Kia EV9 vs Tesla Model X

The Tesla Model X costs £15,405 more than the Kia EV9. For that premium it adds 412 litres more boot space, 133 kW more power and a 3.1s quicker 0-62mph time. The Kia EV9 is not just cheaper - it also offers 111 miles more WLTP range and 90 kW faster peak rapid charging. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Kia EV9 comes out ahead overall.

The Kia EV9 is £15,405 cheaper to buy. The Kia EV9 is cheaper to charge, roughly £192 a year versus £240 for the Tesla Model X, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Kia EV9 comes out roughly £15,645 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 291 miles for the Kia EV9 and 171 miles for the Tesla Model X - both below their WLTP figures, because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. The Kia EV9 goes roughly 120 miles further between charging stops. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 24 minutes in the Kia EV9 and 40 in the Tesla Model X, so the Kia EV9 loses less time at each stop. That makes the Kia EV9 the stronger long-distance car.

The two are within 19 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 420 mm of total clearance for the Kia EV9 and about 401 mm of total clearance for the Tesla Model X.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 89% battery health for the Kia EV9 and 84% for the Tesla Model X. That gives the Kia EV9 a modest edge in retained real-world range. Both use NMC-type cells, so for daily use keep the charge limit near 80% to slow degradation. The Tesla Model X has the longer battery warranty at 8 years, versus 7 for the Kia EV9.