America’s most popular electric vehicle, the Tesla Model Y, is getting a major refresh. Tesla already launched the Tesla Model Y Juniper in China, but now it’s bringing the vehicle to the US.
Of course, the new Model Y has to go up against a host of competitive electric vehicles, some of which are larger, some faster, and some even cheaper. The Kia EV9 has been hailed for being one of the few full-size electric SUVs that offers a high-quality driving experience without completely breaking the bank.
Can the Tesla Model Y Juniper compete with the Kia EV9? Is one vehicle better for you than the other? Here’s how the two stack up. Keep in mind that we’re only looking at the new Model Y Juniper for this comparison — not the previous-generation Model Y that has been available for some time now.
Design
The designs of the new Tesla Model Y and the Kia EV9 are pretty different. The Model Y is more of a crossover-sized vehicle than an actual SUV, while the EV9 is much more like a traditional SUV with a big boxy shape.
The Model Y Juniper offers a few design updates over the previous generation Model Y. For starters, the headlight is a long light bar at the front that’s split into three sections, unlike the two distinct headlights from the previous model. That trend continues at the back with a light bar as the taillight. Other aspects of the vehicle have been made a little sleeker and a little more modern too.
The EV9, on the other hand, is big and boxy. It’s not as curvy as the Model Y by any means, but it is larger in almost every dimension. On the front, it has Kia’s angular headlights with similarly designed taillights at the back. The EV9 has design touches like Kia’s Digital Tiger Grille at the front, which is a unique look that many will appreciate.
Some things about design are objective, like size. Overall look, however, is subjective, so you’re going to have to decide for yourself which one you like the look of better. This category is a tie.
Winner: Tie
Interior and tech
The interior designs of the vehicles are pretty different too. Tesla interiors are known for their minimalism, and that continues with the latest refresh of the Model Y. At the front of the vehicle, you’ll one large display, which is what you’ll use for both infotainment and monitoring things like driving speed. That’s to say there’s no display behind the steering wheel for the driver. For the Model Y Juniper, Tesla has added things like additional accent lighting, helping make the vehicle look more modern.
Traditionally, the Tesla Model Y has offered an option for a third row of seating, however we don’t yet have confirmation that the Model Y Juniper will have that option. We assume it will — but perhaps only when the vehicle gets a wider launch in the U.S. For now, if you want a Model Y Juniper, you’re stuck with five seats.
That’s not true of the Kia EV9 though. In fact, you can’t get an EV9 without three rows of seating. The EV9 comes with options for either six or seven seats, with the six-seat configuration replacing a second-row bench seat with two more luxurious captain’s chairs.
Apart from the seating arrangement, the EV9 is slightly more traditional in its interior design — though that’s certainly not to say it’s not modern. The vehicle has USB-C ports dotted throughout, comfortable seating, and has features like the swiveling seats (if you get the captain’s chairs in the middle). At the front of the vehicle, there are indeed two displays, one for infotainment and the other for instrument monitoring — and there are additional controls outside of the screen for things like climate and volume.
Interior design, like exterior design, is largely subjective. Do you want more room or a more minimalistic look? You’ll have to decide for yourself.
Winner: Tie
Performance
Next up is performance, however there are a few things to note before we get stuck in. Notably, while Tesla has launched a rear-wheel drive and an all-wheel drive version of the Model Y Juniper in China, in the US, you can get a special edition version of the all-wheel drive model. As such, we don’t yet have any information about a potential Performance model if one ever gets released. And, we’re stuck with the 0-100 km/h acceleration speed of the RWD Model Y Juniper in China, which equates to 0-62 mph — close but not the same as the 0-60mph speed tests available in the US.
The RWD Model Y can accelerate to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds, which is a definite increase over the previous generation’s acceleration time of 6.6 seconds. The so-called launch edition new Model Y being sold in the US right now can do the job in 4.1 seconds, again an increase over the previous generation’s ability to get up to speed in 4.8 seconds.
The Kia EV9’s times are not quite as impressive — though keep in mind the fact that the EV9 isn’t necessarily built as a performance vehicle as much as it’s built as a people mover. The EV9 comes in a range of different configurations, with the EV9 Light taking 7.4 seconds or 8.5 seconds (for the larger battery option), and the EV9 Wind taking 5.4 seconds. The EV9 GT-Line can get to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
The Moto Y is built for a sportier drive, so it gets the win in this category.
Winner: Tesla Model Y
Range and charging
Range is another area where we don’t yet have all the information about the Model Y Juniper. That’s because the Chinese variants of the Model Y are rated by the China Light Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC), which is typically much less strict than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s rating process in the US. That said, we can at least compare CLTC ratings of both the Model Y Juniper and the previous-gen Model Y.
According to the CLTC, the Model Y Juniper has a range of 593 km for the RWD model, which represents an improvement of around 39 km or 24 miles. The AWD Model Y Juniper being sold in the US, has an estimated range of 320 miles, which is a 9-mile improvement over the 311-mile range of the previous generation AWD Model Y.
The range of the Kia EV9 varies quite a bit too, though. The base EV9, called the Light RWD EV9, has only a 230-mile range, with the Light Long Range RWD model offering a 304-mile range. The other models have between 270 and 280 miles of range.
The EV9 can charge faster than the Model Y though. The EV9 is built on an 800V architecture, which means it can charge at up to an impressive 350kW, allowing you to charge from 10-80% in only around 20 minutes. The Model Y tops out at around 250kW.
Still, while charging speed is important, range is more important and that’s why the Tesla Model Y gets the win in this category.
Winner: Tesla Model Y
Price and availability
The Kia EV9 is fully available in the US and has been available for some time now. You can order one right now, with pricing starting at $54,900 for the EV9 Light RWD.
Obviously, previous-generation Model Ys been available for some time too, but the Model Y Juniper has only just launched in the US and is very limited in terms of availability. In fact, only the souped-up launch edition new Model Y is available in the US right now, and even then, it won’t deliver until at least March if you order one. It costs $59,990. That said, we expect more versions of the Model Y Juniper to eventually become available in the US, and when they do, they will most likely be quite a bit cheaper than the launch edition Model and approach the price of the previous-generation Model Y.
In its current edition, the Model Y Juniper is both more expensive and less available than the Kia EV9. So the EV9 gets the win in this category. We’re expecting that to change as the new Model Y gets a wider release, though.
Winner: Kia EV9
Overall winner: Tesla Model Y
The Model Y Juniper is faster and has a longer range than the Kia EV9, and that’s what makes it the winner here. Technically, Kia gets the win in the price category, but that’s only because the Model Y Juniper is currently only available in the launch edition variant. When the Model Y Juniper does get a wider release in the US, it’ll most likely be quite a bit cheaper than the EV9.
When that happens, though, the decision may be slightly different for you. Frankly, it’s probably not worth deciding between these two vehicles based on things like performance. Instead, if you want a large electric SUV, you should go for the EV9. But if you want a smaller, crossover-sized vehicle, then the Model Y is one to consider.
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