The 2025 EV9 earns straight As across its entire second row, booster included. Its buckles sit on tall stable stalks that kids can work themselves. It does not fit three car seats across, because the tested GT-Line has captain's chairs. The third row is fine for a forward-facing seat and poor for a booster.
Compiled by our gear team from Cars.com's Car Seat Check. Published July 18, 2026. Car seat fit findings from Cars.com's Car Seat Check, conducted by certified child passenger safety technicians.
The grades at a glance
| Test | Grade |
|---|---|
| LATCH | A |
| Infant seat | A |
| Rear-facing convertible | A |
| Forward-facing convertible | A |
| Booster, second row | A |
| LATCH, third row | A |
| Forward-facing convertible, third row | B |
| Booster, third row | C |
| Third-row entry | C |
Three car seats across: no, in the captain's-chair configuration Cars.com tested. Captain's chairs on the tested GT-Line, so no middle seat. Cars.com did not test a bench-seat version, so treat this as a finding about that configuration rather than about the model.
Where the anchors are
Lower anchors. Second row: two sets, partially exposed. Third row: two sets, exposed.
Top tethers. Two midway down the second-row seatback, clearly marked and easy to use. Two more a third of the way down the third-row seatback.
NHTSA recommends always using the top tether with a forward-facing car seat, whether it is installed with the lower anchors or the seat belt, as long as both the car seat manufacturer and the vehicle manufacturer permit it. Check both manuals for your specific combination, and check your car seat's tether weight limit: NHTSA directs you to stop using the tether once your child exceeds it, even while they still fit the seat. Our car seat safety guide covers how to use it.
Infant car seats
Easy. Cars.com found the infant seat installed easily and fit well.
That matters more than it sounds. In a lot of compact vehicles a rear-facing seat pushes the front passenger forward until the front row is unusable. Browse the infant car seats we carry, and if you are weighing whether a rotating base is worth it, see our comparison of rotating versus standard infant seats.
Convertible car seats
Rear-facing. Installed well in the second row with good legroom.
Forward-facing. An A in the second row, a B in the third.
Some vehicles need the head restraint removed or raised to seat a car seat flush against the seatback, and some have fixed restraints that cannot be moved at all. Check your vehicle manual before forcing anything, and note that where a fixed restraint holds the seat off the seatback, that is a fit problem rather than something you can work around. See our convertible seats.
Boosters
The second row is the highlight: buckles on tall stable stalks that kids should be able to manage independently, which is why it earned an A. The third row is a C, where the buckles sink into the cushions and are held in by straps, making them tricky for small hands to find.
Getting to the third row
The step-in is tall, and the GT-Line's power seat takes roughly nine seconds to fold. There is a small pass-through between the captain's chairs as a faster alternative.
Will your stroller fit?
Cars.com's Car Seat Check does not measure cargo volume, so the stroller guidance below is ours rather than theirs. An EV with a front trunk changes the packing maths, so check whether a folded stroller fits there before assuming you need the cargo area.
Cubic feet is the wrong number to shop on anyway. What decides whether a stroller fits is its folded footprint against the width between your wheel wells and the height to your cargo cover. A trunk can have generous volume and still refuse a wide fold.
Measure the space you will actually load into, whatever shape it is: how deep it is, its narrowest width (usually between the wheel arches, or between the bed rails on a pickup), and the height of the opening you have to lift over. Then compare against the folded dimensions of whatever you are considering. If the numbers are close, a compact fold like the Cybex Beezy leaves room for everything else; if you have space to spare, a full-size frame like the UPPAbaby Vista V3 earns it back in storage and expandability. Browse all strollers.
Kia EV9 takeaway
A genuinely strong second row, and proof that an EV does not have to compromise on car seats. One practical warning: the GT-Line's power second-row seat takes about nine seconds to move out of the way, which is a long time in a parking lot in the rain.
Across every vehicle: Which cars fit three car seats · Which cars let kids buckle themselves
More car seat help: Car Seat Safety Guide · All buying guides
Educational information only. This guide is for general education. It is not professional, medical, legal, or safety advice, and it does not create any advisory or professional relationship between you and SugarBabies. You are responsible for the safe selection, installation, and use of any car seat.
How a car seat fits and installs depends on your exact vehicle (its model year, trim, and seating configuration) and your exact car seat model. The instructions that came with your car seat and your vehicle owner’s manual always control. If anything in this article ever conflicts with those instructions, or with current guidance from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), follow the manufacturer instructions, your vehicle manual, and NHTSA, not this article.
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