2024 Kia EV9 vs 2025 Audi Q5

The 2024 Kia EV9 presented a bold evolution in Kia's electric vehicle lineup, showcasing a design that was both familiar and futuristic. Its exterior maintained the brand's signature style, enhanced with a modern, blocky aesthetic reminiscent of digital clock numbers. The vehicle's body lines elegantly followed the octagonal wheel arches, and the rear window angled sharply upwards, almost meeting the roof spoiler. The lighting signature was a standout feature, with the "Star Map" daytime running lights creating a sleek outline of the "Digital Tiger Face" grille. The LED headlights varied in design depending on the trim, and the top Land trim offered a Digital Pattern Lighting Grille, adding a constellation of light points visible only when the vehicle was on. Owners had the option to purchase additional lighting patterns, adding a personalized touch to their EV9.

In contrast, the 2025 Audi Q5 leaned into a more robust SUV aesthetic, with a large, textured grille and prominent side air intakes giving it an imposing front-end look. The high-mounted headlights and well-defined body lines added a muscular feel, though the design changes appeared more evolutionary than revolutionary. The Q5 was available in both standard SUV and coupe-like Sportback body styles, with the latter offering a sleeker profile at the expense of cargo space and rear-seat headroom. The SQ5 performance grade featured additional sporty elements, including matte chrome trim, larger air intakes, and quad exhaust tips. Inside, the Q5's design was detailed but somewhat discordant, with top-notch materials and a mix of silver and black trim pieces contrasting with the available lighter upholstery colours.

The 2024 Kia EV9 offered a range of powertrains, starting with the Light trim's single motor, rear-wheel-drive setup producing 215 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, with an EPA-estimated range of 370 kilometres. The Wind model, with a larger 99.8-kWh battery, provided the best range at 489 kilometres, albeit with slightly reduced horsepower at 201. The top Land trim featured all-wheel drive with dual motors, delivering 379 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a range of 451 kilometres for the base and Premium Package versions, and 435 kilometres for the GT-Line. The EV9's power delivery was smooth and refined, with good handling and adjustable regenerative braking, including a one-pedal driving mode. Fast charging capability allowed the EV9 to go from 10 to 80 percent in 25 minutes on a high-speed DC fast charger.

The 2025 Audi Q5 came equipped with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. The base model's 2.0-litre turbo-four engine produced 268 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the SQ5's 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 delivered 362 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Despite these figures, neither model felt as speedy as expected, with noticeable turbo lag and rough shifts from the transmission. The Q5's steel-spring suspension with passive frequency selective damping provided capable handling, while the SQ5's air suspension with adaptive damping offered sportier tuning. Audi's Off-Road and Off-Road Plus driving modes added versatility, but the Q5 was more suited to dirt roads than technical trails.

The 2024 Kia EV9 stood out with its spacious third row, offering ample headroom of 1,004 millimetres, surpassing the Kia Telluride, BMW X7, and Rivian R1S. Third-row legroom ranged from 783 to 813 mm, depending on the middle row's configuration. The EV9 could seat up to seven passengers, with second-row captain's chairs available on higher trims. Cargo space was competitive, with 572 litres behind the third row, expandable to 1,231 litres with the third row folded, and 2,313 litres with only the front-row seats in place. The EV9's high and flat load floor made loading and unloading easier, while storage space up front was adequate, with a floating centre console and a large open compartment on the floor.

The 2025 Audi Q5 maintained similar exterior dimensions and interior space to the previous model, offering adequate headroom and legroom. The standard sliding and reclining 40/20/40 split-folding second-row bench seat added versatility, with cargo-area buttons for easy adjustment. The 2025 Q5 provided 757 litres of cargo space behind the second row and 1,710 litres behind the first row, offering more space than some rivals but less than others. Standard features included a power tailgate, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel, with additional amenities like heated rear seats and a panoramic sunroof on higher trims. The Q5 also offered a towing capacity of up to 2,000 kilograms, surpassing some competitors.

The 2024 Kia EV9 featured a three-screen curved display, with a 12.3-inch driver information display, a 5-inch Climate Display, and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Standard tech included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless charging pad, and an eight-speaker sound system, with a 14-speaker Meridian Premium Audio system on higher trims. The EV9's connectedness was a highlight, with over-the-air updates and the Kia Connect store offering additional features and customization options, allowing owners to upgrade their vehicles over time.

The 2025 Audi Q5 came with an 11.9-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.5-inch central touchscreen, with a 10.9-inch passenger touchscreen on the top Technik trim. Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a cooled wireless charging pad, and a 16-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system on Progressiv models. The MMI infotainment system, based on Android Automotive OS, offered a user-friendly experience, with a built-in voice assistant for some vehicle functions. The Q5 also featured a head-up display and Audi's Dynamic Interaction Light for additional driver cues.

The 2024 Kia EV9 offered a comprehensive suite of standard advanced driver-assistance systems, including adaptive cruise control with navigation-based machine learning, blind-spot collision avoidance, and forward collision avoidance. Some features, like the Blind-spot View Monitor and reverse parking collision avoidance assist, were reserved for higher trims. The EV9 had not yet been rated by the IIHS or NHTSA but received the highest rating from Euro NCAP.

The 2025 Audi Q5 included standard driver assist features such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring. An exit alert feature used interior ambient lighting to warn occupants of oncoming vehicles or cyclists. The Q5 had not yet been rated by the NHTSA, and its IIHS ratings were not favourable, with too many Marginal or Acceptable ratings for a Top Safety Pick designation.