Christian de Looper / Digital Trends
Carmakers are in the appendage of reinvent the cycle . While some companies are but slapping an galvanizing powertrain in an live chassis and call it a day , the majority of caller are taking the changeover to electrified as an opportunity to redesign their lineups all — both out of doors and in . Justlook at the EV6 , a car that would be impossible to imagine in Kia ’s card just five long time ago .
But while the fresh and Modern exterior designs are fun to await at , it ’s the interior that really touch on the driving experience . And while plenty of companies are make great changes to their railroad car interior , in my opinion , there ’s no carmaker that has created a better experience than Kia withthe new EV9 .
Christian de Looper / Digital Trends
And other companies should be taking notice .
Wireless connectivity, wired charging
The Kia EV9finallyofferswireless CarPlay , making it one of Hyundai Motor Group ’s first EVs to corroborate wireless connectivity . That means that you’re able to get in , plank your phone down on the wireless charging pad that ’s well approachable , and drive aside . No messing around with cable if you do n’t want to .
If youdowant to charge with a cable , though , there are raft of places you may do so in the EV9 . There aretwo USB - C portsat the front of the car , with one of them declare oneself a button that toggle between charging and datum connectivity . And there are more USB - century ports for secondandthird - row rider . There are enough ports in the car for every resident to charge at least one gadget if they choose .
believe the fact that this is a family cable car that could potentially go on road trips , touches like this are staggeringly helpful . If that were n’t enough , 2nd - row passenger have access to a big storage bin that doubles as a small table , and there are cupholders for every passenger , at least in the higher - conclusion configuration that offer second - row captain ’s chairs instead of a bench derriere .
Keeping things comfortable
Comfort is one area where plenty of society have gotten things right-hand , but it ’s also perhaps the most important aspect of a car ’s national . The great experience of driving the Kia EV9 set off with well-fixed seats that are easy to sit in for hour on end without issue .
The tail end inthe Kia EV9are plush and dramatize , with good lumbar backing and easy adjustability . Front seat heating and chilling are standard and also available in the second - row captain ’s seats , reckon on the trim you get . There are three mood zone as touchstone , and the second - course passenger can manipulate that third zona .
The clime controls at the front of the railcar are intuitive , too . Unlike Kia ’s EV6 , the EV9 has somephysicalclimate controls . It has a consecrated display for mood controls , which is unfortunately a little block behind the steering wheel . However , there are paddle in easy reach of both the number one wood and rider to ensure temperature and fan speed quickly and easily — meaning you only have to use that showing for more advanced dominance . I love this system — it means that you may always see what rooter are in role and make quick adjustments without ingest to nose around on a display .
A template
None of this is radically fresh or different . Kia has n’t invented any demented new technology or fundamentally changed what makes a great car interior . Instead , it has simply pull together all the key details into a cabin that ’s comfortable and pleasant to be in . auto manufacturer can replicate this , and they do n’t have to ramp up an sport utility vehicle to do it . All of this really boils down to ensuring that climate controls are visceral and there are features like cupholders and USB - speed of light ports for charging in the back . Sure , with more space , extra features like storage bins and lots of legroom come in handy , too — but at this point in time , there ’s really no excuse not to include modern technical school in a railcar interior .
