Hyundai IONIQ 9 review

Driving position

There’s no shying from the fact that the Hyundai IONIQ 9 is a big car, and it feels it from behind the wheel, but there’s also endless adjustability to make sure you’re sitting in exactly the right position.

Electric adjustment is standard across all trim levels, but you get far more than just the basics.

For example, apart from seat height adjustment, you can also finetune the support and height of the actual seat cushion. Electric lateral support is also available to tighten you into the seat for more spirited driving.

Electric steering wheel adjustment on higher trims also links into the mirror and seat configurations, so when you select who’s driving, it’ll all bed in exactly how you like it.

All in all, there’s really not much more we could ask from a large SUV’s driving position, so top marks here.

Tech and features

Hyundai IONIQ 9 trims

– Premium

– Ultimate

– Calligraphy

One thing Hyundai absolutely nails is value for money, and standard equipment on all models is high.

We tested the top-spec Calligraphy model, specifically with six seats (not seven) for an ultra-luxurious vibe inside.

Some of the car’s highlights include twin-12.3-inch displays, a separate head-up display, an upgraded BOSE sound system, a digital rear view mirror and an integrated UV-C light to sanitise your phone.

It also gets a heated steering wheel and front and rear seats, and cooling for the front and rear seats (you don’t always get this in the back too).

We think it’s an understated tech fest inside, in that everything works really well. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make staying connected effortless, and two USB-C charging ports with up to 100W of power are more than enough to keep your laptop topped up – not just your phone.

And it wouldn’t be 2025 without a bit of artificial intelligence – Hyundai has actually used AI to make its voice control system smarter by understanding more of what you’re saying beyond having to repeat robot-like commands.

Looking at the spec sheet for any particular model you’re interested in is the only surefire way to confirm what you’ll get, but we don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Electric motors and power

Hyundai IONIQ 9 performance stats

– Power: 218hp, 307hp, 427hp

– 0-62mph: 4.9-8.8 seconds

– Top speed: 118-124mph

– Driven wheels: Rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive

Hyundai will sell you three difference motor configurations – two all-wheel-drive (AWD) versions with twin motors and an entry-level, rear-wheel-drive (RWD) option.

The RWD option has 218hp, which by hatchback standards is more than enough. But because it weighs 2.5 tonnes, it doesn’t shift like smaller EVs. A 0-62mph time of 8.8 seconds is hardly thrilling.

The mid-spec AWD option, with its 307hp, is plenty enough for most drivers. The 0-62mph time of 6.3 seconds is a big jump, and it gives you the confidence you need when overtaking in such a big SUV.

We tested the Performance model, with its 427hp twin-motor configuration. Sprinting to 62mph in 4.9 seconds with a weight far closer to 2.75 tonnes is no mean feat.

At no point does it feel unruly, and the acceleration is actually far smoother than you’d expect, even in Sport mode.

For most, the lesser AWD option is the one to go for, but if you can justify it, the Performance variant affords you some spare power for when it matters.

Handling and ride comfort

Every single IONIQ 9 comes fitted with self-levelling suspension, so if you’re asking how it performs as a six- or seven-seater when it’s full, the answer is very well.

Whether you’re packed to the rafters with cases and boxes or you’ve just got seven in tow, this large SUV holds its own on the road. It’s one of the few genuinely useful seven-seaters (regardless of fuel type) out there, but more on that below.

It also helps that it has such a big battery, because this keeps a lot of the weight down low, reducing road sickness-inducing lean in the corners.

It’s no sports car (it feels far too tall and wide for that), but at least it’s planted enough to handle all that weight and performance.

Our test car was fitted with 21-inch alloys, which you’d think would make the ride jarring. Being wrapped in substantial 284/45 rubber means you’ve actually got pretty thick sidewalls to cushion the ride.

We weren’t expecting miracles, but we were wrong. Whether it’s the extra damping or the clever active suspension, the ride around town was better than most other cars we’ve driven.

You can barely even feel some ruts in the road, though speed bumps do unsettle the IONIQ 9 a little more than usual just because of the amount of mass.

The downside of those huge tyres is the price – to replace the Continentals, you’re talking over £300 per corner, but more affordable options will be available, though we’d always recommend going for the best tyres you can afford because they’re your only contact with the road – in a 2.5-tonne SUV.

Boot space

Hyundai IONIQ 9 boot space

– Boot space: 908 litres (four/five seats)

– Boost space: 338 litres (six/seven seats)

– Incl. Rear seats folded: 2,419 litres

– Front boot (froot): 52-88 litres

There’s really no competition here – the Hyundai IONIQ 9 has enough boot space to put a small van to shame.

With all seats in place, there’s 338 litres of space to play with. That’s more than you get in the entire boot of a Ford Fiesta.

It trumps the mechanically similar Kia EV9 as well as other seven-seater electric SUVs like the Volvo EX90.

In five-seat mode (or four-seat if you’ve got the swanky six-seater), there’s 908 litres of space, which is nearly double what you get in any normal mid-sized SUV like a Hyundai Tucson.

It’s not just about space, though, because we also appreciate the under-floor parcel shelf storage area for when all the seats are up.

It’s handy to have electric controls over the third row of seating (up and down), but it’s a shame that the release buttons in the boot only fold down the second row of seats. To pull them back up, you’ll have to walk around and engage in some manual labour. Not what you want after spending upwards of £65,000 and with a car full of screaming kids.

Oh, and if you were asking, yes, there’s a froot (front boot) – which you can open with the key, not with the old-school bonnet release lever. Why aren’t all other manufacturers doing this?

Rear seats

With such a big boot, you’d think Hyundai made sacrifices to rear-seat space in the IONIQ 9, but this isn’t the case.

Adults aren’t just suited to the middle row, but space in the third row is also truly impressive. Sure, it’s better for children, but headroom and legroom are aplenty, and you’ve got all the creature comforts, like cupholders, USB-C ports, air vents and even electric recline buttons.

As we mentioned, there are six- and seven-seat options. The difference – either a bench of three seats in the middle row, or two individual armchairs.

We tested the latter, which is meant to boost the luxurious feeling inside. They have their own armrests and the usual seating adjustments.

In reality, we think a bench is more practical. Especially if you’re folding the seats to increase boot capacity, because the (pretty big) gap between these two armchairs leaves space for things to fall down.

At least it helps make access to the third row easy if you prefer not to fold the seats out of the way.

Storage solutions

Just when you think this car can’t get any better, it more than delivers on the interior storage section.

Let’s start with the Sliding Universal Island 2.0 console, or to normal people, the front central armrest.

It’s on rails, so you can slide the entire unit forwards and backwards to your preference.

A tray inside the armrest divides a 5.6-litre space from the 12.6-litre space below. The armrest itself is twin-hinged (front and back), so any passenger can open it from either direction – another game-changer.

Rear-seat passengers can also access the bottom storage section area by pulling out a tray from the bottom of the Universal Island. It’s truly superb.

If you’re struggling to put it into perspective, we hid a laptop and chunky headphones inside the Island – we could’ve fitted a coat and probably the kitchen sink too.

If you’re struggling with another thing – which drink to bring – Hyundai’s got you covered there, too.

There’s room for your matcha, iced latte and protein shake… and a few more. We counted three cupholders in the third row, four in the middle, and two in the front (unless we missed any!), so there are more cupholders than seats.

Other storage areas, like two deep cubbies in the front centre console, a well-sized glovebox and an open area above the glovebox, round things off.

Hyundai IONIQ 9 dimensions

– Height: 1,790mm

– Width: 1,980mm (excluding mirrors)

– Length: 5,060mm

– Gross weight: 2,470- 2,744kg

Safety

Euro NCAP’s test of the Hyundai IONIQ 9 resulted in a full five-star safety rating, with average to slightly above average scores across the four testing categories.

Some of the highlights include Highway Drive Assist 2.0, which can take care of lane changes for you on the motorway, and a 360-degree camera with hundreds of different angles.

Ok, maybe not hundreds, but top-down views of the front or rear wheels really help your positioning in, say, a drive-thru.

Range and charging

– Range: 372-385 miles

– Battery size: 110kWh

– Max charging speed: 233kW

– Charge port location: Back right

– Charge time (AC): 0-100% in 15 hours 20 minutes using a 7kW charger

– Charge time (DC): 10-80% in 24 minutes using at least a 233kW rapid charger

– Efficiency: 3.01mi/kWh (claimed) vs. 2.4mi/kWh (our testing)

– Charging cost: From £7.70 (58kWh)

All versions are classed as Long Range models, so they all share the same 110.3kWh battery. It’s about 10% bigger than the similar Kia EV9, and one of the biggest in the business today.

In theory, you could get anywhere between 372 and 385 miles from a full charge – there’s no major efficiency gains from going for a lower trim level, so don’t let that sway your decision.

Hyundai claims around 3mi/kWh for efficiency, but we were averaging just under. A long motorway stint saw the worst figure of around 2.4mi/kWh .

Now, by EV standards, this is pretty poor. A Tesla Model 3 would have probably near doubled that in the real world.

But let’s not forget this is a 2.5+ tonne, large SUV. It’s like expecting 50mpg from a petrol-powered seven-seater – it’s never going to happen .

For where it is in the market and compared with its key rivals, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 performs really well, and we can’t fault it.

You might need a big battery, but to still get over 300 miles of range in real-world conditions is respectable.

When it comes time to top up, 233kW peak rapid charging speeds get you a 10-80% fill in 24 minutes, which is way ahead of most rivals.

A 7kW home charge will take nearly 16 hours, technically, but most drivers will do smaller top-ups throughout the week anyway.

Reliability

Although the Hyundai IONIQ 9 is a new beast, it shares many of its parts with existing Hyundai and Kia models, including the 800V battery architecture that enables super rapid charging.

Hyundai’s reputation for reliability is second to none – they’ve always been thinking people’s cars, but nowadays, you can buy one with your heart too.

The five-year/unlimited-mileage vehicle warranty is complemented by an eight-year high-voltage battery warranty for extra peace of mind.