Korean giant targets premium brands with its largest electric car yet. The three-row, all-electric EV, which shares its E-GMP platform with the Ioniq 5 crossover and Ioniq 6 sedan, will be available from launch with three choices of powertrain.
With seven seats, 429 horsepower, and a maximum range of 385 miles or 616 kilometers, the Hyundai Motor Company’s Ioniq 9 is the biggest, most opulent, and longest-legged electric vehicle to date.
With a high price tag of nearly £80,000, the flagship of Hyundai’s growing Ioniq range of custom EVs, which shares its E-GMP platform with the Ioniq 5 crossover and Ioniq 6 sedan, will propel the brand into previously unheard-of terrain.
Hyundai unveiled it last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the company had previously showcased its futuristic Seven concept, dramatic design cues, lounge-like interior, and sleek, aero-optimized exterior in 2021.
One significant feature that the production car does not retain, aside from the Seven’s rear sofa and reverse-opening doors, is the concept’s name. During development, Hyundai changed the name to the 9 to make room for the smaller Ioniq 7 and 8 models below, though the company has not disclosed the appearance or the anticipated release date of these.
Ioniq 9: Hyundai’s Bold Move into the Premium Electric Market
The Ioniq 9’s 2019 premiere in California is indicative of its continued emphasis on the US market, where a large portion of its development has occurred. It builds on the success of the similarly positioned, ICE-powered Hyundai Palisade SUV. However, when the Ioniq 9 arrives in the UK in mid-2025, it will be a fierce competitor to the similarly sized Volvo EX90, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, and Kia EV9, to which it is closely related.
The Ioniq 9, the company’s most obviously premium-focused vehicle to date, will be crucial in luring customers away from well-known luxury rivals like Audi and BMW and toward Hyundai.Design chief Simon Loasby stated that the Ioniq 9 represents Hyundai’s radical change in positioning and perception in recent years. Although some would contend that Hyundai is not a luxury vehicle, even the [new entry EV] Inster is a premium vehicle when you consider what you get, the level of execution, and the technical substance. As one journalist described the Ioniq 6, Hyundai has transformed from a maker of white products to one of emotional, desired, attractive, and high-quality automobiles.
Loasby even hinted that the Ioniq 9 might have a chance to compete in the full-bore luxury market. When asked if he thinks even Range Rover owners would switch, he responded, “Definitely.”That is alright,” he concluded.
Powertrain Options and Advanced Battery Technology for the Ioniq 9
Three distinct powertrain options will be available for the Ioniq 9 from launch. The most efficient, 215-bhp, rear-driven Long-Range car has the headline 385-mile estimated maximum range statistic, the top-tier AWD Performance model, with 429 horsepower, manages 311 miles, and the 308-bhp dual-motor car provides 320 miles per charge. They go from 0 to 62 miles per hour in 9.4, 6.7, and 5.2 seconds, respectively, before reaching their top speed of 124 mph.
As with Ioniqs 5 and 6, the large new SUV is in line for a hot N variant.
Each variant comes with an 800V, 110.3kWh (usable capacity) battery, the largest fitted to any EV on sale in the UK, surpassing even the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Rolls-Royce Spectre. It is rated to charge at speeds of up to 350kW, though, like other E-GMP-based EVs currently on sale, Hyundai suggests the real-world maximum will be closer to 220-230kW.
With the 230V vehicle-to-load function, the battery can also be used to charge external devices. Hyundai has also made some minor adjustments to “address common EV customer concerns,” like boosting the built-in EV route planner, giving more thorough energy usage information, and improving the battery’s performance consistency.
Aerodynamic Design Meets Refined Aesthetics in the Ioniq 9
Hyundai describes the Ioniq 9 as a “aerosthetic lounge,” a term that captures the design team’s concurrent emphasis on interior refinement, aerodynamic efficiency, and appeal.
It is only slightly aesthetically similar to its electric range-mates, primarily due to the extensive use of “parametric” pixel lighting designs that wrap around the front end and frame the tailgate. However, since full-width headlights are prohibited in the UK, cars in this country will have two distinct headlight clusters. This is in keeping with Hyundai’s “chess piece” approach to differentiating each of its models.
Loasby acknowledges the resemblance to conventional estate vehicle designs, particularly in the bluff rear end and relatively flat roof and window line, but claims that its “Teutonic” silhouette, influenced by aircraft fuselages, is “not normal for an SUV.”
The Ioniq 9 boasts an impressive drag coefficient of 0.259 for a car of this size and form, making it comparable to certain low-slung saloons and significantly more slippery than its rivals from Kia and Volvo. Hyundai cites the Ioniq 9’s unique tapered “boat-tail” rear end as a distinctive design feature, although the rounded front end, minimalist surface, and other air-channeling design aspects are also important components.
Hyundai achieves a 3130mm wheelbase that surpasses the Land Rover Defender 110 by minimizing overhangs and positioning the A-pillars as far forward as feasible to maximize passenger capacity in all dimensions.
Spacious and Functional Interior with Innovative Features
With the longest wheelbase of any Hyundai to date (3130mm), it offers extremely competitive legroom in all three rows (Hyundai cites as much as 2050mm for the second and third rows combined) and the ability to fully recline the optional middle-row seats.
The cockpit is familiar from the other Ioniq models, with a one-piece panoramic curved panel mounted atop the dashboard for the driver display and infotainment screens, but a healthy smattering of physical buttons and switches left in place for key controls.
Known as “Universal Island 2.0,” the center console of the Ioniq 9 features a “hidden” 12.6-liter storage cubby beneath the 5.6-liter top tray. The entire item moves back and forth to provide room in the front of the cabin and facilitate access for rear passengers.
The Ioniq 9 boasts a rear cargo capacity of up to 1323 liters when the third row is folded flat, which is 200 liters more than a Land Rover Discovery, and 620 liters when the seats are up. With up to 88 liters of room underneath the bonnet (52 in the AWD car), it also boasts one of the largest “frunks” of any EV in the UK.
Enhanced Performance with Lightweight Design and Advanced Suspension
Hyundai asserts that its engineers have worked extensively to minimize weight and highlight the dynamic advantages of full torque vectoring and a new suspension system “designed specifically for EVs and SUVs.” The Ioniq 9 features tuning for an optimal blend of long-distance refinement and smooth, predictable handling.
Hyundai asserts that its engineers worked extensively to minimize weight and highlight the dynamic advantages of full torque vectoring and a new suspension system “designed specifically for EVs and SUVs.” The Ioniq 9 features tuning for an optimal blend of long-distance refinement and smooth, predictable handling.
Hyundai asserts that its engineers worked extensively to minimize weight and emphasize the dynamic advantages of full torque vectoring and a new suspension system “designed specifically for EVs and SUVs.” The Ioniq 9 features tuning for an optimal blend of long-distance refinement and smooth, predictable handling.
