Russell Campbell

Video: Kia EV9 debuts at the 2023 Festival of Speed

Kia has demonstrated how far it's come since it landed in the UK in 1991. The handsome EV9 electric SUV made its public debut at the 2023 Festival of Speed presented by Mastercard, as it made its way up the Hill in the hands of the firm's pro driver, Jade Paveley.

The EV9 is arguably the most impressive model yet to hail from South Korea; its bold styling is a sign of the company's new-found confidence as its electric technology leads the way for other manufacturers.

While the EV9's chunky design is vintage EV, under the skin it's anything but old school. You'll be able to choose from two- and four-wheel-drive models. The basic two-wheel-drive version is the only one with a 76kWh battery, offering range limited to less than 300 miles. All other models get a 99kWh battery giving a maximum range of more than 335 miles, not that Jade will need even one per cent of that on the Hill this weekend. An 800V electrical system means a 10-80 per cent charge takes around 25 minutes.

Performance should be spritely for a car so large. Even the basic two-wheel-drive version has 207PS (152kW) and gets from 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds. Add the big battery and that drops to 8.2 seconds with 218PS (160kW) to call on. The 385PS (282kW) dual-motor model is positively nippy; it gets from 0-62mph in six seconds, dropping to 5.3 seconds when you engage the Boost function to increase torque from 600Nm (443lb ft) to 700Nm (516lb ft) momentarily.

Despite this performance, practicality is a high priority. Inside, neat EV packaging gives the EV9 a completely flat floor and a floating centre console that increases the feeling of space, of which there is plenty. You get six and seven-seat configurations to choose from; both have three rows, with the former swapping the three-seater middle bench for a pair of swivelling captains chairs.

Coined Kia's answer to the Range Rover, the EV9 certainly looked impressive as it took flight in the Sussex sunshine.