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This is a true love or hate truck as they are just Hideous to my wife and I. Seen so many this weekend and all wrapped. Most common seems to be a black wrap.

I promise to point out the bad as well. I actually have hit one thing that is bizarre, their printed owner's manual if very much behind their software update interface, as such there are features that has no instructions on using. I get that the printing happens early, but even Kia Connect, their online presence does not cover some of the stuff that has been updated with the latest OTA update we got this week. Another weird issue is that when you setup the Kia Connect software on your smartphone and invite the wife in this case, it links your two accounts and as such the setting 1 and setting 2 for seat positions, mirrors, environment settings, etc. get merged and you have to unlink your accounts to then have individual settings. Again, nowhere documented. Kia Connect online community is a good thing as plenty of folks have posted in it to help each other out on how to do things since the existing documentation from the company is not there. I can see where this would be frustrating for a non-tech person to use the advanced features successfully. The EV otherwise drives like any other auto and the wife already did her first trip to the south end to deal with her side of the family and was very happy at the efficiency of the EV in power used. OTA process is very slick and smooth. You can do it at the time it prompts you, do it when you go to turn off the auto, it will process in the background after you shut off the EV or schedule a time to have the OTA applied. Have to say the Dealership experience has surpassed anything I have experienced in the shopping process at any other auto company. I have a Leasing/Buying an EV in 2024 story coming documenting the experience of getting this EV.

Congrats! I can't wait to only hear the good things about this vehicle! Hahaha

Nice K reverse-N

Nice looking Kia there! Congrats on finally making the EV jump!

So did my first high speed charging at the Electrify America charging station near my house. Was very easy to use with the account on my phone. Pretty much, I backed into the open spot, plugged in the charging cable and then tapped my phone to the NFS point and it did the handshake and started charging. Since this station is near a Target, I went and did our grocery shopping while it charged, got back with a few minutes left on charging and then disconnected and drove away. Easy Peasy.

Back in December 2023 my wife mentioned to me that she was getting a little tired after 15 years of the Voom Voom Voom of her SS. The sound of the Borla factory exhaust was not what she wanted to hear in a daily driver. I had originally bought this in 2008 for her when after our kids had finished college, she wanted to fulfill her life dream of getting an advanced education. She started her college career driving our Escalade ESV to the University of Washington campus and finding that a full-size SUV was hard to park in the garages of compact parking spaces with minimal regular parking spaces. Let's put this all-in perspective, the Escalade ESV has 345hp, 380 lb.-ft of torque with V8, 14 mpg average, curb weight of 5,911lbs, 10 inches of ground clearance, 79.5 inches wide, 75 inches tall, 221.4 inches long and a wheelbase of 130 inches. A comfy road quiet auto that is just big but makes driving very comfortable. 0 to 60 mph of 6.2 seconds. I replaced it with a Trailblazer SS, Corvette inspired powertrain that makes 390hp, 400 lb.-ft of torque with V8, 12 mpg average, curb weight of 4,496lbs, 7.8-inch ground clearance, 74.7 inches wide, 67.8 inches tall, 191.8 inches long and a wheelbase of 113 inches. An auto designed for performance with a Borla exhaust that lets folks know you are here. 0 to 60 of 5.9 seconds. Kia EV9 Land AWD Long Range edition with relaxation package has 379hp, 516 lb.-ft of torque electric, 80 MPGe average, curb weight 5,886lbs, 7.8 inches of ground clearance, 77.9 inches wide, 70.1 inches tall, 197.1 inches long and a wheelbase of 122 inches. 0 to 60 of 4.4 seconds. Relaxation package adds heated and cooled seats to the second row along with calf leg support on both the first and second row seats allowing for lazy boy reclining comfort. The differences of the EV over the SS are as follows: 11hp less, 116 lb.-ft of torque more, 1,400 lbs. heavier, 3.2 inches wider, 2.3 inches taller, 5.6 inches longer, wheelbase is 9 inches longer along with 1.5 seconds faster. The EV comes with the following driving modes, eco, normal, sport, snow and custom. You can clearly tell that the suspension tightens up in Sport mode, much tighter than the SS ever was even though both had 20-inch rims with identical size tires. The longer wheelbase here allows the EV to still have a very comfortable ride while being spirited in driving, back in Normal mode, it rides on par with my Escalade that has magna ride. What does that give me, a more comfortable ride, roomy interior with space for 6 adults compared to a tight fit of 5 adults. The relaxation package which I did not realize it had till I was being taken over the auto after the deal closed is nice as it goes from just having the heat and cooling of the front seats to the middle row of seats having heat and cooling plus all 4 captain chairs have the lazy-boy approach of cafe support that comes up, chair will straighten out and give you a very comfy sleep capable setup. The wireless android auto is great, while the system has a high encryption security system, when you get in based on your fob you would have to punch in a pin to actually get the EV started, if you have Kia Connect on your smartphone and place it on the wireless charging pad, it will allow you to start the auto without having to enter your pin. I am pleasantly surprised on just how much bigger the interior is of the EV9 over Kia's Telluride which is very nice for an ICE auto as my son traded in his Jeep Grand Cherokee on one. They are pretty much the same width, length, height and ground clearance and yet the interior space is so much more on the EV9 especially behind the 3rd seat for storage. Yes, the EV9 has a Frunk and while some might consider it not useful, it is bigger than many out there but not as big as a Mach e. It can hold 44lbs @ 1.8 cubic feet of space. I am looking at what Kia recommends the ChargePoint+ 80amp hardwired Level 2 charger for my garage. This gives a 10% to 80% charge in 3hrs and 45 min. I will be trying at the end of the week the 110 Volt charger that came with the EV9. While I still have plenty to learn on this EV, I will say that I love the lighting of the auto inside, the layout of the dash is great. Turn signals have a circle that pops up on the dash showing you the side of your auto so you can make sure not to hit anything on the side. The 360-surround camera system is outstanding and clear, even in heavy rain, have ended up leaving it set to have the rear-view mirror run in camera mode all the time as it is better than a traditional mirror. Ask any and all questions, happy to answer them. For all pictures check out my gallery. DFELT First EV - 2024 Kia EV9 - Vehicles - Cheers & Gears (cheersandgears.com) View full article

These are attractive little vehicles *for their class*. I'm slowly seeing more and more of them. Then again, I have no clue if I'm seeing the new Trax or Trailblazers...hahaha.

MECHANICAL PHOTOS The engine bay is neatly arranged as it typically is in GM products, with dipsticks, reservoirs, and an easy to reach battery ... someone would have had to help me find the turbocharger One can see 3 exhaust manifold passages below the engine shroud The engine placard says 1.3 liters and long running OBD II diagnostics - - - - - END OF PHOTOS

INTERIOR PHOTOS This is what the driver sees upon entering and the light switches are in their own small panel (set to auto) This is the view from the passenger's door and this provides a good view of the outlets above and buttons below the cubby space at the front of the console The dashboard is very sensibly arranged, easy to learn, and easy on the eyes ... note several push buttons for drive mode, traction, etc. right ahead of the shift lever and various plugs right below the climate control panel. The touch screen is engaged and the vents above the center stack provide excellent air circulation. This shows typical Chevrolet gauge graphics, a fuel gauge with graphic bars, and an always useful coolant temperature gauge. Key lights for driving modes (traction, following distance, etc.) are above the graphic display box between the 2 round gauges. This is the typical graphic box in various Chevrolets and, once it has been learned, toggling between trip, vehicle, and eco. becomes easy. Trip has the most options while eco. rarely needs to be used. To the left of the odometer is the graphic which shows AWD or 2WD. Cubby hole for phone, outlets for plugs, and push button controls (partial, at the right) sensibly arranged as well as honeycomb hatch to look like it could have been fabric Rear seat legroom appears to be respectable. The two-tone effect on the fabric is fairly nice and there are map pockets behind both front seats. This shows the rearward view from the driver's seat which would make lane change and parking assists helpful The rear seats follow a "60-40" (long running car jargon) split back, a courtesy lamp, and a groove for the rear cover (which was not present in the vehicle) This gives an idea of the cargo space with the rear seats in their upright position as well as 2 usable storage wells at each side of the rear cargo area

EXTERIOR PHOTOS The side view shows the more compact shape and the sheet metal accents, attractive alloy wheels, and a roof rack The angled rear view shows taillamps which look fairly true-to-form for Chevrolet, but the liftgate is slightly heavy to pull up and push back down ... a person also has to make sure it's fully shut The angled front view shows attractive (LED) lighting

Seems Kia will have a faster model above the GT-Line EV9, expected to be over 600 HP and Torque. Kia is presenting a great plan. Kia CEO Investor Day Kia presents 2030 roadmap to become global sustainable mobility leader

Yeah, yard guy was out about 3 weeks ago, we discussed plans for this year...started this week since I was on vacation last week...the front hadn't grown much, the back was getting big in places...lots of rain this Spring. Trees just started blooming in the last week..

You're just not getting a first cut in?!? I've been cutting for a month or more already. Fun fact, the smell of fresh cut grass is actually a sign of distress from the plant. If you smell the fresh cut grass that means too much was cut off and it's stressed. Try cutting it more often to not stress it out.

Got my first yard mowing of the season today...love the smell of fresh cut grass...thinking about planting a few new shrubberies this year..maybe some Arborvitae..I'm fond of Thuja Green Giants. Alas, got a lot of pollen in that air this week..Caddy was clean Sunday when I got back from vacay.

My baby Giant Sequoia showed up yesterday, finally. It got lost in transit for about five days.

Certain Tesla fans: "Elon Musk will be able name his charging price and their superchargers will be everywhere." Also Elon Musk: https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/musk-disbands-tesla-ev-charging-202301433.html

That seems to be the idea that Ford and GM have out here. Plus for most it’s a good try before you buy. I feel that would be the route that I would go too…..

I was in a situation where I had rented a car – a category with a trunk – and there weren’t any available. Their running out of certain categories happens frequently nowadays. As such, I was assigned a 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer. This didn’t look like any of the Trailblazers I remember. For one, it was a lot smaller. It was also badged as AWD. I assumed there would be a Chevy 1.5L T I-4 under the hood. Previous Trailblazers of the New Millennium ran with a 4.1 L I-6, possibly the modernized, aluminized version of the same 250 c.i. I-6 of the last century. A friend bought one of these in the early 2000’s. I was once given one by a rental agency and its 4.1L I-6 was incredibly smooth, but given how quickly the fuel gauge headed west, I took it back for an exchange within a day. Before even settling into the car, I looked under the hood to find a 1.3L T 3-cylinder engine. Three-cylinder engines have become a lot more prevalent in Europe, even in small SUV-CUV types but typically in econoboxes. As for initial impressions, it looked like the car would be sensible to drive and operate its functions. This tuned out to be true. The seats are supportive and comfortable enough, together with some attractive stitching, The materials are not high grade, with the same tougher fabric which might be in the Malibu. In fact, except for some minor differences, transitioning from a Malibu to a Trailblazer is easy. The width of the cabin, the gauges and switches, and the urethane steering wheel and its controls are similar. In fact, in the Trailblazer, some things are better. The touch screen is engaged in the dash, with the center vents above it, providing for excellent dispersion of what the air conditioner was dishing out - which was very cool. Further down, the cubby for electronic devices is flatter and larger and the outlets and switches are all linearly arranged next to each other for easy use. Also, with the inherently higher seating position, the view is better and the shifter and console height are in a more user-friendly position. The exterior sheet metal shows good taste, and the character lines are nicely done. The front fascia with its lighting set-up is its strong point. Even the rear taillamps look good as they wrap the rear corners. Returning to mechanical specifications, the transmission was a geared one. The interwebs and its owner manual revealed this. If a new Trailblazer is AWD, the transmission is a 9-speed automatic. If it’s a 2WD, the transmission is a CVT. This is a very utilitarian and practical package, and it couldn’t be described as refined. However, the engine is not grainy but its rhythmic but not hushed hum is always present. When pushed, it just hums more audibly. The engine does what it’s supposed to do. With around 140 horsepower, this is not a powerplant with which to riskily pass, sprint up long grades, and think it’s a jackrabbit, despite its having a turbocharger. The transmission is a “humorous” one. I can’t think of another word. There’s the expression “children should be seen and not heard.” In this Trailblazer, it’s more like “children are heard but not seen.” As the gearbox marches through its 9 gears, the spool-ups are quick and you hear them, but the unit slushes into the next gear as if it was a CVT and you don’t even feel the shifts. However, if throttled, you will definitely feel the shifts and, in stop and go driving at lower speeds, it can hunt within the first 3 gears and do it in a jerky way. However, in composed linear driving, the shifts are seamless but the short intervals for each gear, complete with the “sound effects,” was humorous … at least to me. The Trailblazer is a nimble enough vehicle. It rides fairly smoothly, but can quickly become unsettled. Its ride quality is not as budget-like as that of the now gone Chevy Spark and Sonic, but not as pleasant as that in the Malibu or even what they were able to accomplish in the final-gen Cruze. Wind noise is reasonably controlled, but tire and suspension related noises aren’t as effectively soaked up. The road surface is always being communicated to the cabin, telling you this is not a premium vehicle. In the CUV-SUV category, I’ve only driven the much larger Chevy Traverse with a 3.6 VVT V6 … and we’re talking two different worlds. With the higher seating position, front and side visibility are good. The thick rear sail panel makes angled rear visibility challenging. This seems to be the norm in this typology of vehicles. This unit did not have parking or side traffic sensors, which are much needed, and a few lane changes were more challenging since I like to mix up looking over my shoulder and using the mirrors. With the rear seat up, storage space is good … thanks to the Trailblazer’s the boxy shape, and it’s very good with the split rear seat folded forward into the cabin. It would come in handy to move boxes or a bundle of items. There was a slot for a rear cover over the storage area, but it was missing. This is one of the reasons I try to avoid this typology at the rental counter. The windows are more tinted toward the rear, but I was still not comfortable with that. The rental agency said ‘but we sell insurance for your personal effects.’ I doubt someone has the time to replace apparel and items that have been purchased over a span of agent while traveling. Rental agencies don’t do a good job of monitoring this item. I’m sure that a private owner would keep the retractable cover in its place as needed. Inside, while the controls are logically placed, there is no remote hatch or fuel filler release. However, if the vehicle is locked, the fuel door cannot be opened. Fuel consumption can vary a lot and the instant fuel mileage readout will clue in the driver to that. I set the drivetrain to 2WD and “eco” mode, but it still has to lug around AWD hardware. The readout goes from unimpressive city driving fuel efficiency to very plausible mileage at steady highway cruise. The 9-speed automatic allows the Trailblazer with AWD to cruise at 65 mph at about 1,900 rpms. That’s why it can attain the higher fuel mileage, but it took going to 3 cylinders to attain that. It was very easy to transition to the Trailblazer from several other Chevrolet models, and especially the Malibu. Thinking of the similarities and differences, the Trailblazer could almost be viewed as a higher sitting and less refined riding 3-cylinder Malibu turned CUV-SUV. For a consumer at the intersection of needing the packaging this vehicle provides and its price point, the Trailblazer could make sense. - - - - - PHOTOS FORTHCOMING

Name: DFELT First EV - 2024 Kia EV9 Category: Vehicles Date Added: 2024-04-29 Submitter: David DFELT First EV - 2024 Kia EV9

My vacation this past week didn’t pan out as planned, had to take an abbreviated trip closer to home. Spent the last 3 nights in Marietta, Ohio down on the Ohio River. Took the scenic route today up Ohio Rte 7 to my childhood hometown of Steubenville and out Rte 22 to 250 around Tappan Lake to I-77 then back home to the CLE area. Took a couple scenic drives around Appalachian Ohio back roads Fri and Sat, my CT6 performed great on windy, hilly roads for such a big car. It’s really a great road trip car. Averaged 27.7 mpg over almost 600 miles. Saw some interesting cars on the trip—an orange 70 Mustang coupe and a clean black ‘71 Chevelle. Saw many dead and dying old cars in the backwoods fields and hollers. Near my hotel, saw this red Thunderbird, orange MGB, red 1st gen Honda Insight (haven’t seen one of those forever), and a white C8. Also saw sternwheelers and barges on the river. Fun, restful little getaway.