Hyundai Ioniq 9 Review 2025

With no sign that car buyers’ appetite for SUVs is going to subside anytime soon growing numbers of manufacturers are seeking to fill niches within their model line-ups, particularly with fully-electric drive systems. Using modular underpinnings similar to those of its Kia EV9 cousin is another ultra-modern, battery-powered seven-seater – the Hyundai Ioniq 9.

Sitting above the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 models in the Korean brand’s range, this electric SUV promises to have even more interior space and seating flexibility than the much-admired, combustion-engined Hyundai Santa Fe.

Just as the Ioniq 5 and 6 manage to look related without being especially alike, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 pulls off the same trick – there’s a family resemblance yet it doesn’t look like any of the firm’s other designs in scaled-up form.

Hyundai refers to the styling as Aerosthetic, which is to say its surfaces are smoothed off and – in isolation, at least – it appears to be not especially enormous, more like an estate than a luxury SUV, although the tape measure confirms that the Ioniq 9 is 5060mm long, 1980mm wide and 1790mm high.

That the Ioniq 9 has a mildly passing resemblance, particularly from the sides and rear, to the Volvo EX90 – one of its key rivals – is a fortunate coincidence, but there’s sufficient Hyundai-ness in the detailing to ensure there’s a clear distinction. The pixel-look LED head and tail lights, as well as the angular chamfering along the bodysides, hint at the Ioniq 5, while the ‘eyebrows’ over the wheelarches are unique to this model.

A choice of three electric power options are available for the Hyundai Ioniq 9 although all share the same enormous 110.3kWh battery pack. The difference is in the number of motors and their overall output. Power outputs range between 218PS and 427PS, and the driving range is up to 385 miles, depending on the version.

Although there are three trim levels for the Hyundai Ioniq 9, they're not all available with multiple power options. Premium is the range's gateway and can only be paired with the 218PS RWD setup, while similarly mid-ranking Ultimate is solely available with the 307PS AWD arrangement. Flagship Calligraphy specification can be had with either of the AWD drive systems.

As with the Kia EV9 it will be possible to replace the Ioniq 9 seven-seater’s three-person second-row bench with two adjustable captain’s chairs in the range-topping 427PS Performance Calligraphy version. Each of these has an integral seatbelt allowing them to be revolved to face rearwards when the car’s being driven – it certainly helps make journeys feel that bit more sociable, especially for those in the rearmost seats.

Kia EV9 excepted, those trick seats also serve as a key differentiator compared with other high-priced large SUVs from upmarket brands that will serve as rivals to the Ioniq 9, even though the Hyundai is less expensive. Not only is the Volvo unavailable with such a feature, neither can the five-seater BMW iX or Mercedes EQS SUV be specified with anything similar.

The Ioniq 9's standard features are numerous, with all versions fitted with alloy wheels of at least 19-inch diameter, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, heated outer second-row seats, LED head and tail lights, dark-tinted rear privacy windows, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry which can be connected to your smartphone and an electric tailgate.

Hyundai Ioniq 9: Range and charging 

According to Hyundai's WLTP Combined cycle results, the 218PS rear-drive Ioniq 9 is the rangiest of the lot, capable of 385 miles before requiring a recharge. Surprisingly, the drop-off for the AWD models isn't especially savage – 307PS versions manage 372-376 miles depending on specification, while the 427PS Performance models also achieve 372 miles.

If you're going to be charging from a 7.4kW domestic wallbox, you're looking at 14 hours and 42 minutes to top up the Ioniq 9 from 10 to 100%.

Ultra-rapid DC charging at up to 350kW is possible with a 10-80% recharge using such a connection, taking as little as 24 minutes, though you're looking at one hour and 43 minutes if you're charging from a slower 50kW charger. 

Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities will also allow the Hyundai to be used as a power source to charge external electrical devices.

If you live in a rural area with narrow roads or have to regularly squeeze down congested streets, the size of the Ioniq 9 becomes really apparent, with its bulky dimensions forcing you to take regular sharp intakes of breath as you squeeze through gaps. That said, the steering is nice and light, which does make manoeuvring that bit easier at lower speeds.

Despite the absence of air suspension, the ride is still pretty supple (though we haven't tried it on the largest 21-inch alloys yet), and it'll happily waft along at speed and deliver a comfortable ride for you and your passengers. You'll notice the weight of the car when on windier sections of road, but stability is still pretty good, and body roll is kept nicely in check. 

Refinement levels are good, too. Being an electric car, it already has a head start here, but the cabin is well-insulated and quiet, with only a hint of wind noise at higher speeds.

A choice of three electric power options are available for the Hyundai Ioniq 9 although all share the same enormous 110.3kWh Long Range battery pack – the difference is in the number of motors and their overall output.

Entry-point to the Hyundai Ioniq 9 range is the rear-wheel drive 218PS model. Only available on the Premium trim, it delivers a modest 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds, so if you want something a little more effortless getting up to speed, you'll have to look at moving up to either Ultimate or Calligraphy trims. 

Ultimate cars get an additional second motor to power the front wheels for all-wheel drive and an increased power output to 307PS and a reduced 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds.

Topping the line-up is the AWD Performance option – output’s increased to 427PS while the 0-62mph acceleration benchmark’s slashed to a very brisk 5.2 seconds, though you'll have to plump for the Calligraphy trim if you want this kind of performance.

The Ioniq 9 comes equipped with the full Hyundai SmartSense suite of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), which includes features such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Highway Driving Assist 2, Multi-Collision Brake Assist and automatic trailer-detection when in trailer mode.

Although the Ioniq 9 has not yet been tested by independent safety organisation Euro NCAP at the time of writing, its mechanically-similar sibling, the Kia EV9, achieved a maximum five-star rating, which gives us a strong indirect indication of its safety pedigree.

AWD variants of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 have a braked towing capacity of 2500kg, which is excellent for an electric family SUV. The RWD Premium version is rated at 1600kg, and all models have an unbraked capacity of 750kg.

Hyundai describes the cabin of the Ioniq 9 as "lounge-like", with colour schemes intended to calm and a panoramic sunroof designed to flood the cabin with light.

This is supported by two widescreen 12.3-inch displays that gently curve around the dashboard, with the infotainment touchscreen angled towards the driver. Unlike a lot of rivals that rely solely on the touchscreen to control every facet of the car, the Ioniq 9 has a plethora of physical buttons, switches and knobs to provide quick access to a number of controls, including the three-zone climate control. No finger-jabbing your way through myriad menus within the touchscreen simply to change the temperature. 

You sit up nice and high in the Hyundai Ioniq 9, which delivers a proper elevated driving position. Between the front seats is an elevated centre console containing a wireless smartphone charging pad, cupholders and a total of 18.2 litres of enclosed storage. 

Have we said that the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is huge? Well, at over five metres long it'll jut out even further from a parking space than a Range Rover...that's quite a feat. It does mean that it's a properly practical seven-seat SUV, though - you can realistically get two adults on the back to two seats and they should have a decent amount of legroom. The middle row of seats will fit another three, though if you opt for your Ioniq 9 in Calligraphy trim, you can specify it with two individual chairs instead, dropping it to a six-seater, but these can be swivelled round to face the third row. 

With all three rows of seats in use, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 has a boot capacity of 338 litres, which is about the size of some hatchback boots, while with the third row of seating folded away, you get a cavernous 908 litres. On the rare occasion you might want to fold all the seats away and you'll find you've got a vast 2419 litres to play with.

Extra space has been secured under the bonnet with a ‘frunk’ of 52 litres (all-wheel drive versions) or 88 litres (rear-drive models). 

Viewed in isolation, the quality impresses, with what feels like a step up from the perfectly acceptable finishes found in other recent Hyundais. It feels pleasantly plush and with plenty of soft-touch materials employed. It's only when you probably start comparing it against luxury SUV rivals that it doesn't quite hit the mark. 

Two curved 12.3-inch displays are standard, and they look very slick - resolution and clarity are very good, and it feels nice and responsive when in use. It's also pretty easy to navigate, while there's Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. As you might expect, there's wireless charging, but if you've got more devices, then there are seven USB-C connections to top up a host of other things as well. 

Ultimate and Calligraphy trims on the Hyundai Ioniq 9 get a Bose 14-speaker sound system to really pump the sound around the cabin. 

There's an AI assistant that uses voice control and generative AI through ChatGPT to answer your questions, and you can download and subscribe to new infotainment features (for a price) through Hyundai's Bluelink store.

This service has three levels of subscription – you get 10 years of Bluelink Lite for free (cloud-based navigation, EV routing, over-the-air vehicle updates etc), three years of Bluelink Plus for free (live traffic info, weather, remote services through the Bluelink app etc, normally £2,99 a month), and a six-month trial of Bluelink Pro (Amazon Music, SoundCloud etc, normally £9.99 a month).

Ultimate models and above get a head-up display, and you can also spec digital side mirrors (which always seems like a solution to a problem that never really existed) and a digital centre mirror.

Prices start at £64,995 for the least expensive Hyundai Ioniq 9 Premium 218PS RWD version, while the Ultimate 307PS AWD weighs in at £73,495. The most expensive Hyundai sold in the UK to date is the flagship Calligraphy 427PS AWD 6 Seat at £78,595. 

It effectively mirrors the Kia EV9 on price, but undercuts the likes of the Volvo EX90, the Mercedes EQE SUV and the Audi Q8 e-tron by a considerable margin. 

All versions will come with the additional reassurance of Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, which is better than the more premium opposition but not quite as impressive as Kia's seven-year cover from new. There's also an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty on the battery.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 costs more than £40,000, so all models fall into the luxury supplement band for Vehicle Excise Duty (road tax). That means you'll pay the standard rate of £195 a year, plus £425 a year between years two and six after registration, for a total of £620 a year.

Insurance could be slightly punchy – the Ioniq 9 sits between insurance groups 42 and 49 (out of 50), so put some money aside to cover your annual premium. That's true of most of its rivals, however – these are large and expensive cars with some complicated engineering.

On the plus side, Hyundai servicing costs are generally lower than the more premium rivals, and electric vehicles tend to be more affordable to service than petrol or diesel models as the electric motors are less mechanically complex.

There are three trim levels to choose from on the Hyundai Ioniq 9 – Premium, Ultimate and Calligraphy.

Opt for the Hyundai Ioniq 9 Premium, and you'll get:

• 19-inch alloy wheels
• Full LED lights
• Cloth seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Heat pump
• Three-zone climate control
• Dual 12.3-inch curved screens
• Six 100W USB-C Charging Ports
• Highway Driving Assist 2
• Forward Collision-avoidance Assist 2.0
• Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability

Upgrade to the Hyundai Ioniq 9 Ultimate and, in addition to (or replacing) the features above, you'll find:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• Intelligent Front-lighting System (IFS)
• Leather seats
• Electric steering-wheel adjustment
• Bose sound system
• Active Noise Control (ANC-R)
• Head-up display (HUD)
• Surround View Monitor (SVM)
• Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM)
• Remote Smart Parking Assist 2.0
• Hyundai Digital Key 2.0
• Digital centre mirror

The top-spec Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy gives you:

• 21-inch alloy wheels
• Nappa leather seats
• Bi-tone wrapped steering wheel
• UV sanitisation for phones, wallets etc.