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The Hyundai IONIQ 9 is a spacious 6 or 7-seater that is extremely comfortable and refined, with all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive, and an electric driving range of up to 385 miles.
It was only a few years ago when the thought of a large all-electric seven-seat SUV was a dream, but we now have the Hyundai IONIQ 9 – not only does it have seven (or six) seats, it also has an electric range of up to 385 miles and is available with all-wheel drive.
The Hyundai IONIQ 9 shares its platform with the Kia EV9, along with elements such as the choice of 6 or 7 seats, but it takes a different design approach. Whereas the EV9 has chunky SUV styling, the IONIQ 9 looks more streamlined, and this is reflected in the aerodynamics, with a drag coefficient of just 0.27Cd compared to the EV9’s 0.28Cd figure. Both of these figures are impressive for large SUVs that, in the case of the IONIQ 9, measure 5,060mm in length and 1,980mm in width.
Another differentiator for the IONIQ 9’s styling is the IONIQ family’s ‘parametric pixel signature design theme’ which is evident in the horizontal daytime running lights, vertical headlights and rear tail lights. We think the IONIQ 9 looks better in the metal than in the early press photographs (helped by the ‘Ionosphere Green’ paint colour of our test car), although we can’t help thinking that there’s a hint of Range Rover Sport about the front headlights, and the rear is somewhat reminiscent of a Volvo 850 or V70 Estate.
The interior is ‘lounge-like’ and modern, with well-designed, user-friendly dashboard controls. Rear passengers in particular benefit from a flat floor, with lots of space for seven occupants in our test car, although the IONIQ 9 can also be specified with a six-seat layout, with the two second row seats having the ability to rotate. The second row of seats can slide forwards and backwards, and the third row of seats can be electrically folded or raised.
With five seats in place, the IONIQ 9 offers a massive boot capacity of 908 litres. Even if you have all seven seats in use, you still have a 338-litre boot. And if you fold down the second and third row of seats, you get a van-like 2,419 litres. And there’s also a front trunk (‘frunk’), which offers 88-litres of storage for charging cables, or 52-litres in all-wheel drive models. There’s a small space under the floor at the very rear of the boot where the parcel shelf can be stored.
All IONIQ 9 models feature a 110kWh battery, with a choice of Long Range 218PS rear-wheel drive, Long Range 307PS all-wheel drive or 427PS all-wheel drive Performance powertrains. The Long Range RWD model has a 160kW rear motor, while the Long Range AWD adds a 66kW front motor for extra performance. For maximum output, the Performance AWD models have 157kW motors on both the front and rear axles.
The IONIQ 9 in all-wheel drive form has a huge towing capacity of 2,500 kg.
To start the IONIQ 9, you’ll need to press a button that’s slightly hidden away behind the bottom right of the steering wheel, on the same stalk as the gear selector, in a similar position to the Kia EV9.
Once you’re underway, you’ll soon be aware of the extremely comfortable ride quality and very quiet and refined driving experience, no doubt helped by Active Noise Control-Road (ANC-R) technology which cancels out unwanted noise (a feature on Ultimate models, along with ‘Ergo Motion’ driver’s seat).
And it’s not likely to be long before you experience the performance. Our IONIQ 9 Ultimate AWD test car had 307 PS of power, 605 Nm of torque, and a 0-62 mph acceleration time of 6.7 seconds (or just 5.2 seconds for the Performance AWD model with 700Nm of torque). Which is impressive for an SUV weighing between 2,578-2,728 kg depending on trim level.
With this weight and the vehicle’s comfortable ride quality you’d expect that handling would suffer, but the IONIQ 9 is surprisingly rewarding through the corners, with more life to the chassis than you would imagine, and of course thanks to all-wheel drive, grip levels are excellent.
There are three main drive modes to choose from, Eco, Normal and Sport (and MyDrive), and also a Terrain option, giving the options of Snow, Mud and Sand. You can select your preferred mode via buttons conveniently located at the front of the centre console. You can also adjust the level of brake regeneration by using steering wheel-mounted paddles, which is the best solution to do this.
The cabin of the IONIQ 9 is well designed and also user-friendly, featuring similarities with the Kia EV9. There’s a 12.3-inch central touchscreen, a 12.3-inch driver’s instrument display, and a head-up display. Under the touchscreen is a row of physical shortcut buttons for items such as home, map and media, as well as a physical volume dial.
Under these buttons is a collection of climate controls including large dials for cabin temperature. This is a slight departure from the Kia EV9, which requires you to press a button to toggle between shortcut buttons and climate controls.
Below the climate controls are two storage compartments, one of which is for a mobile phone, and there’s a large centre console with a huge storage area, two drinks holders and another area for wireless phone charging.
One of our favourite buttons is the one on the steering wheel to easily switch off the lane departure warning system and so eliminating steering interventions. And unlike some new cars, thankfully you still have physical controls for adjustment of the door mirrors.
Hyundai AI Assistant uses Generative AI to assist the driver in controlling multiple vehicle systems such as climate control functions and navigation.
The Hyundai IONIQ 9 Ultimate 307PS AWD has a 110 kWh battery which provides a 376-mile range, or up to 385 miles for the rear-wheel drive model. After a week on test the real-world range was averaging 330 miles.
The IONIQ 9 is built on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform with 800V charging architecture, giving a maximum ultra-rapid charging rate of 233 kW. This should translate to a 10% to 80% DC charging time of 24 minutes. The IONIQ 9 has an on-board 10.5 kW charger.
All IONIQ 9 models feature a standard heat pump, manually-selectable battery conditioning and Vehicle 2 Load (V2L) capability with an internal 3 pin plug in the boot.
The IONIQ 9 is available with a choice of Long Range 218PS RWD, Long Range 307PS AWD or 427PS AWD Performance powertrains.
Prices start from £64,995 for the IONIQ 9 Premium 218PS RWD, most easily identified by its 19-inch alloy wheels.
Available from £73,495, the IONIQ 9 Ultimate 307PS AWD features 20-inch alloy wheels.
The range-topping Calligraphy model starts from £75,795 for the 307PS AWD. As well as having 21-inch wheels, the Calligraphy is also available in a 6-seat configuration with a sliding centre console, and the ability to rotate the second row of seats when parked. Calligraphy models can also be specified with Digital Side Mirrors and a 427PS AWD powertrain.
Our test car came with Ionosphere Green Metallic / Pearl paint (£700). Matt paint is available for £1,200, and Digital Side Mirrors can be specified on Calligraphy models for £1,000.
The Hyundai IONIQ 9 shares its base with the Kia EV9, which is a good thing, as we rate the EV9 very highly. The IONIQ 9 offers lots of space, with seating for six or seven, a very comfortable ride, an impressively long driving range, and ultra-rapid charging. In all-wheel drive form, there’s lots of grip, and performance is more than adequate in all three models with their varying power outputs. The IONIQ 9 has a more streamlined exterior compared to the more SUV-like EV9, along with Hyundai’s ‘parametric pixel signature design theme’, and although the brand has stamped its own styling on the cabin, it remains as well designed and user-friendly as the EV9. So, like the EV9, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 10 out of 10.
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