Its been a while since I drove as far north as Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte. This time, it would be with Kia and some cars from their their lineup: the fully electric EV9 SUV, the Hybrid Carnival, the Hybrid Sorento and gasoline powered Sonet. This would give us a taste of what it would be like to drive an electric, electrified and an ICE vehicle on a long road trip. How would they fare on a long road trip to Ilocos?

We set off from Solaire North in Quezon City, and our first vehicle to drive was the Kia EV9, Kia’s full-sized, electric, flagship SUV.

Driving it is a Permanent Magnet Synchronus Motor powered by a 99.8-kWh lithium-ion battery, which puts out 384-Ps with 700-Nm of torque and drives all four wheels. And even while on the Eco drive mode, still manages to accelerate like a sports car. The EV 9 has a range of 505-km, and of course that all depends on how you drive.

The interior appointments are high-tech and luxurious, most notable are digital side mirrors, where you have cameras mounted where the side mirrors would usually be. They’re digital monitors inside the cabin located at the lower corner of the A-pillar, easily seen through your periphery. To make challenging long drives bearable, the driver’s seat gets a massage feature, and so do the second row occupants in the captain’s chairs.

As expected, the drive through the tail end of rush hour traffic on EDSA to NLEX and on to SCTEX was a breeze for the EV9. Not that we needed at that power on tap, but it sure made instant overtakes so easy. The ride was plush, but not too firm and NVH levels were low, with very minimal road noise making its way into the cabin at highway speeds. This allowed me and my car mate to enjoy our playlist at a moderate volume and to talk to each other without raising our voices. It helped that there was no engine to make any noise, and the premium Meridien 14-speaker audio system sounded pretty good too.

As we made our way on to SCTEX, it was time to change vehicles. I was sad to relinquish the key of the EV9 for another Kia vehicle. This time it was to get behind the wheel of the Carnival Turbo Hybrid.

I would describe the Carnival Turbo Hybrid as a luxury MPV, leather all around and amenities that you would find in premium executive sedans or vans. The interior doesn't leave you wanting, leather seats, second row captains chairs with power adjust. Up front, you get a full digital instrument display that blends into the 12.3-inch infotainment screen giving the illusion of one wide screen. The audio sounds pretty good from the six-speaker audio system, and it has dual sunroof and dual power sliding doors.

Under the hood is the GAMMA II, a turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline engine which puts out 180-Ps with 265-Nm of torque, its permanent magnet synchronous motor puts out 73.4-Ps with 204-Nm of torque. When combined, the power output is 245-Ps with 266.8-Nm of torque. This is mated to the Smartstream eight-speed automatic transmission, which drives the front wheels. It has Eco, Normal, Sport and Smart drive modes.

On the road, the Carnival didn't feel like it was a large vehicle, the hybrid powertrain gave it the performance of a sporty vehicle, and when cruising on long stretches, was very economical. Overtaking was easy even for a vehicle this size and I only wished there was more than just me and my car mate so I would have the chance to experience the comfort of the second row captain’s chairs. We drove this on SCTEX through TPLEX to the Rosario rotunda where we would have lunch.

After lunch was another vehicle change, and this one would be powered by a DOHC 1.5-liter, four-cylinder gasoline engine. The Kia Sonet puts out maximum power of 115-Ps with 144-Nm of torque, which may pale in comparison to the first two vehicles, but what it lacked in power didn’t disadvantage it on the road at all. In fact, its small size made it a lot of fun when we drove the winding country roads to our hotel in La Union. While power wasn't instant, it was there. You get used to the throttle response pretty quick, it was easy overtaking tricycles and slower vehicles.

By the time we arrived at the Awesome Hotel, we had been driving for about six hours and clocked 247-kilometers, it was the right time to check in and get some rest. As the sun set, it turned out a Kia Sonet K-Style Edition was parked near the beach. This limited edition Sonet is offered in sparkling Silver and Aurora Black with contrasting 16-inch alloy wheels, black wheels for the silver units and silver wheels for black units. It’s also adorned with a K-Style side decal which accentuates the Sonet’s sporty stance.

The next morning, we headed off to Ilocos Norte, and by this time, I was enjoying my time behind the wheel of the Sonet, which would make an ideal first SUV, if you were considering it. I especially liked the analog gauge cluster and “proper” handbrake. Its also equipped with Kia Drivewise ADAS with Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Following Assist, Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Downhill Brake Control, Highbeam Assist and Driver Attention Warning.

Halfway to Paoay, we stopped for another vehicle change, and the next Kia we’d be driving would be the Sorento Hybrid, the top-of-the-line all-wheel-drive variant. Powered by the a turbocharged GDI 1.6-liter gasoline engine which puts out 180-Ps with 265-Nm of torque, with a Permanent Magnet Synchronus Motor which puts out 60-Ps and 264-Nm of torque. Together they have a combined output of 235-Ps with 367-Nm of torque. Mated to a Smartstream six-speed automatic transmission, this drives all four wheels. It has three, user selectable drive modes, Eco, Sport and Smart. A mid-sized SUV, there is definitely a marked difference in the drive experience after coming from the smaller Sonet.

The roads in Ilocos are remarkable, you’d be hard pressed to find bad surfaces, and this contributed to the drive being more enjoyable, especially with more long stretches of open road ahead. It didn’t take much work for the Sorento to get us to our lunch venue, which was just across the street from the iconic Paoay Church.

After lunch, it was time to head to Pagudpud. As we got closer to the Patapat viaduct, it started to rain. This made the drive even more fun and put the capabilities of the AWD system of the Sorento to the test, which remained sure footed on mixed road surfaces. It ate up the asphalt and cement, and handling was very good on the twisting mountain roads. The premium Bose 12-speaker sound system is exactly what you need on a long road trip such as this, because it sounds like you’re hearing all the songs on your playlist for the first time.

We made a short stop at Agua-Grande Hydroelectric Power Plant in Pagudpod, as there was a new AC Mobility EV fast charging station located there. This is just what the EV9’s needed, and something for you to remember if you ever find yourself needing a quick charge in Pagudpod, just make sure you have the EVRO app installed on your smart phone.

After a top up charge on the three EV9’s in our convoy, we made our way to Ikani Surf Resort. This brings our total driven mileage from our start point in Quezon City to roughly 557-kilometers. But that wasn’t the end of it, the next day we drove to the Laoag airport, which was roughly 96-kilometers from Ikani Resort, and by the time we got to the airport for flight back to Manila, we had driven a total of 556.6-kms over the three days of driving from QC, through La Union, Pagudpod and back to Laoag.

This event was Kia’s way of showing us that they have a powertrain for every particular need and budget, whether it’s full electric, hybrid or internal combustion. The models we drove are priced as follows: the Kia EV9 GT- Line - ₱5,938,000, the Kia Carnival Turbo Hybrid - ₱3,498,000, the Kia Sorento Hybrid SX AT AWD - ₱2,938,000 and the Kia Sonet 1.5 SX AT - ₱1,178,000. All are equipped with Kia’s ADAS, ideal for keeping you and your friends or family safe on long road trips. Kia Philippines has shown that range anxiety should not be a problem with the long range of EV9, but, their parent company here in the Philippines, AC Mobility now has charging stations all over Luzon giving Kia EV owners headed north, peace of mind. The Kia vehicles we drove offered good looks, active safety, connectivity to our devices, and are earth friendly with their economical powertrains. And yes they too can make it all the way to Ilocos.