…will fit in the Kia EV9 boot with eleven shopping bags.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with two sibling seats…

…will fit in the boot of the 2024 Kia EV9 with twelve shopping bags.

The Thule Sleek, future-proof, multi-configuration pram with a single seat and bassinet beside it…

will fit in the boot of the 2024 EV9 with five shopping bags

The Thule Urban Glide 2 single is the ultimate all-terrain stroller…

… with the back wheels on, it will fit in the 2024 Kia EV9 boot with ten shopping bags.

The Thule Spring, lightweight and one-handed folding stroller…

… fits in the boot of the Kia EV9 when using the first two rows of seats, with thirteen shopping bags.

You can also fit two 90L and two 70L Thule Chasm duffle bags in the boot of the Kia EV9.

Or a large-sized dog.

How good is storage in the 2024 Kia EV9?

In the front of the 2024 Kia EV9, the central console provides great storage.

Two cup holders hold reusable or disposable coffee cups…

… behind them is a wireless phone charging pad and a small storage box.

Underneath the central console bridge is a large storage area where your handbag, iPad, or kids' lunchbox can fit!

The glove box is a generous size and fits my wallet and iPad.

The door bins in the front will hold a refillable water bottle.

Rear passengers have great storage in both rows of the Kia EV9. There are two cup holders in a fold-down armrest in the central seat back. Coffee cups and kid's drink cups fit well.

There are solid map pockets on the back of the front seats. They will hold but not conceal an iPad, and in the back of the central console are two cup holders; they will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup or kids' drink cup. There is also a large storage space underneath for water bottles etc.

Rear door bins like the front, will. hold a refillable water bottle, and a phone can be stored in the handle ledges, too.

Third-row passengers get double cup holders on both sides and USB-C sockets for charging devices.

How noisy is the 2024 Kia EV9, and how easy is the media screen to use?

The Kia EV9 is not a particularly noisy car to drive. Being fully electric it has a nice silent start and a smooth quiet drive. You can drive your kids to sleep and sit with the aircon running if you get caught out with a napping child without churning through fuel, polluting the local environment and no noisy engine.

The EV9 has a 12.3-inch media touch screen and a 12.3-inch digital driver display with a 5-inch monitor sandwiched between them with the climate controls, and these are easy to reach and use while driving. The screen wraps around the width of the dash looking very stylish.

The media system has a new, clean, and modern look. I find it slightly harder to navigate than the previous system, as this one seems more text-based, while the previous system was more imagery-based. There are some nice new features in there like the weather and being an EV you have an EV screen to keep an eye on your battery usage and schedule charging etc.

You have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can easily access your phone's navigation, listening and messaging apps etc while driving.

The reversing cameras are excellent in the Kia EV9, with multiple views to choose from…

… and a 3D camera view too.

As well as the reversing cameras in the top-spec EV9 GT-Line, there are digital side mirrors. I find they do take a bit of getting used to.

The top-spec GT-Line also has a digital rear-view mirror…

…and a rear camera you can switch on with a button down in the central console that comes up in the media screen so you can see easily behind you while driving. This is great, especially for large families using all three rows of seats when heads and child seats can block your view through conventional mirrors.

The 2024 Kia EV9's indicator sound was not too loud, so it did not disturb my kids while they were sleeping in the back.

The windows and doors in the EV9 are not too loud or noisy to open and close, and they do not baby-wake!

Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!

That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.

If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?

It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?

A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.

Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!

I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.

The EV9 is a quiet and smooth drive, and there are no real baby-waking noises.

How many child/baby seats can you fit in the 2024 Kia EV9?

When it comes to installing child seats in the 2024 Kia EV9, there are ISOFix points in both outer second-row seats. They are not within plastic guides, but they are nice and easy to connect to.

All three second-row seatbacks have top tether anchorages, which are within plastic guides and easily located through the boot or bringing the seats forward.

Three child seats fit really well across the rear seats of the 2024 Kia EV9. Combinations of forward-facing and rear-facing child seats also fit well.

Both third-row seats have ISOFix. They are not within plastic guides but are nice and easy to connect to.

There are top tether anchorages on the back of both third-row seats, within plastic guides, and they are easy to connect to.

Two child seats fit comfortably in the third row.

Accessing the third-row seats is excellent in the Kia EV9. It uses the same mechanism as was in the old Kia Carnival to gain access (on the driver's side only, so you're doing it with your back to the traffic). So you can bring the seat forward with a child seat installed, if you are using the ISOFix and top tether rather than the seatbelt and top tether.

The footwells are completely flat throughout the Kia EV9, which provides great legroom for all rear passengers. They can easily get to and from their seats and have good kick room.

With a forward-facing child seat in the third row and a rear-facing infant capsule in the second row, we could fit a 180cm driver in front.

Legroom can also be adapted by the driver bringing the front passenger seat forward or backward and changing the recline using the controls on the driver's side.  These are particularly helpful when kids are getting in and out at pick up and drop off time from the kerb side of the vehicle and also when you have an elderly relative in the front passenger seat.

With only one child seat installed in the back of the Kia EV9 you could feed Bub in the back seats.

How comfortable is the 2024 Kia EV9?

All rear passengers are kept comfortable with air conditioning vents in the ceiling in both rear rows.

Rear passengers can control the climate from the ceiling…

Ultimately parents can take over the controls from the front media screen climate screen.

Rear passengers also have built-in window blinds in the top-spec model I am driving. These keep little passengers shaded from the sun while driving and save you having to buy aftermarket versions.

The rear seats are comfortable for passengers not in child seats, with good legroom with a flat floor. In the second…

… and third-row seats.

The upholstery is grey and cream leather panels in the top-spec GT-Line model I tested. I like the combination of the two colours because the grey on the seat parts will hopefully not show the marks and dirt of family life as quickly as all cream leather does. But the white panels still give that brightness to the interior.

The front seats are equally as comfortable and the headrests are so comfortable! They are like mesh-covered memory foam!

There are four air-conditioning vents across the front of the dashboard, two below the media screen and one at each end of the dashboard.

Visibility in the Kia EV9 is limited, especially in the top-spec model with the digital side mirrors and it's loaded up with five child seats installed in the back. For those planning to use it with only a couple of child seats in the back then you will have better visibility out of the rear windows.

Excellent cameras in the Kia EV9 compensate for the lack of rear visibility, making maneuvering and parking easier.

One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and Bub has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually, I dread parking in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Kia EV9 became easier once I was used to it to reverse park!

How safe is the 2024 Kia EV9?

The Kia Ev9 has been given a five-star ANCAP safety rating, scoring 87% for child occupancy protection and 84% for adult occupancy protection.

Of the child occupancy testing, ANCAP wrote:

In the frontal offset and side impact tests, protection of the 10 year and 6 year dummies was GOOD for all critical body regions, and the Kia EV9 scored maximum points in these tests.
The Kia EV9 is fitted with lower ISOFix anchorages on the rear outboard seats in the second and third row of seats, and top tether anchorages for all rear seating positions.
An indirect child presence detection (CPD) system, which provides an alert when a child may have been left in the vehicle, is standard for all rear passenger seats.
Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, though one of the selected Type A convertible seats in rearward facing mode and both of the selected Type B in forward facing mode could not be correctly installed using the ISOfix anchorages in the 3rd row of seats.

Seven airbags are standard:

Dual frontal, side chest-protecting (first and second rows) and side head-protecting (first, second, and third row) airbags are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard.

The Kia EV9 comes with autonomous emergency braking (AEB) Car-to-Car/Vulnerable Road User/Pedestrian/Cyclist/Motorcycle/Backover/Junction/Junction (Pedestrian)/Junction (Cyclist)/Junction (Motorcycle) and AEB Crossing. As well as automatic emergency call (eCall), blind spot monitor (BSM), child presence detection / alert, cyclist dooring detection / alert, driver monitoring system, forward collision warning (FCW), lane departure warning (LDW) lane keep assist (LKA) – LKA (Car-to-Car) and LKA (Car-to-Motorcycle), secondary / multi-collision brake, speed assistance, intelligent adaptive cruise control (iACC), speed assistance – auto / intelligent speed limiter, speed assistance – manual speed limiter and speed assistance – speed sign recognition & warning as standard.

Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when Bub’s asleep!