We drive the £76,000 Kia EV9 – its all-electric Range Rover rival
- It’s a delight and a doddle to drive, and under no circumstances intimidating
- On 19 in wheels, my GT-Line S does 0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds
Were Santa’s sleigh to be out of motion unexpectedly this Christmas Eve, he might do worse than to borrow Kia’s daring and spectacular new EV9 household SUV.
This flagship electrical mannequin actually makes an announcement with its distinctive, trendy, however nonetheless subtle, styling.
It appears huge — particularly once you stand subsequent to it — and on the transfer turns heads, as I witnessed myself.
The formidable Korean automotive agency’s Twenty first-century reply to Britain’s Range Rover has stolen a march by hitting the market first with an all-electric mannequin.
Flagship: The EV9 household SUV goals to compete towards Range Rover fashions
I used to be driving the top-of-the- vary GT-Line S with seven seats and flush pop-out door handles as normal. So loads of room for passengers. And much more within the boot for presents.
It’s all-wheel drive, with eco, regular, spirited sporty and bespoke ‘My Drive’ driving mode settings, plus off-road terrain modes to deal with snow, mud and sand. So a White Christmas will not be an issue.
Two different trim choices are the entry degree Air — two-wheel drive with a much less highly effective 200 bhp electrical motor — and all-wheel drive GT-Line. Both have seven seats.
It’s a delight and a doddle to drive, and under no circumstances intimidating. The sensible inside and dashboard is clutter-free, modern and pretty simple to navigate alongside the 12.3-in central digital touchscreen.
My EV9 was full of security tech. My favorite is the rear digital camera set-up which, when you’re indicating to show, initiatives on to the dashboard a dwell feed of the blind-spot in your route of flip. It’s swift and highly effective, too, in addition to agile.
On 19 in wheels, my GT-Line S does 0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds as much as a high velocity of 124 mph; its twin electrical motors growing 378 bhp. It has a spread of 313 miles, regardless of weighing 3.24 tons.
This flagship electrical mannequin actually makes an announcement with its distinctive, trendy, however nonetheless subtle, styling
The sensible inside and dashboard is clutter-free, modern and pretty simple to navigate alongside the 12.3-in central digital touchscreen
On 19 in wheels, my GT-Line S does 0-62 mph in 5.3 seconds as much as a high velocity of 124 mph
It has a spread of 313 miles, regardless of weighing 3.24 tons
Charging by way of a fast-charger takes simply 24 minutes
An non-obligatory six-seater model with ‘lounge fashion’ swivel chairs can also be accessible with my top quality mannequin
It appears huge — particularly once you stand subsequent to it — and on the transfer turns heads
There’s one catch — the worth. My EV9 price £76,025 on the street. The vary begins from £64,995.
It is an understatedly premium bundle being ostentatiously luxurious.
An non-obligatory six-seater model with ‘lounge fashion’ swivel chairs can also be accessible with my top quality mannequin. The single-motor two-wheel drive model’s vary is 349 miles.
There’s one other key plus. Because of its giant dimension, van drivers and drivers of different giant autos (sure, BMW and Audi drivers, I’m taking a look at you) are considerably cowed and fewer prone to try and ‘take you on’ or bully you. It has ‘muscle’ as taxi drivers name the massive footprint. I skilled this primary hand.
Charging by way of a fast-charger takes simply 24 minutes.
If you fancy one for your self, begin saving now – or write Santa a pleasant letter.
A Merry Christmas to you all.
New insurance coverage bundle for Range Rover house owners
Range Rover house owners are being supplied a brand new insurance coverage bundle —after many in London had been denied cowl due to hovering automobile thefts.
The deal from guardian firm Jaguar Land Rover — JLR — provides a mean month-to-month premium ‘of lower than £200’. But that is nonetheless round £2,400 a 12 months. JLR has invested £10 million to scale back keyless thefts within the UK.
Under wraps: Order books have opened for the primary new all-electric Range Rover – the brand new mannequin will observe this 12 months’s SV Intrepid, pictured
Order books have opened for the primary new all-electric Range Rover — however there isn’t any value, efficiency figures nor even an image — as a result of testing continues.
Instead, JLR has issued 5 ‘teaser’ pictures of remoted detailing. Performance akin to a flagship Range Rover V8 is mooted.
So count on greater than 600hp and a value above £100,000.
The new mannequin follows plug-in hybrid petrol-electric variations of the Range Rover, together with the top quality SV Intrepid.
JLR mentioned: ‘With extra patents filed for New Range Rover Electric than another Range Rover earlier than, prototypes are actually being subjected to one of many one of the rigorous engineering sign-off programmes ever.’
Don’t lose your licence
With the festive occasion season properly beneath manner, ensure you do not lose your driving licence.
For a brand new survey reveals UK drivers spent a staggering £20.3 million changing misplaced or stolen driving licences in only a 12 months.
Costly: From September 2022 to August 2023, greater than one million licences had been reported as misplaced or stolen
A Freedom of Information request by UK automobile lease agency Select Car Leasing revealed that September 2022 to August 2023 noticed greater than one million (1,015,048) licences reported as misplaced or stolen.
With the DVLA charging a £20 alternative price, it means an enormous increase to DVLA’s coffers.
London recorded probably the most misplaced licences, at 108,000 (costing greater than £2million to exchange), adopted by Birmingham (32,000) and Manchester (22,764).
Drivers in Edinburgh suffered the best variety of misplaced or stolen playing cards per head.
Select Car Leasing’s Graham Conway mentioned: ‘It’s all too simple to lose sight of your driving licence, significantly once you’re out and about attending Christmas and New Year events, and probably utilizing your ID card as a method to show your age on the bar.
‘Thieves will even be extremely lively, so everybody must preserve their wits about them.’
And keep in mind: do not drink and drive. That actually is the quickest method to lose your driving licence.
