Hyundai Ioniq 9 Review

Introduction

Hyundai’s seven-seater Santa Fe has taken the market by storm and gained accolade after accolade for its design, practicality, handling and performance. So, why would the Korean carmaker need another six- or seven-seat model in its armoury? The answer is simple – they want customers to have a choice between the traditionally-powered Santa Fe or the fully electrified Ioniq 9.

It's a bold move and the Ioniq 9 is certainly a bold car with a strong road presence stretching just a smidgeon over five metres in length. There are trim levels called Premium, Ultimate and Calligraphy, and while all models feature a 110kWh battery, there are different power outputs.

Entry-level Ioniq 9 Premium, costing from £64,999 features rear-wheel drive and has 218PS. Ultimate gains AWD and is 307PS along with the lower-powered Calligraphy model. At the top of the scale are two high-powered Calligraphy AWD versions with 427PS and these can be specified with six or seven seats. If you opt for six seats, then you get two freestanding captain’s chairs, rather than a conventional three-seat bench.

Driving range between charges is up to a WLTP-tested 385 miles and we opted for the high-end Ioniq 9 Calligraphy with six seats, costing £78,595, for our test drive.

At a glance

If kerb appeal is your thing, then the Ioniq 9 has it in spades. A simple glance in its direction and you will notice there are many similarities with the EV9 and that’s because Kia and Hyundai are sister brands.

But it still boasts its own distinctive identity with a futuristic front end featuring vertical and horizontal light clusters Additionally, there are smaller LEDs across the front of the bonnet. Despite its length, it boasts smooth streamlining with a slightly tapering roof line. There are striking 21-inch alloys, body coloured wheel arches, flush door handles, privacy glass and a squared-off rear end with tail lights running down each side.

Key features

All models, including entry-level Premium, get bundles of kit as standard. There is a heat pump, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, wireless charging pad, along with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen merging into a 12.3-inch driver display behind a slightly curved panel.

Additionally, as standard, there is sat nav, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, a DAB radio, plus powered front seats that are heated.

Step up to Ultimate and a 14-speaker Bose sound system is added, along with a Digital Key set-up (this allows you to use your smartphone as a car key), a digital rearview mirror, ambient lighting, rear door blinds, a head-up display, panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery with additional powered seat adjustments plus relaxation modes and ventilation settings, 20-inch alloys, along with extra driver aids such as front, rear and side parking sensors, trailer stability assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance and a number of other features.

Calligraphy comes with the option of six rather than seven seats, and larger 21-inch wheels.

Range and batteries

All versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 feature a 110kWh battery, but the driving range varies very slightly between the trim levels because they have different power outputs.

For example, the Premium model with 218PS and RWD can achieve a combined 385 miles between charges, while the AWD Ultimate with 307PS offers 376 miles.

Rather strangely, the Ioniq 9 Calligraphy with 307PS AWD, along with the Calligraphy 427PS, with either six or seven seats, are all tested at 372 miles – numbers that have been confirmed by Hyundai.

To understand more about range and battery sizes read our handy guide here!

Charging

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 supports ultra-fast charging at up to 350kW so can gain a 10 to 80 per cent boost in 24 minutes. The same charge level (20-80 per cent) takes 1 hour, 28 minutes using a 50kW unit.

But owners will save plenty of pennies by opting to charge at home or work, although this does take longer. For example, a 20 to 80 per cent charge takes 6 hours, 42 minutes if plugged into a 11kW wallbox.

Performance and drive

The entry-level Ioniq 9 Premium is rear-wheel drive, but all other versions are all-wheel drive with varying power outputs. We tested the range-topping Calligraphy model with six seats on a road route that covered country lanes, some dual carriageway and more congested towns and villages.

With 427PS on tap, along with 700Nm of torque the vehicle, which weighs in at more than 2.6 tonnes, can sprint from 0-62mph in a very rapid 5.2 seconds and onto a top speed of 124 miles.

So, it’s no slouch then and the handling is also deceptively good. You would expect such a large model to feel cumbersome and over-sized when fizzing down narrow country lanes. But it doesn’t. It’s agile, easy to manoeuvre and the steering feel is also perfectly weighted with plenty of driver feedback.

The commanding driving position results in superb all-round visibility offering an excellent view across the hedgerows and this great vision will be fully appreciated on the chaotic school run too.

It’s a car that quickly reaches 70mph cruising speeds and will sit effortlessly eating away at the miles on longer journeys.

There are drive modes called Eco, Normal, Sport and My Drive that alter the characteristics of the car, while the Snow, Mud and Sand off-road settings will provide all the know-how to get you out of sticky situations if the weather takes a turn for the worse or you are venturing away from the Tarmac.

In busier traffic with lots of stop-and-go driving, the strength of the regenerative braking can be increased and decreased via the steering wheel paddles. In its highest setting, the i-Pedal is activated which makes single-pedal driving possible.

You will need an ultra-long parking bay to cater for the length of the Ioniq 9, but manoeuvring into a tight space is made simpler thanks to the numerous cameras and sensors. There is also a Remote Smart Parking Assist set-up that allows you to stand outside the car and move it using just the key fob – this is the perfect solution if you need to store the car in a narrow garage or someone has boxed you in at a supermarket car park.

Refinement levels are impressive with the soft-ish suspension helping to smooth out any bumps and dips along the way, while occupants are protected against any noise intrusion thanks to the well-insulated cabin.

Running costs and emissions

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a high-end car carrying a high-end price-tag. The entry-level Premium specification costs £64,995, the Ultimate is £73,495, the lower-powered Calligraphy (307PS) costs £75,795, while the high-powered Calligraphy 427PS models are set at £77,595 for the seven-seat version or £78,595 for the six seats.

There have been a number of changes to the financial benefits afforded to EV owners this year. Up until April, there was no road tax charge, but now EV owners pay a reduced first-year fee of just £10, increasing to the standard charge of £195 after 12 months.

Additionally, they also face added costs due to the Expensive Car Supplement, which comes into effect on cars costing in excess of £40,000. So, Ioniq 9 owners will need to find an extra £425 for five years starting from year two.

And, despite the government reintroducing its EV grant to help drive up the sales market, the Ioniq 9 is exempt due to its high price.

Interior and tech

The Ioniq 9 boasts an interior that is both upmarket and generously kitted out with every mod-con you can imagine. Expect Nappa leather upholstery in Calligraphy trim, plus plenty of soft-touch surfaces, ambient lighting and a dashboard that looks like it’s floating.

But the clever designers have packed the car with technology in a manner that’s not over-whelming and we like that.

Yes, it has a pair of 12.3-inch infotainment screens that merge together behind a curved screen, but there are plenty of simplistic and physical controls to make life on the road that much easier.

For example, there is a separate panel for climate control functions, including seat heaters and ventilation, as well as quick access buttons to the navigation, media and radio.

A large steering wheel-mounted stalk offers all the drive settings and you push in the end to select Park, whereby the parking brake is automatically applied.

The left-hand screen is where all the multi-media systems are located and there are plenty of them to explore. Connecting a smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto takes just seconds and there is a 14-speaker Bose sound system, Bluetooth, a DAB radio, plus Hyundai’s Feature on Demand set-up that allows customers to personalise the vehicle with downloads and access subscription-based services.

The other screen offers all the vital data such as speed, existing driving range and battery charge levels. This can be customised too.

The leather-wrapped steering wheel has four small pixel LEDs across the centre that light up during certain functions, such as switching through the drive modes – quirky, but a nice touch.

Our test car featured a digital rearview mirror that offers a live camera-feed to show clearly what is going on behind the vehicle. If you find this too much, it can be flicked back to a more traditional view.

Practicality and boot space

There’s no denying the practicality of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 as it stretches 5,060mm in length, is 1,980mm across (excluding door mirrors), 1,790mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3,130mm. This makes the vehicle marginally larger than its closest rivel, the Kia EV9 which is 5,010mm long and slightly lower at 1,780mm.

And all those numbers result in an exceptionally spacious cabin with room for adults in each row (unlike some seven-seaters where only children can squeeze into the rear seats). In fact, a couple of six footers can sit contentedly in the back row without any complaints.

Finding a comfortable driving position is made simple thanks to the power-adjustable front seats and steering wheel. And these can be heated, ventilated and also throw in a massaging function for good measure.

Our six-seat Ioniq 9 meant there were two individual seats in the second row. These offered every luxury imaginable with heating and ventilation controls, as well as the ability to swivel 180 degrees when the vehicle is stationary. This allows second row passengers to turn and face those in the back row when parked up for a coffee and a snack.

Storage also impresses with a capacity on the six-seater ranging from 338 litres, with all seats upright, to 2,419 litres with rows two and three folded flat. Beneath the bonnet is a further storage compartment with room for 52 litres of goodies – that’s enough space to keep the charging cables out of the way or to carry a few shopping bags. It is slightly larger at 88 litres on the rear-wheel drive versions.

And you will find plenty of convenient storage compartments scattered throughout the cabin too. There is a glovebox with tray above it, deep central cubby bin, wide door bins with a bottle section, seat back pockets, six cup holders, a non-slip wireless charging pad and numerous USB-C ports for all occupants. A clever feature is the ease of access to the centre console for front and second row occupants and the whole unit can be moved back and forth.

Additionally, the Ioniq 9 offers Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capabilities. This means external items can be charged from the car’s battery, such as laptops, camping lights, kettles, music speakers and plenty more besides.

Safety

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 secured a maximum five stars when tested for its Euro NCAP safety rating this year. It was awarded a score of 84 per cent for adult occupant safety, 87 per cent for child occupant, 77 per cent for vulnerable road users and 83 per cent for safety assist.

The list of safety features and driver assistance aids is comprehensive across the entire range of trim levels with all versions boasting Forward Collision Avoidance, Highway Drive Assist, Multi-Collision Brake Assist, Lane Keep Assist, Hill-Start Assist, Trailer Stability Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist, Lane Follow Assist, a full suite of airbags and much, much more.

Apart from entry level Premium level, the Ioniq 9 also comes with Rear Cross Traffic Collision Avoidance Assist, Parking Collision Avoidance Assist (reverse) and a Surround View Monitor.

The Ioniq 9 has a comprehensive cover package too, with a standard five-year, unlimited mileage warranty, extended to eight years capped at 100,000 miles for the battery. Hyundai Roadside Assistance, a complementary breakdown and recovery service, is also included.

Options

With Ioniq 9 models well equipped as standard and customers gaining additional features as they move through the trims, there is little need for a lot of optional extras.

But metallic paint is available as an add-on across the line-up, matte paint is available on the Ultimate and Calligraphy vehicles while the top-end Calligraphy can also be specified with digital side mirrors.

Rival cars

Go back a few years and full-sized family SUVs with room for seven people were few and far between. Now, they seem to be growing in popularity with new models being launched by various manufacturers.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 will be vying for sales against rivals, including the Kia EV9, Volvo EX90, Audi Q8 e-tron and Peugeot E-5008.

Verdict and next steps

Sometimes in life you get what you pay for and that’s exactly the case regarding the Hyundai Ioniq 9. Yes, there are cheaper seven-seaters out there and no doubt a whole lot more will be arriving from China in the not -too-distant future, but do they really match up?

Similarly to the Kia EV9, this six or seven-seater is the perfect example that the Koreans can take on some of the big-hitters from Germany and come out on top.

While some ‘premium’ models are starting to look a little jaded and worse for wear, Hyundai has launched its fresh-faced Ioniq 9 that delivers on all counts, from practicality and comfort to performance and efficiency.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Hyundai Ioniq 9

**Correct as of 25/09/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 48 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £6,566.31 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.