2024 Kia EV9 vs 2024 Nissan Rogue

The 2024 Kia EV9 represented a significant leap in design for Kia EVs, distancing itself from its cousins like the sleek EV6 but bearing a strong family resemblance to Kia SUVs. Its exterior boasted a modern, blockier design with body lines tracing octagonal wheel arches and a sharply angled rear window. The most eye-catching aspect was its lighting signatures. The standard "Star Map" daytime running lights traced a slim line around the new "Digital Tiger Face" grille, with LED headlights forming clusters of dashes or dots depending on the trim. Higher trims, such as the Land and GT-Line, featured a Digital Pattern Lighting Grille, adding an eye-catching constellation of light points visible when the vehicle was on. The EV9’s wheels carried on the blocky theme; the base model's 19-inch wheels had a sense of aerodynamics, while the Land and GT-Line's 20- and 21-inch wheels featured interlocking triangle and square patterns, respectively.

The interior of the EV9 felt airy and fresh, thanks to a light gray, two-tone color scheme and dual sunroofs. Standard features included eight-way power-adjustable front seats and at least two-way lumbar support, with higher trims adding more customizations such as leg support and bolster adjustments. The SynTex seating surfaces were both comfortable and durable, aimed to withstand extensive use.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue had its first major styling update since the launch of the current generation in 2021. The Rogue retained its lineup of S, SV, SL, and Platinum models. The new larger grille flowed seamlessly with the stacked headlights and daytime running lights, hallmark features of the Rogue. Though Nissan claimed a new rear fascia, the change was limited to redesigned inner taillight elements. The model also received satin-finish exterior badging, new 18-inch wheels for the Rogue SV, and new 19-inch wheels with a machined-finish look for the Platinum trim. Top-tier models featured more black exterior trim and an optional black roof.

Inside, Nissan made significant changes to accommodate a new 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. This freestanding screen, combined with a nicely designed dashboard, gave the Rogue a premium feel. The Rogue SV models benefited from new interior materials on the door panels, seats, center console, and dashboard, along with dual-zone automatic climate control.

The Rogue Platinum test car stood out with its upscale interior, featuring leather seats and new Chestnut brown color with quilted stitching for 2024. Unlike some competitors, the Rogue's leather upholstery didn't feel rubbery or cheap, making it a comfortable and nicely appointed cabin for its segment.

The 2024 Kia EV9 offered several powertrain configurations. The base Light trim featured a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) single motor producing 215 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, with an estimated electric range of 230 miles. The Light Long Range model, equipped with a larger 99.8-kWh battery pack, slightly reduced horsepower (201 hp) but increased the range to 304 miles.

The higher trims, Wind and Land, came exclusively with all-wheel drive (AWD) and dual electric motors, producing a robust 379 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque, with a range of 280 miles. The GT-Line trim focused on performance, sacrificing some range (down to 270 miles) but delivering a hefty 516 lb-ft of torque.

During test drives in northern California's Napa Valley, the EV9 GT-Line's power delivery was smooth and refined. Acceleration was prompt but lacked the violent push often associated with electric cars. Handling was strong, with the vehicle’s weight keeping it well-planted and avoiding excessive body roll. The regenerative braking system was adjustable and could feel entirely natural, activated via paddles mounted on the steering wheel.

The EV9 also boasted fast charging capabilities, reportedly able to charge from 10 to 80 percent in 25 minutes on a high-speed DC fast charger.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue, on the other hand, featured a unique 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with a VC-Turbo system capable of varying its compression ratio to optimize power or fuel economy. The engine produced 201 horsepower and 225 lb-ft of torque, outperforming some competitors' larger engines.

However, the Rogue's continuously variable transmission (CVT) was less impressive, often delaying the transfer of power to the wheels. The Rogue came standard with front-wheel drive (FWD) but offered an AWD option. While not marketed as a driver’s car, the suspension felt firmer than expected, affecting ride quality without improving handling. Nevertheless, the cabin was quiet, and the engine’s droning exhaust note was less noticeable.

The 2024 Kia EV9 stood out with its spacious third row, a rarity among electric vehicles. Offering ample headroom at 39.5 inches, it surpassed not only the Kia Telluride but also the BMW X7 and Rivian R1S. Third-row legroom ranged from 30.8 to 32.0 inches, depending on the middle-row configuration, although the EV9 could only seat up to seven passengers compared to the Telluride’s eight. Cargo space behind the third row measured 20.2 cubic feet, expanding to 43.5 cubic feet with the third row folded down, and 81.7 cubic feet with only the front-row seats in place. The high and flat load floor made loading and unloading luggage much easier.

Storage up front was practical but not exceptional. The floating center console provided no usable flat surface between the driver and passenger, although there was a large open compartment under it. Second-row passengers in higher trims enjoyed additional storage features like a large drawer and tray table.

In contrast, the 2024 Nissan Rogue offered nearly identical passenger space across both rows compared to rivals like the Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Subaru Forester, and Toyota RAV4. Legroom varied slightly, with the Forester offering a bit more first-row legroom and the Tucson providing more second-row legroom.

Cargo space in the Rogue maxed out at 36.5 cubic feet with the rear seats in place, and 74.1 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, falling short of the CR-V and Tucson but better than the Forester. Notably, Nissan's optional Divide-N-Hide system allowed for a flat cargo floor with hidden storage or a lower floor to increase cargo height. The Rogue also featured a molded-in space for holding grocery bags and power liftgate options, including a motion-activated liftgate on higher trims.

Up front, the center console featured a pass-through space for extra storage, although accessing it could be awkward, and items placed there might be easily forgotten.

The Kia EV9 pushed the envelope with its three-screen setup within a single curved display. This included a 12.3-inch driver information display, a 5-inch dedicated Climate Display, and another 12.3-inch infotainment screen. This setup was complemented by physical switches for tri-zone climate control. Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a wireless charging pad were standard across all trims. The higher trims featured a 14-speaker Meridian Premium Audio system and a head-up display, offered only in the GT-Line.

The vehicle's tech-forward approach extended to its connectedness, with over-the-air (OTA) updates allowing owners to purchase additional features from the Kia Connect store, such as performance upgrades and new Digital Grille lighting patterns. This future-proofing approach enabled early adopters to benefit from ongoing developments and added a new layer of customization even for used car buyers.

The 2024 Nissan Rogue featured an 8-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard on the S and SV models. The SL and Platinum models boasted a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Amazon Alexa connectivity, and Google built-in apps.

Nissan’s Google built-in software integrated Google Maps, Google Assistant voice control, and the Google Play app store directly with the vehicle’s infotainment system. This connectivity was free for five years, after which the data plan would be required for third-party app downloads. This feature offered better performance and streamlined connectivity for Google users but required a subscription for extended use.

The dual 12.3-inch screen setup provided intuitive graphics and menus, although the touchscreen occasionally took time to boot up. The Rogue also included multiple USB-C ports and a wireless device charging pad in higher trims.

For 2024, Nissan extended the free trial period for its Nissan Connect Services to three years (previously six months), offering remote door lock/unlock, remote engine start/stop, vehicle health reports, and emergency calling on all trims except the base S.

The 2024 Kia EV9 included a comprehensive standard suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Standard features included adaptive cruise control with machine learning and stop-and-go capabilities, blind-spot collision avoidance, and a full array of forward and rear collision avoidance systems. Higher trims benefited from additional features such as the Blind-spot View Monitor and reverse parking collision-avoidance assist. While the EV9 had not been rated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) at the time of writing, it received the highest rating from the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP).

The 2024 Nissan Rogue received commendable safety scores. The IIHS awarded it top “Good” ratings in most crash tests, with an “Acceptable” rating in the updated side-impact test and a “Good” headlight rating. The NHTSA gave it a five-star overall safety rating, including five stars in side crash tests and four stars in rollover and frontal crash tests.

Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, automatic high beams, and rear automatic emergency braking. Higher trims offered ProPilot Assist, Nissan's advanced driver-assistance system, which added automated lane centering and proactive navigation-based speed adjustments on highways.