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 that 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 tall, more like an estate than a luxury SUV.

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 Hyundainess 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.

Although the Ioniq 9’s dashboard isn’t shared directly with other Hyundais its restrained appearance, with a pair of 12-inch display screens behind a single pane looks familiar — note that the infotainment touchscreen is angled more obviously towards the driver in this case.

Physical buttons, switches and knobs are both welcome and numerous, particularly for functions such as the multi-zone climate control, avoiding the need to finger-dab your way through myriad menus within the touchscreen simply to change the temperature.

While we’ve not previously been fans of what Hyundai terms Digital Door Mirrors — mirror-replacing rearward-facing cameras, in other words — we’ll reserve judgement until we’ve tried the Ioniq 9’s. Even before we do it’s positive to note that both the cameras and the internal display screens are mounted lower than on other models with them fitted, permitting even greater forward visibility without the hardware creating blind-spots.

Between the Hyundai Ioniq 9’s front seats is an elevated centre console containing a wireless smartphone charging pad, cupholders and a total of 18.2 litres of enclosed storage. Amplifying the usefulness of the — prepare to clench to cushion the cringe — Universal Island 2.0 is that it slides back and forth by 190mm, enabling those in the second-row seats to access it easily.

Spaciousness is evidently a strength of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 with provisional volumes of 620 litres of boot capacity behind the third-row seats and 1323 litres when they’re folded into the floor. Extra space has been secured under the bonnet with a ‘frunk’ of 52 litres (all-wheel drive versions) or 88 litres (rear-drive models).

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 high-specification versions, each of which 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.

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 will be less expensive. Not only is the Volvo unavailable with such a feature neither can the BMW iX or Mercedes EQS SUV be specified with anything similar.

A choice of three electric power options is expected to be available for the Hyundai Ioniq 9 although all share the same enormous 110.3kWh battery pack — the difference is in the number and the output of the motors.

Entry-point to the range will be the rear-wheel drive Long Range Ioniq 9 producing 218PS with a provisional 0-60mph time of 8.4 seconds. A second motor additionally powers the front wheels of the all-wheel drive Long Range version, upping its output to 313PS, with a reduced 0-60mph time of 6.2 seconds. Topping the Ioniq 9 range is the all-wheel drive Performance derivative — power’s increased to 435PS while the 0-60mph acceleration benchmark’s slashed to a very brisk 4.9 seconds.

With full homologation testing still to be completed details about driving ranges and recharging times is still sketchy at this stage. Provisional numbers suggest that the most efficient Ioniq 9 RWD Long Range model will have a WLTP Combined cycle range of 385 miles.

No recharging times when using a 7.4kW domestic wallbox have so far been suggested although it’s evidently going to need at least 16 hours for a flat-to-full replenishment given the battery capacity. Ultra-rapid DC charging at up to 350kW will be possible with a 10%-80% recharge using such a connection potentially taking just 24 minutes. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capabilities will also allow the Hyundai to be used as a power source to charge external electrical devices.

Specification details for UK market Hyundai Ioniq 9 models are similarly some time away from being confirmed, so whether features such as 100W in-car USB-C sockets, steering wheel-mounted charge level indicator lights or the self-disinfecting germicidal ultraviolet-C (UV-C) system make it here isn’t yet clear.

Similarly, there’s no word yet on whether Hyundai’s Features on Demand (FoD) subscription service will be offered to British customers. We rather hope it won’t. These packages mean a car is pre-equipped with various pieces of equipment and technology which can only accessed and operated via the car’s integral app store by paying an ongoing fee.

Order book for the for the Hyundai Ioniq 9 open later in 2025 ahead of customer deliveries commencing towards the end of the year if not early 2026. Expect prices to start around the £70,000 mark for the least expensive RWD Long Range version. All versions will come with the additional reassurance of Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited mileage warranty.

Keep this page bookmarked to read our forthcoming full and comprehensive Hyundai Ioniq 9 review in the months ahead.