RORY: This time on Fifth Gear, Jason and I head to Iceland.
It's basically Scotland, but with angrier rocks.
We're braving the land of ice and fire
in Kia's new large SUV, the EV9...
(LAUGHS)
..to see if it really lives up to the standards
of its luxurious competitors.
Do you sometimes get the feeling that we shouldn't be here?
Yeah, of course, we shouldn't.(LAUGHS)
There's bloody volcanoes out here. There's volcanoes all around us!
Our very own Lady Victoria Butler-Henderson
flicks gracefully through the classifieds...
..and plucks out a pair of pre-loved saloons
that are oozing luxury.
Just look at this. It's like the Savoy on wheels.
And it's a battle of the sporty convertibles,
as Jason pits the Abarth 500e... (LAUGHS)
..against the world's best-selling roadster, Mazda's MX-5,
to see which is the fastest around our track.
It's gonna be a close-run thing.
Now, then, time for a success story.
Can we talk about Kia?Yes, please.
There's not many car manufacturers over the last 20 years or so
who've upped their game as much as Kia. Agreed?
To be fair, though, they were starting from quite a low point.
Who remembers the Kia Pride? That was a shed.Yes.
I don't even remember that, but I'm gonna suggest that it wasn't the most stylish?No.
Well, nowadays, they make some of the best EVs,
and they're having a go at the luxury SUV sector.
I think it is a pretty bold move
for them to be taking on the likes of Range Rover.
Yeah, but they're full of confidence right now.
It's like they're literally ready for any challenge.
This is Iceland,
a savage lump of rock
marooned on the fringes of the Arctic Circle,
a land where nature's elements lock horns in battle.
Ice versus fire.
And we're hoping to conquer those elements with this,
the top-of-the-range Kia EV9 GT,
which costs around 75 grand.
Kia's first luxury SUV
will be looking to go toe-to-toe with more expensive four-by-fours
from brands like Mercedes and BMW.
It's a good-looking car. It's a great-looking car.
It's got this kind of, like, butch American SUV stance to it,
about a similar size to, like, a Range Rover,
but even though it's big, it's got loads of little details
everywhere you look to keep you interested.
Yeah.It's very cool. Have you seen the shape here?
If you look at it from the side... It slopes down.
..it's quite aggressive, and then it's flat there. We've got quite a raked windscreen angle.
Despite its boxy shape, the streamlined bonnet profile
helps the EV9 achieve a drag coefficient of 0.28,
which makes it as aerodynamic as the Audi Q8 e-tron.
Yeah, the back end's gorgeous as well. I mean, look at these rear lights.
It looks like it's off a concept car.
Right, I'm driving first. What?Yep.
We're going to be leaving the capital city of Reykjavik,
to follow the golden circle.
This scenic 155-mile route
will allow us to see how the EV9 handles a long journey
along an array of road surfaces from silky smooth tarmac
to volcanic rock.
We'll also take in some of Iceland's most spectacular scenery.
It's extraordinary, isn't it? Unbelievable.
It looks like you've landed on the surface of the moon.Yeah, yeah.
In a futuristic electric car.Yeah.
Yes, you heard me right. As the name suggests,
this EV9 is a luxury SUV that's entirely electric.
This is a bit tasty in here, isn't it?
It is quite nice, isn't it?Yeah. Yeah. I do like it.I mean, this...
I like the way they've integrated... This is a big screen,
but obviously, it's horizontal, you know, it's not tall,
but it seems to fit in the dashboard well.
However, there is one drawback to the touchscreen.
What I don't like, though, you've got these soft buttons here,
which aren't physical buttons. They do vibrate, they're kind of haptic when you press them.Yeah.
But when you're touching the touchscreen,
you rest your hand on this bit where the buttons are,
so you accidentally press...Ah! ..all these shortcut buttons.
And it spears off into a different menu!Yeah. Not good.
This top-of-the-range EV9
has every mod-con you could wish for.
I've got heated seats,
I've got cooled seats as well, so I can have my bum on fire,
or on ice.On ice. Yeah, that's good.
Do you know they've got seat heaters and seat coolers in the middle row?
That's quite good. It's different, isn't it?Yeah.
You don't often see that.Fancy.
It's available as a single-motor model
or a racier twin motor.
This is a dual-motor car.Yep.
Quick?Let's find out.
Yeah, quite quick. That's actually surprisingly quick.
Wafty, isn't it?It's all right. It's not as quick as, say, like, a Model X Plaid or something.No.
But it's got enough grunt.Yeah.
Yeah, I like that.Bearing in mind it's a seven-seat car.Yeah. Are you all right, kids?No.
They're - No, they're quiet, they're happy!(LAUGHS)
The EV9 can power its two and a half tonnes from standstill
to 62 miles per hour in just 5.3 seconds.
That's quicker than the Honda Civic Type R.
And with its large 100-kilowatt-hour battery,
Kia claim it can do around 330 miles on a full charge.
What's it drive like? What's the steering like?It's good.
Yeah?One thing I have noticed is that it's quite soft,
the steering, just with little bits of movement, but then you get to a certain point,
and it really turns.It picks up. Yeah.Yeah, yeah.
It's quite quiet in here as well. Obviously, it's electric, so you get that anyway,
but road noise, tyre noise, wind noise.Yeah.
Even though it's a massive car, that's all quite good.
I like there are buttons, like your temperature, like the volume,
so it's not all on the screen. Yeah, physical buttons. Which is the way to do it.
While Jason and I have our eyes glued
to Iceland's ever-changing scenery,
the EV9 has its eyes firmly fixed on the driver. (ALARM BEEPING)
It says I need a cup of coffee. It says, "Consider taking a break."
It's still, look... It's still scanning your face.
It knows you're looking at the landscape instead of at the road.
The dash-mounted camera can instantly tell
if the driver is tired or distracted
by constantly tracking their eye movements.
(YAWNS)(ALARM BEEPING)
Oh, it saw your yawning then. (LAUGHS)
It may be a bit Big Brother, but some drivers just don't realise
that they're tired until it's too late.
But not us. We've pulled in for a much-needed coffee stop
and to give the Kia's batteries a little top-up.
There are over 400 charging stations in Iceland.
And if you find an ultra-fast 800-volt charger,
then 148 miles of range can be added to the EV9
in just 15 minutes.
Right, a little recharge of the batteries.
Look at this.Whoo!
All right, I'm driving.
Initial thoughts? What do you reckon?
I really like this.Yeah? I think it feels brilliant.
There's a kind of smoothness to it.
A plushness. A suppleness. Sure -A niceness.
Check you out with your big descriptive words.I know, I know, it feels good!
The elevated seating position,
acres of glass space, and dual sliding sunroofs
make the EV9 a very nice place
to take in Iceland's breathtaking scenery.
It's basically Scotland, but with angrier rocks...
(LAUGHS)..that could kill you.
Can I just introduce you to a few negative points, though?
Go on. To be devil's advocate.Yeah.
I don't like the feel of the steering wheel. What do you mean?Yeah.
This is the first thing you touch when you're in the car, right?
It doesn't feel, the material, as nice.Mm-hm.
Also, I don't like the power button.
Down here on this stalk, you've gotta stick...
You've gotta jam your hand into this little,
tiny, little enclave to press the power button.
Put the power button somewhere sensible, for goodness sake.
That's not really a gripe, that's just a whinge.
What if you've got big hands, like me?Well, you have.
My hand cannot fit in the little gap for the power button.
What are you talking about? Go between the spokes.My fingers
aren't long enough to reach it. (LAUGHS)
He often gets like this. A bit moody, a bit grumpy.
(LAUGHS)
Right now seems like a good time for a break.
Later on, we'll be getting down and dirty
with Iceland's unforgiving wilderness,
as we unleash the EV9's off-road superpowers.
(WHIMPERS)Oh, you fighter. No, Jason, no.
That's... So, we've definitely found our limit, haven't we?Have we?
Plus, the return of a Fifth Gear favourite.
Isn't it nice?Ooh!Don't you think?
We see if the new Ford Transit drives as well as it looks.
There was a vole. A water vole.
(LAUGHTER)
And Jason's setting hot laps in a pair of feisty convertibles,
the electric Abarth 500e... Can you hear it?
Mm.
..and the legendary Mazda MX-5.
It's just a great little car.
Right, OK, quiz time now.
Name me the UK's best-selling vehicle
for two of the last three years.
Gotta be a Ford, surely.Yep.
You say vehicle, though, rather than car.Yep.
It's got to be the Transit, then.
Yep. Would you believe
80,000 were sold last year?
Eighty thousand.Eighty thousand?
Yep.What? It's just a van! Why?
Mate, it's not just a van. It's a British institution.
Exactly, they're brill to drive, you get loads of stuff in them,
and, well... (CHUCKLES) ..everybody has got to love a Transit.
It is the law.
And here's the all-new Ford Transit,
59 years after the original Transit van was launched.
This new model is said to be more practical, comfortable,
and better to drive than ever before.
It's currently available only with a diesel engine.
It has a lighter platform
and a longer wheel base to accommodate the batteries
for the soon-to-be-released electric version.
I love a Transit van.
I love a Tranny, absolutely love a Tranny.Nice.
So what's new about this one? Well, this is a completely
redesigned front end. How much more efficient, Vicks?
This is 13% more aerodynamic than before.
It's also... The roof line is lower.
It's just under two metres in height, so that you get a bit better clearance
when you're going into various car parks with all those barriers.They're great.
The longer I look at it, the more I'm drawn to it.Yes!Especially in this terracotta colour.
(LAUGHS)If my plumber turned up in this, I'd be like,
"Oh, he knows his eggs." Come and have a look at this.
With 6.8 cubic metres of load space to play with,
Rory's plumber will be able to squeeze in a dozen kitchen sinks.
Or one double bed.(LAUGHTER)
Don't worry, I haven't completely lost the plot.
My interior design is a nod to mine and Vicki's misspent childhood.
You remember these days. Oh, yes.Karting as kids.Yes.
We didn't sleep like that, we slept crossways.
Not you and I slept, let's just...
Yeah, we'll put that just straight. Yeah, cos that was all the karting kit. For years,
me, my mum, my dad...Yeah? ..and the Doberman, Castrol,
this is how we lived. We lived in vans.Yeah.
I remember waking up in karting vans,
and the condensation of your breath overnight.Yeah.
The dripping on the ceiling... Yeah...from the -
Occasionally, you would get a drip. Yeah, exactly.
Let's see what it's like in the back.
Rear access has been improved, the floor's been lowered,
and the double doors have a 1.4-metre-wide opening.
That is really tempting. I'm just gonna -
Oh, Rory!Ah, yes.
We've converted him, haven't we?
That is genuinely brilliant.Yeah.
Get out of there! Let's get up front.
All right, bagsy, not sitting in the middle. (LAUGHS)
Isn't this -
Cosy.Isn't it nice? Ooh!Don't you think?
I have to say that there is a little less shoulder room in here
on the passenger seat than there was before.
I was the jam in the Rory and Jason sandwich in there,
and to be fair, it was quite a nice place to be.
(EXCLAIMS) It's pretty cool, isn't it?I love it, yes.
They're getting more and more car-like,
don't you think? Yeah, enormously.
This gear lever, you have 6-speed manual, there's an 8-speed auto available as well.
But once you're on the move, that position is so ergonomic.
Loads of space as well. So, you've got this glovebox on the top of the dash.Love that.
A glovebox at the bottom of the dash.
And I love, in the doors, you've got a triple layer of storage.Yeah.
You don't have to put your hand all the way down to the bottom and get things.
Look, I've got a cupholder up here. You have.Yeah.What do you put in your cupholder?Ah, keys.
That's pretty cool.Genius. Nice big screens.Yeah. It feels a lot more flash and fancy.
It feels very well-specced.Yeah.
Time to hit the track
and see if the all-new Transit Custom
drives as well as it looks.
(OBJECTS CLATTERING) (GASPS)What was that?The vase.
Your face has fallen off! The vase.
That's all right, don't worry about that.
The handling in a Transit van is actually surprisingly good.
Jason was chucking it around.
What's wrong with you? There was a vole.
A water vole.(LAUGHTER)
The high driving position, the fact that you're pushed quite
far forward really makes driving a van,
like, an enjoyable experience.
What's it like to drive, then? It's quite car-like.Yeah.
That's what is so lovely about the Transit.
The previous generation one, I drove from London to Wales,
spent a day at a test track in a supercar,
and I couldn't wait to get back in my van...
No way...to get from Wales back to London.
I, honestly - It was so comfortable.
(OBJECTS CLATTERING) I think the table's just gone.
Is that the table? I think the table's gone.
(OBJECTS CLATTERING)Ooh!
Can I mess with your drive modes? Oh, yeah.You can. I wanna see what you're in.
You're in normal. Can we go into eco?
No-one will ever use that, but just see what that's like.
It's taken all the power away from me.Has it?
Sport. (MOTOR REVVING)
Ooh! See, I didn't touch the throttle then.
No.Really? It just sped up.It just did it.
Picked up its skirt.Ooh.Oh, yes!
Do you know what? It's all right, isn't it?Yeah.
It does feel quite agile. Yeah.It's a light thing, isn't it?
D'you know? It's good fun to drive, actually.
The new Transit is a whopping 100 kilograms lighter
than the previous model. It's got a 55-litre fuel tank,
which is a bit smaller than some of its rivals,
but with fuel economy around 38.7 miles per gallon,
it should be able to get close to, what,
450 miles between fill-ups?
This screen, then, boys, has got no knobs on it.Yeah.
But things like the heating, they're quite easy to get to.
You're almost one click away from what you actually need,
so that is great. Could've done with a few more knobs...
..apart from the ones to my left and right.
Can you use your glove to operate the controls?
So, if you're on a cold winter's day getting in and out of your van -
You can.Oh!Ah-ha-ha!
Oh, you can! All right. Fair play.
I'd rather have knobs, 100%. If I had the option, if they said, "Look, do you want touchscreen,
everything on, or knobs?" I'd want knobs.
So, my overall summary of the new Ford Transit Custom is it's a van,
and a really good one. And on that basis,
I'm gonna give it a ten. It's a van, innit?
My love for the Transit van just keeps on growing,
and if it had a V12 engine in it, I'd give it a ten, but it hasn't,
so it gets a very strong nine.
I can't go 9.5, cos that's too much.
But it is better than the old one, so I'm gonna give it a 9.2...
..and five.
Which means the Transit Custom
has a spectacular score of 28 and a quarter,
our highest team test score ever.
Two cars on the same track, with me behind the wheel. (LAUGHS)
But which will be quickest?
Time for a Fifth Gear shootout.
Today, we've got a pair of compact, low-cost sporty convertibles,
but with very different drivetrains.
One petrol-powered, one electric.
Mazda's MX-5 resuscitated the two-seat sports car sector in 1989,
when it was launched into a hot hatch-obsessed market,
and even today, it remains the benchmark
low-cost sports car.
This fourth-gen car is the range-topping Homura,
which is a two-litre petrol engine
that launches it from nought to 62 in 6.8 seconds.
Oh, you fighter. (LAUGHS)
Its rival is the diminutive Abarth 500e Turismo convertible.
Abarth have tweaked Fiat's electric 500
to produce 152 horsepower,
which will see it hit 62 in seven seconds.
It can't match the Mazda's top speed,
but the twisty Llandow Circuit
should favour the electric Fiat's instant torque delivery.
See, it feels actually really good in my hands.
The MX-5 boasts a winning combination of rear-wheel drive,
a lively petrol engine, and go-kart-like handling.
Is it really about to be blown off the track
by a battery-powered Fiat 500?
Well, let's start with the Mazda.
One of the great things about this car is
the steering is pinpoint accurate.
It doesn't have...
..a great deal of understeer, which is nice.
One thing I do like about this car is the gearbox is beautiful.
It's just got a really short throw.
The two-litre engine produces 184 horsepower.
I mean, by today's standards, it's not amazing,
but it weighs just over a tonne.
So, in terms of power-to-weight ratio
and the feeling you get, oh, it's great.
The issue is getting the stability control system
to allow you to unleash that power.
Every time I get sidewards,
it takes the power away from me, and I don't want that.
It's like... Just like there.
Cos what happens is, it starts taking the power off
just as I've caught the slide and corrected it,
and then it wants to spit you left. I wish it didn't do that.
But I have to say...
..it's a great little car. You know, it's good fun.
Time for a fast lap.
Start the watch.
Ooh, you fighter.
Come on, JP.
It's just a great little car.
(ENGINE REVVING)
Here we go!
Stop the watch. The MX-5 sets a time
of 50.54 seconds.
Now for the Abarth 500e.
My first impressions...
..I mean, I can feel it's heavier, for sure, but...
Brakes are very good.
It's pretty good, actually. Normally, with electric cars,
they understeer, cos they're heavy. It's front-wheel drive.
Steering's quite precise.
Oh-ho-ho! Doesn't like those kerbs.
It's not as well damped as the MX-5.
There are three drive modes,
and I've opted for the fuller tank scorpion track mode.
This unleashes full power
and prevents the car recharging the battery under braking.
And for the petrolhead fanbase
missing the sound of an internal combustion engine,
well, they've got an unusual solution.
The boffins at Fiat,
they've installed a whacking great, big speaker underneath the car where the...
Normally where the spare wheel well would be,
and it mimics the sound of a car.
(ENGINE REVVING) Can you hear it?
Mm.
It's not bad, but it does sound like it's, erm,
kind of stuck in one gear.
While the MX-5 weighs in at a sniff over one tonne,
the Abarth is over 300 kilograms heavier.
That's like strapping a grand piano to the roof.
Ooh, yeah.
Every time it senses a little bit of wheel slip,
it then cuts the power. That's a shame.
It's certainly not as nimble, but, you know, it's got good turning.
Do you know what? I think it's gonna be very - It's gonna be a close-run thing.
So, can this pint-sized EV defeat the petrol-powered MX-5?
Time for a fast lap. Let's see how we get on.
Start the watch. Oh, full ABS there.
Ooh, come on, JP.
Right, gotta keep it neat and tidy through here, cos this is where the lap time disappears.
At the halfway point, the MX-5's agility
has already given it an advantage of about half a second.
There's a big bump. Ooh, you fighter.
Let's see if we can get a little bit back here.
I feel we've gained a little bit on corner entry there.
The Abarth crosses the finish line in 52.06 seconds.
Over one and a half seconds off the pace.
The electric Abarth's on-tap torque just wasn't enough
to haul its 1.4 tonnes around the twisty Llandow Circuit,
and the featherweight MX-5, well, it won the day.
Petrolheads can breathe a sigh of relief for now.
In part three, on the hunt for low-cost luxury...
Let's give it a little tickle. (ENGINE REVS)
..Vicki is wooed by a stylish Italian...
Quattroporte.
..and seduced by a British fat-cat.
Definitely a pleasant move forwards.
Graceful.
While Jason and Rory test the Kia EV9's rear luggage space...
No! It'll blow!
(GROANS) (LAUGHTER)
..by camping under Icelandic skies.
Cheers, by the way. Oh, you're welcome.
Cheers, old boy.
Do you know what I miss a bit?Go on.
Low-slung saloons.
That good old-fashioned car smell,
proper traditional dials and knobs, a real status symbol.
Yeah, but what's wrong with, like, an SUV?
Nice high riding position, loads of space.
And if you want your status, then there's luxury SUVs.
Yeah, yeah, I know all that,
but back in the day, a luxury car was a lower,
sleeker, leather-lined affair.
You know what? I bet there's loads
of those lovely old bargains out there.
You've just gotta know where to find 'em.Yeah, I'm sure you're right.
While I'll always be the first in line
to drive a track-focussed sports car,
sometimes you just want something smooth and sophisticated.
Today, I'm getting all wafty and going for a serene Jag XJ6
and a stylish Maserati Quattroporte.
Now, as these are cars
that you could easily be driven in rather than drive,
I'm going for the backseat.
Only joking. This is Fifth Gear.
Let's start with the Brit.
The first XJ6 appeared in 1968,
and many motoring journalists
said that it was the best car in the world ever.
XJ stood for "experimental Jaguar",
although why a production car would be experimental,
well, who knows?
Thankfully, the six makes more sense,
because it represents the number of cylinders.
This Series 3 version arrived in 1979.
There were two engine choices,
a 3.4, or the 4.2 that's fitted
to this top-of-the-range Sovereign model.
Its 205 horses can propel the Jag to 62 in 9.8 seconds.
I'm gonna put my foot down. Ooh, a little kick down of the auto box there.
And a nice, steady progression.
Nothing too exciting,
but definitely a pleasant move forwards.
(ENGINE REVS)Graceful.
So, it's no rocket ship,
but thanks to fully independent suspension
and disc brakes all around, it can be driven with enthusiasm.
And then there is the grip,
which is pretty impressive, I have to say.
It kind of squats down and does grip well.
But it's the magic carpet ride quality
that remains its biggest asset.
I can sense that there are lots of things going on underneath,
but here in the cabin and at the wheel,
I feel very calm, very comfortable,
the bumps are nicely cushioned out for me.
So, it's standing the test of time quite well.
And then there are the surroundings.
Such charm. Such character.
Just look at this.
The Connolly leather, the walnut dash,
the deep pile carpets. It's like the Savoy on wheels.
Back in 1987, this car cost precisely £20,795.
Today's classifieds are full of similar vintage XJ6s
that can be had for two or three grand.
However, a decent, well-maintained model
will cost closer to £12,000.
But make sure it is decent,
because you can spend many times the purchase price fixing it.
Here are some things to check.
The engines are robust, but good oil pressure
is essential for a long life.
It should read 40 psi on start-up and at least 20 psi when warm.
If not, a reconditioned engine could set you back six grand.
And to further complicate things,
these gauges can be inaccurate, so get a mechanic to check them.
Make sure the air-con is working.
If not, another six-grand chill could be heading down your back.
And although build quality improved markedly in later years,
XJ6s were still prone to rot,
so check the usual places, like the sills
and front and rear screen surrounds.
Meanwhile, over in Italy.
Quattroporte.
The name sounds so elegant,
and it is just as well we don't say it in English,
or else we'd be saying "four doors".
The Quattroporte first arrived in 1963,
and over the next four decades, four models were made,
but it didn't really set the world on fire.
At one point, only five cars were sold over two years.
However, in 2004, this came along,
the Mk5.
Maserati ploughed £140 million into the development,
and brought in Italian style house Pininfarina
to clothe it with a sleek suit,
and I think they did a very good job.
And being a Maserati, it moves. (ENGINE REVS)
Although more powerful engines followed,
the first cars had a 4.2-litre V8, as this one does,
and I have to say, it's more than enough.
Four hundred horsepower gets it to 62 in 5.2 seconds. Ooh.
And on to 170, when the law allows.
It just goes to show how the game had moved on,
because this has almost double the power of the XJ6.
Let's give it a little tickle. (ENGINE REVVING)
I really think that the engine is the superstar here.
It is noisy, fantastically noisy.
It is quite rev-y, and it just has loads of punch.
It's quite addictive.
So, it looks good, it sounds good, and it goes well.
And there's loads of space in the front and back,
which is hardly surprising, as the car is over five metres long.
Twenty years ago, this car cost £77,000,
but now a nice 50,000-miler like this one
could be yours for under 12,000.
That's very tempting,
but don't forget this is automobile exotica,
so do keep your wits about you when buying.
For example, the clutch only lasts 20,000 to 30,000 miles,
and it's £3,000 to replace.
The car weighs nearly two tonnes, and eats brakes.
A set of front discs and pads will set you back £1,500.
And if you hear tapping from the engine,
it could mean camshaft trouble, and cost you £5,000.
But now it's decision time. Which car would I want to take home?
So, British beef or Italian smoothie?
Serenity or adventure?
It really depends what mood you're in.
I'm finding it so hard to choose,
but I might have to just go slightly adventurous.
Ah, tough. (LAUGHS)
Now, it's time to return to mine and Rory's
mega road trip around Iceland.
It looks like you've landed on the surface of the moon.Yeah, yeah.
We're testing Kia's new electric luxury SUV, the EV9.
Yesterday, we travelled 49 miles
from our starting point in Reykjavik,
and first impressions were good. We loved its design.
It's a good-looking car. It's a great-looking car.
And the ride and cabin comfort were also top quality.
The only real gripe for me
was the positioning of the power button.
What if you've got big hands, like me?Well, you have. My hand cannot fit.
Our next destination is our overnight stop,
and I've heard about a Korean trend that could be perfect
for testing out the EV9's space, comfort, and practicality.
Where are we going next, Jason?
We're gonna go and do a bit of chabak.
We're gonna go and do a bit of chabak? Is that what the youth are doing these days?
Oh, everyone who is cool is doing chabak.What is chabak?
Well "cha" is "car", and "bak" is "stay".
Car, car stay, car camping.
Car camping? Yeah, we're gonna camp.
Cos this is massive, and the seats recline
and do all that stuff, so I thought we'd camp.
Right, then, let's get camping, mate.
What I will say, Jason,
is that the back of this car is massive, isn't it?
Enormous. Well, give us the numbers.
Three hundred and thirty-three litres,
with all rows of seats up.Right.
And then you fold 'em flat, so third row down,
you get 800 litres, with the last row folded down.
Right.And if you wanna go even further,
you smack back the second row. Then, look, 2,400 litres. Massive.
I'm still not camping with you. Gonna be nice.
Look, I've got... I've got a pump, a flopped airbed.
Mate, you go and get that sorted. You're genuinely serious, aren't you?
No, I am, and I've got some other little surprises as well.
(PUMP WHIRRING) Jason, shouldn't you be doing this?
Jay, your bed's ready. It looks great. Oh, you fighter.
Mate, get yourself in here! I'm not getting in there with you.
Come on, man! Come on, mate.
No! It'll blow!
(GROANS) (LAUGHTER)
Look at this! We've got a little sky roof thing.I know.
Do you know what? I'm actually coming around to this.
It is quite nice in here. It's all right, isn't it? Can we have some privacy, please?Yep.
(BEEP) (MOTOR WHIRRING)
This is brilliant!
Now, as well as a huge boot,
the EV9 has VTL, or "vehicle to load",
which basically means you can run electrical devices,
like this air fryer, using the car's battery.
Right, this is my vehicle to load dongle.
Switched on. Let's turn that on.
Whack the bad boy in there.
Off she goes. Ten minutes later,
we'll have some popcorn. Sweet. (EXHALES)
And it's not just fashionable kitchen accessories you can plug in.
If you get bored of Mother Nature's panoramic view,
you can always watch a movie. All right, isn't it?
Beer.Not bad, mate, not bad, not bad. Wanna try the popcorn?
Absolutely. Cheers, by the way. Oh, you're welcome. Cheers, old boy.
So, we've got everything set up, we've got a projector plugged into the car.
What are we gonna watch? Ah.
Well, Fifth Gear, obviously.
There's me! Yeah, but what are you wearing?
(LAUGHS) That is haute couture.
Send it.BOTH: Send it!
(LAUGHTER)
Cheers, Jason. (LAUGHTER) (GLASSES CLINK)
The next morning, we discover that our evening's entertainment
only used up seven percent of the EV9's battery capacity.
And that's not all the car can tell us.
Quite interesting, actually.
So, running that projector off the battery,
you could run it for 36 hours. No way.
And along with a growing number of EVs,
you can even power your house from the car.
Just charge your batteries on a super-cheap tariff at night,
and use the stored electricity during the day, when you need it.
Mate, that's -It's not bad. That's ace, isn't it?It is.
It's time to hit the road
to see what Iceland can throw at the EV9 today.
D'you know? My only problem with Iceland
is that it's probably too beautiful.
Like, it's just hammering me into submission with beauty.
(LAUGHS)Just incessant. Everywhere you look is stunning.
While everything outside the car was a sensory delight,
within the EV9, our ears were being bombarded
by a cacophony of safety warnings.
So, we've both driven the car now, Jason. (BEEPING)What the -
What - What the - We both hate the beeping.
Well, what's going on? And every time you turn it off
and then turn the car on again, it starts to beep. (BEEPING)
Well, it never stops bonging. There it goes again.Oh, God.
What's that one?That's just -
Was that the lane? No, driver's a bit of a (BLEEP).
(LAUGHTER)
In recent years, Iceland has become the second-highest user
of EVs per capita after Norway,
and it's not surprising when you consider that
their electricity costs next to nothing,
thanks to geothermal and hydro power.
Iceland is one of only seven countries
that is pretty much 100% sustainable with its energy production.
Really?Yeah.
Running on the greenest of green energy,
the EV9 is the perfect car for Iceland's roads.
But in the final part of our tour, we quit the tarmac
and head into this amazing rugged volcanic terrain
and see how the Kia copes off-road.
Argh!Oh, you fighter. No, Jason, no.
Welcome back to the final leg of our Icelandic adventure.
It's extraordinary, innit? Unbelievable.
We're road testing Kia's large luxury SUV, the EV9,
by seeing what the land of ice and fire can throw in its path.
The scenery is spectacular, and the car's not bad either.
This is a bit tasty in here, isn't it?
It's quite nice, isn't it?Yeah. It's also practical,
with three rows of seats that can accommodate
up to seven passengers.
It also has vehicle-to-load capability,
which means you can run all manner of plug-in appliances
from the car's battery.
Cheers, by the way. Oh, you're welcome. Cheers, old boy.
One of the main reasons we've come to Iceland
is because it offers a wide range of off-roading possibilities.
This EV9 is the GT line model, which has four-wheel drive.
Although it's not designed for hardcore off-roading,
it does have driving modes for different surfaces.
I've got terrain mode on here.
And I've got options of tarmac, snow, mud, and sand.
And I can see jagged rocks, and mud, and snow.
I mean, it's not a proper off-road test, this, is it?
Well, it's not a proper off-roader, so -Exactly. It's a gravel road.
What are you gonna choose? I think mud.Mud? All right.
The EV9 traction control modes
limit the amount of power that goes to each wheel
and adjusts the suspension settings,
ensuring traction, even on the slippiest of surfaces.
It's also got a camera system.
It'll show you a view of the road ahead, or behind,
and also a top-down view, so if you were doing serious off-roading,
like going up the pavement
to your child's school or something... (LAUGHTER)
Yeah, yeah. Yeah. ..it could come in quite handy.
Navigating a pothole.Yeah.
The EV9 is coping effortlessly with this gravel track.
But soon, we hit something a bit more saucy.
This looks a bit - A bit more promising.A bit better.
It's a bit softer.
Go, get it into sand mode.
OK, sand mode is selected.
Nice.Well, I've not lost any traction at all.
God, this - Does that look boggy?No.No.
Just keep it up, keep it up.
Oh, no, we're gonna go right through.
Oh.Yes. I'll tell you what, ground clearance isn't massive, but it's enough.
I know, I know. It's doing all right, isn't it?
Oh, there's some nasty rocks there.
I think... I think keep going.
The EV9 has just under 20cm of ground clearance.
That's only two centimetres less than a BMW X5 or a Range Rover.
Unfortunately, some of the rocks on this trail
are just a little larger.
(RUMBLING) Argh! Oh, you fighter.No, Jason, no.
We've definitely found our limit, haven't we?Have you...
Have you done any off-roading? Yeah, yeah.(LAUGHS)
That looks soft.Yes. Do you sometimes get the feeling that we shouldn't be here?
Of course, we shouldn't.(LAUGHS)
There's bloody volcanoes out here.There's volcanoes all around us!
The EV9 weighs over 2.6 tonnes.
With the ground getting increasingly soft,
we decide it's time to head back to the tarmac.
We've just gotta find somewhere to turn around.
(GRUNTING)This is a bad idea.
Oh, yeah.Get it around.
Are we sinking?(BLEEP)! Oh, (BLEEP) hell, we are.
Go, go. Jay, (BLEEP) go around.
Go, go forward, forward, forward, forward.
(LAUGHS)
I knew something like this would happen!
Listening to you going, "No, no, no, this'll be fine."
Are we really down?
Oh, Jesus Christ.
Get a couple of rocks under the wheel...
..and that'll get some purchase on it.
It is so soft, innit?
(BEEP) Straight back.
Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop!
Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going.
(LAUGHING)
Don't stop. (LAUGHS)
Mate, I thought... I thought we were... I thought we were...
I thought we were stuck then. I thought we'd had it.
Honestly. (LAUGHS)
Mate, do you remember when we just pulled off and it just went... (MIMICS SINKING)
Having avoided sinking into the volcanic sand by the skin of our teeth,
we're very happy to be heading back to the main road.
And, if anything, even more impressed with the EV9.
It did very well then, cos we were properly stuck.
Oh, no, we were stuck.
We're almost at journey's end.
This is it. This is the end of the trip. We're on our way back. It's brilliant, innit?
I love this place.Oh, do you know what? It is spectacular.
What do you think of the car? I love it. It's a great bit of kit,
and it's a brilliant attempt by Kia
to take on the likes of Merc, BMW, et cetera.
And do you know what? They've done a fantastic job.
Absolutely. You look at this thing, and it's desirable.Exactly.
It is, isn't it?It's well up there.
Right. Well, that's a thumbs up from us.
Shall we go and find some volcanoes?
Subtitles by Deluxe