KIA EV9 GT-Line AWD (7 seater)

I was glad to have the EV9 as a test vehicle on our trip, as I have seen it heavily praised elsewhere in this magazine. The SUV, which Kia describes as its flagship electric vehicle, is the company's first to have seven seats. The first two rows are heated while every person in the car potentially has their own USB-C connection. If just two of you are travelling in the car, you can fold the two rear rows down to create some 2318 litres of storage space. (You might also be interested in the six-seater GT-Line S model, which has an option where the second row seats can be swivelled, creating a lounge area that is more comfortable to sit in if you stop en route.) All that should make it a great tow car, and it is. It has a kerbweight of 2648kg, which puts the 85% match figure at 2251kg - well above the 1800kg MTPLM of our Adria caravan. That beefy weight is mainly thanks to the 141kW motors which power each axle separately in this AWD vehicle. I never really felt as though it was towing a caravan that was more than 8m long. I was particularly impressed at how quickly the car pulled away on one occasion when I was forced to come to a halt at the bottom of a hill because of an oncoming vehicle. But I did have a couple of issues. The EV9 is equipped with all manner of safety features, which is fantastic, but that means that it has a seemingly infinite number of alarms. You appear to set off three different noises just in the course of opening the driver’s door. I know these alarms can be disabled, but that process is fiddly and to me seems counter productive. Also, at 5.015m in length, it’s longer than some campervans that you might choose to tow the Adria with. It certainly felt rather large for some supermarket car parks in my area — you'll need to check that you're happy with the sheer size of this car for everyday use. Kia claims the electric motor has a range of 313 miles. I was impressed by the way the range indicator takes account of the fact that you are towing. I found you needed to start looking for a charging point after just under 200 miles. All in all, I can certainly see why our Tow car editor once described this as “the best EV for towing we've driven so far”.

- Peter Baber

Price £73,285 Kerbweight 2648kg 85% of kerbweight 2251kg

Maximum power 378bhp @ 4000-7800rpm Maximum torque 516lb ft @ 3800 rpm