New Hyundai Ioniq 9: huge SUV unveiled as electric flagship

• New seven-seater electric SUV
• Up to 385 miles of range from 110kWh battery
• On sale next year; expected to cost from £65,000

Fans of electric cars, SUVs and seven-seaters, listen up – this is the new Hyundai Ioniq 9, and it’s here to make a statement. It’s Hyundai’s biggest, most practical and most expensive electric car yet, taking on the likes of Audi, Volvo and Polestar in the large EV market.

That’s no small task, but Hyundai has made sure to cover all bases on paper. You get its latest EV tech, meaning there’s up to 385 miles of range on offer, room for seven passengers and sleek, aerodynamic styling that’s just different enough from its Ioniq siblings. UK-specific details and pricing will be confirmed later on, but we’d estimate a starting price of around £65,000 when it reaches dealers next year – on par with its sister car, the Kia EV9.

What does the Hyundai Ioniq 9 look like?

It’s hard to tell quite how big the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is from the pictures, but trust us – it’s big. Measuring 5,060mm long, it’s longer than the already huge Kia EV9, but the sloping roof and short overhangs help to disguise this.

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There are several styling motifs that tie the Ioniq 9 back to the Ioniq 5 and 6, including the pixel LED lighting design and the generally clean, geometric bodylines. Hyundai uses the word ‘Aerosthetic’ to describe the looks, suggesting that aerodynamics have played a key role in shaping the Ioniq 9. The surfaces are smooth, while features like the hidden door handles and black sensor panel at the front keep things looking tidy.

US-bound cars get a full-width pixel light bar across the nose, but EU crash regulations have forced Hyundai to remove this from the Ioniq 9s headed our way. Still, the tail-lights look distinctive, wrapping up and over the rear window in a similar fashion to the Ioniq 7 Concept from 2021.

What about the Ioniq 9’s interior?

This is what the Ioniq 9 is all about. That vast exterior footprint translates to an enormous interior, with seating for up to seven passengers spread across three rows. There’s also a six-seater option, which swaps the middle bench for a pair of swivelling captains’ chairs.

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The dashboard layout isn’t too dissimilar from other Hyundai models, including the Santa Fe SUV. There’s a pair of 12-inch displays for the driver and for infotainment, while a separate bank of physical controls handles the climate system. The usual Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity will be present, along with an optional 14-speaker Bose sound system in pricier models. Materials look to be of high quality, with a mix of ‘eco process’ leather and recycled plastic fabrics available. There’s even six two-tone interior colour options.

What are the Ioniq 9’s important specs?

Things look pretty good for the Ioniq 9 in this department. There will be three versions to pick from, all using a large 110kWh battery. That’s bigger than what you’ll find in the Kia EV9, despite the two cars sharing the same ‘E-GMP’ platform.

That bigger battery brings some welcome range benefits. The Long Range RWD (rear-wheel drive) model achieves the headline 385-mile range figure, with power provided by a single rear-mounted 215bhp motor. It’s not particularly speedy – 0-62mph takes 9.4 seconds – but we expect this to be the biggest seller on our shores.

For a bit more speed, you’ll want the Ioniq 9 Long Range AWD (all-wheel drive). This gets an extra motor for the front wheels, boosting power to 309bhp and dropping the 0-62mph time to 6.8 seconds. You still get up to 346 miles of range though, which is about the same as the most efficient Kia EV9.

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There’s a Performance AWD model, too. As the name suggests, this is the quickest of the lot; you get 429bhp and a 5.3-second 0-62mph time, which is quicker than a Honda Civic Type R. Understandably, your trade off is a reduced range of up to 317 miles. Note that these are all ‘expected’ WLTP range figures – Hyundai will provide official range confirmation once the Ioniq 9 has been through final testing.

Charging speeds should be up there with the best in class. Hyundai claims the Ioniq 9 will be similar to the Ioniq 5 and 6, charging from 10 to 80% in just 24 minutes. 

How much will the Ioniq 9 cost and when can I buy one?

Hyundai hasn’t given us any official hints about the price of the Ioniq 9 yet, but we have a few clues. The Kia EV9 starts from around £65,000, so it would make sense for the Ioniq 9 to cost about the same, given that the two cars share lots of hardware. Range-topping Performance models could command a lot more than that, however – think upwards of £80,000, probably making it the most expensive Hyundai ever.

Read about a very different electric seven-seater, the Volkswagen ID. Buzz…