All Electric vs Gas: 2026 Kia EV9 vs 2025 Kia Telluride for Your 3 Row Family SUV in Connecticut

Passenger space and comfort

The EV9 seats up to seven passengers and gives adults real headroom in the third row. Kia quotes about 81.7 cubic feet of cargo space with seats folded and highlights nearly 30 inches of digital displays up front. (Source: Kia EV9 passenger and cargo specs, turn7search0, turn7search6, turn7news37.)

The Telluride is already known for an upscale cabin, wide second row, and adult friendly third row. Reviewers keep calling it one of the best family SUVs in the country because it feels premium without the insane luxury badge price.

Towing muscle

The EV9 is rated to tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. That is a big statement, because many EVs are not even rated to tow.

The Telluride can tow up to 5,000 pounds in most trims and up to 5,500 pounds in X-Pro models with heavy duty cooling.

Result: Telluride still wins max tow by about 500 pounds in its X-Pro setup, but EV9 is shockingly close for a full electric SUV.

Range and refueling

EV9 range sits in the 230 to 300 plus mile window depending on trim. Kia and outside testers report up to around 304 miles on certain versions. The EV9 can DC fast charge from about 10 percent to 80 percent in roughly the low 20 minute range on a 350 kW charger, and it now uses the North American Charging Standard port so you can access most Tesla Superchargers. (Source: EV9 range and fast charging claims, turn7search0, turn7search3, turn7news37.)

Telluride is traditional. You fill the tank in five minutes anywhere, then drive. Gas is still the easiest road trip answer if you hate planning charging stops. But you will keep buying gas, and you will not get instant torque silence the way the EV9 does.

Winter and cold weather behavior

• EV9: Available heat pump and battery warmer to help preserve cold weather range, heated first and second row seats, heated steering wheel, and all wheel drive.
• Telluride: Available all wheel drive, higher ride height in X-Line and X-Pro, and traditional V6 torque that does not care about low temps.

Warranty and long term cost

Kia backs both SUVs with a 10 year or 100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty for the first owner. That coverage is one of the strongest selling points in the non luxury market and applies to EV9 and Telluride.

So which one makes sense in Connecticut

If you want minimum gas station stops and you are not ready to plan charging routes for ski weekends, Telluride still feels familiar and easy. If you are ready to go electric, want instant torque, and like the idea of towing a small camper without burning fuel, the EV9 is not a science experiment anymore. It is a real 3 row family SUV built for New England weather.

See full Kia EV9 details at kia.com and Telluride specs at kia.com.