2024 Best Electric Large SUV: Audi Q8 E-Tron v BMW iX v Kia EV9

Large electric SUVs? Yes, they're a thing, and their mighty big battery packs mean they're also mighty pricey – but which is best? It doesn't take a luxury badge to win the prize.

The contenders

• Audi Q8 E-Tron
• BMW iX
• Kia EV9

The age of the large electric SUV began in Australia with the Tesla Model X back in 2016.

It was a popular thing despite its egg-like looks, but it took another seven years for this burgeoning vehicle type to finally trickle down to the mainstream … in the form of Kia’s largest, most expensive vehicle ever produced – the EV9 seven-seat electric SUV.

The Model X has since been discontinued here but several premium-brand German contenders have appeared in its place – namely Audi’s E-Tron SUV and Sportback (now re-branded Audi Q8 e-tron as of late 2023), BMW’s flagship iX electric SUV, and Mercedes-Benz’s EQE and EQS SUV siblings.

The EQE is a five-seater; the EQS an extended-wheelbase seven-seater – making the EQS SUV the only direct packaging rival to the Kia EV9 on the Australian market.

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As you may have worked out, the EV9 is a rarity in the large electric SUV category in that it’s the only mainstream offering – at least until Hyundai’s closely related Ioniq 7 SUV is unveiled later in 2024.

The three-variant EV9 range spans $97-$121K – the sweet spot being the 283kW/600Nm Earth AWD ($106,500) with its 6.0sec 0-100km/h time and 512km WLTP range claim – which contrasts starkly with the asking prices of the equivalent sweet spots in the EV9’s premium-brand competition.

In the five-seat BMW iX, the primo variant is the xDrive 50 Sport ($185,400) with its 4.6sec 0-100km/h time and 620km WLTP range. The handsome five-seat Audi Q8 e-tron 55 quattro Sportback ($166,600) is good for 5.6sec to 100km/h and 454km WLTP, while the seven-seat Mercedes-Benz EQS 450 ($194,900) feels like it’s worth the extra spend over an EQE thanks to its standard air suspension, rear-axle steering, 483km WLTP range claim and strong 6.0sec 0-100km/h time.

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Yet what sets the Kia EV9 apart from these premium-brand EVs is not just its relative affordability.

The Kia’s persuasive blend of refinement, functionality, spaciousness, interior quality and all-round finesse trumps the luxury-brand electric SUVs – only one of which can match the EV9’s seat count. And the Kia achieves all this while focusing on recycled and bio-friendly cabin materials, not sparkly embellishments for added showpony cred. Or expensive options necessary to impart a genuine feeling of expense.

Seated in the EV9’s excellent front row, peering out a vast panoramic windscreen, its relatively minimalist dashboard design and the textural blend of its materials makes it both look and feel premium.

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Kia says the design was inspired by high-end contemporary furniture, which is an aesthetic that permeates throughout this striking SUV – both inside and out.

The A-pillar trims, upper door sections, lower dash, material inserts, and full-width loop-pile mats covering the EV9’s flat floor are all recycled materials, though interior quality is so smoothly consistent that you’d never know. And despite nearly 30 inches of horizontal screen action, there’s a high-tech warmth to the EV9’s ergonomic interior that makes its premium rivals appear like they’re trying way too hard.

For space and comfort, the EV9 is outstanding, which is surely the foundation of what makes a great large electric SUV. With a degree of compromise in the fully adjustable second row (while still leaving loads of legroom), the third row can comfortably seat a pair of adults.

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And with all three rows in use, Kia says there’s still 571 litres of boot space available, which is unheard of in most three-row SUVs – especially one measuring a relatively manageable 5010mm in length (shorter than a Mazda CX-9).

What makes the Kia EV9 the finest large electric SUV, however, is the consistency of its all-round greatness. Thanks to a beautifully judged Australian suspension tune, this fixed-damper SUV doesn’t require fancy technology to make it ride or handle well – even though it can feel firm over low-speed irregularities.

In the EV9, it’s a case of the deeper you explore, the greater the reward, to the point where you could actually call it fun to drive.

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And despite its 2.5-tonne girth, it still manages to deliver impressive energy efficiency, supported by benchmark charging times of between 20 and 24 minutes to go from 10-80 percent, depending on battery size.

With world-leading EV technology and show-stopping design both rapidly improving the global standing of the Kia brand, it’s fitting that the largest, most expensive Kia ever is also the finest vehicle it produces.

As a halo model – and a shining example of egalitarian excellence – the Kia EV9 is king of the electric SUVs in 2024.