5. Kia EV9
Price from £65,035
Best car for in-car tech
The Kia EV9 heralds a new styling direction for the brand, one that has been followed up with the smaller EV3, but the big news about this big car is that it’s a proper seven-seater electric vehicle.
It’s also a very well-equipped one: even the basic EV9 Air gets Kia’s Level 2 driving assistance, heated and ventilated front and second-row seats, an electric boot lid, a triple-screen layout including a pair of 12.3-inch screens, plus a wireless smartphone charger and 19-inch alloys. Front and middle rows are spacious but as is often the case, the third row is kids-only.
The car’s enormous size may benefit interior room but it does hamper manoeuvrability, in that parking can be a bit of a chore despite all the tech to help you. You’ll be forever sticking out of tight supermarket spaces, and the turning circle is quite large, too. The EV9 is happier at higher speeds, being smooth, stable and refined.
Kia claims up to 349 miles of range from the EV9 on a single charge, courtesy of a rather substantial 99.8kWh battery, and either single motor for rear-wheel drive, or twin motors and all-wheel drive. The latter is pretty brisk, with 378bhp and 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds… but do you really need that in a seven-seater?
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