2026 Kia EV9 GT Review

The all-electric Kia EV9 is one of the most impressive three-rows you can buy regardless of how it’s powered, winning AutoTrader’s best overall SUV for 2025.

It comfortably seats as many as seven people, features clever packaging, and is easy to live with. It’s also one of the most innovative vehicles on the market. And now there’s a new, more powerful version, the 2026 Kia EV9 GT, that adds a shot of adrenaline to the overall experience.

Power 9 / 10

Electric vehicles have democratized big power and blistering acceleration times. It’s one of the benefits of instant torque production and not having to step through a transmission’s gears. In the case of the all-wheel-drive EV9, its dual motors put out 379 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, but the GT version kicks those up to 502 hp and an impressive 545 lb-ft of torque.

More power wasn’t on my EV9 wish list, but I’m not complaining. The GT is genuinely swift, able to blast from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds. It feels quick even at highway speeds, with big bursts of speed just a toe tip away.

Driving Feel 7.5 / 10

It helps that the bulk of the EV9’s weight is stored within the battery pack under the floor, giving it a centre of gravity similar to that of a sports car. Add precise steering, a well-sorted chassis, and sticky summer tires, and the EV9 GT feels more like a fast wagon than an electric SUV, let alone something with three rows of seating.

The EV9 is also sized with restraint. It’s big but not overwhelmingly so. It’s easier to manoeuvre and park, and even though it’s a performance vehicle, it still has a comfortable ride. The heavily bolstered sport seats also add to the experience, holding you in place on highway on-ramps or a winding road.

Features 9 / 10

In addition to everything the EV9 GT-Line gets, like an upgraded stereo with 14 speakers and heated and ventilated front- and second-row seats, this one adds a GT drive mode button that, when pushed, stiffens up the new electronically controlled dampers and steering and remaps the accelerator to respond to millimetre movements. The GT can also sense scan the road ahead for upcoming obstacles like speed bumps and quickly adjust the suspension to respond.

The GT even gets an electronic limited-slip differential to help put the torque down when exiting a corner, and gets the title of Kia’s most powerful SUV to date. All 2026 Kia EV9s come with a built-in Tesla-style charge port with an included adapter for other public stations.

Comfort 8 / 10

The new front sport seats are tight in the mid-section, but are very adjustable and comfortable once you get used to them. Even with a suspension catered to enthusiastic driving, the EV9 GT remains a solid and comfortable family cruiser. Seats in the second- and third rows have adjustable recline and can be moved fore and aft. The EV9 has double-glazed windows, whisper-quiet electric motors, and a stable highway ride, making it perfect for road trips.

Styling 7 / 10

Special 21-inch wheels with lime green brake callipers in the front and a small GT badge on the tailgate are the subtle ways to call attention to the fact that this is the top EV9. Other clues are the vertical design on the active air flaps, unique lighting graphics, and low-profile roof bars. It’s a good-looking SUV with a design that’s a fair bit more contemporary than its sci-fi-styled corporate cousin, the Hyundai Ioniq 9.

The GT is packed full of exclusive extras inside, like the sport seats with lime green stitching and piping, and suede surfaces. There’s more suede on the centre console, and the dashboard with the GT script embossed on the passenger side. It also gets a new squared-off steering wheel, ambient lighting strips on the back of the front seats, and the middle- and third-row seats also get lime green accents and suede surfaces.

User-Friendliness 8.5 / 10

The EV9 offers an excellent balance of touchscreen technology and physical buttons that don’t require browsing the owner’s manual to familiarize yourself with. The start button and gear selector are on a stalk mounted to the steering column, and it’s easy to use. There’s a good mix of physical and virtual climate controls and haptic feedback buttons.

Push a button on either second-row seat and it slides forward and tilts, allowing easy access to the third row, where you’ll find cupholders and USB ports. There’s also plug-and-charge technology that allows you to pull up to most DC fast-charging charging stations and hook up, billing a credit card registered to the vehicles.

Fuel Economy 7 / 10

For something as big and powerful as the EV9 GT, it’s actually quite efficient, averaging around 25.0 kWh/100 km over the course of a week-long test. Much time was spent on the highway at speeds around 110 km/h, which isn’t the happiest zone for EVs regardless of their size, but the EV9 managed well with its 99.8-kWh battery pack. Kia estimates range at 418 km, which I was easily able to get in temperatures consistently below 10 °C.

Practicality 10 / 10

The GT version doesn’t have the longest range in the EV9 lineup, but it shares consistently fast charge times, standard Tesla-style port, and plug-and-charge tech with the rest of the lineup. This combination makes EV life easier to manage, especially if you don’t have a dedicated home charger to plug into every night.

With all three rows up, there’s still 573 L of cargo space left over, which jumps to 1,233 L with the third row folded. The rearmost seats are also spacious enough for adults, which is impressive considering the EV9 is shorter than many other conventional three-row SUVs like the Toyota Grand Highlander and Hyundai Palisade.

Safety 10 / 10

The Kia EV9 gets the full five-star safety rating from the United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and it’s an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick+ winner. Both represent the highest scores possible.

The EV9 also gets all the latest driver-assistance tech, including a highway driving assist feature that can adjust the travel path if a vehicle on either side gets too close. It also features automatic lane changes and evasive steering.

Value 8 / 10

The 2026 Kia EV9 starts at $62,145 before tax but including freight ($2,150), although that’s for a rear-wheel-drive platform and a smaller 76.1-kWh battery. The EV9 Wind is also rear-wheel-drive but gets the bigger 99.8-kWh battery and some other features for $3,000 more, while the EV9 Land is $67,145 before tax but features four-wheel traction. From there, the Plus ($5,500), Premium ($10,500), and GT-Line ($14,500) packages add to the feature count, and this EV9 GT sits at the top of the lineup at $87,445.

The Verdict

Normally, I would say there’s no point in spending the extra cash for the added performance of an SUV like this one, but in the case of the 2026 Kia EV9 GT, you get a lot for your money. The aggressive seats and lime green accents, punchy motors, and balanced handling make it as adept at earning smiles on a backroad as it is earning snores from the kids on a quiet drive home.