Hyundai Ioniq 9 review

That lounge vibe Hyundai was going for in the Ioniq 5? In here it’s more like a five star hotel suite. The 9’s wheelbase is a humongous 3,130mm and all six seats – if the car is configured that way – are phenomenally comfortable. The flat floor obviously enhances the sense of space.

Hyundai is proud of its Relaxation Seats, which come with fatigue-busting ‘dynamic body care’ functionality (i.e. massage), but only for the Korean market. Maybe their execs are more harassed than ours. Rows one and two can be fully reclined for a recharge while the car does the same. Swivelling middle seats are an option in some markets, enabling the second and third row to face each other. All the better to thrash out that executive harassment in unison. In the top level Calligraphy trim, all the seats are power operated.

Whatever the market, the seats are superb. There’s fractionally less rear legroom in the second row compared to the EV9, but there’s still ample space to stretch out. Things are naturally tighter in the third row, but they don’t feel like cheap seats.

What about the infotainment?

It’s pretty similar to the set-up in the other Ioniqs. There’s a panoramic, gently curved display, a floating dashboard effect, pleasingly modish slim air vents, and it’s all easy to use and intuitive. Not least of which is the presence of physical buttons for an all-singing and dancing climate control. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard; the steering wheel’s pixelated green dots illuminate the state of charge. The Calligraphy trim level upgrades the Bose audio to 14-speakers.

Our test car wasn’t finished quite to our taste, we should point out. The Calligraphy trim was spelt out – literally – in a swirly font on the panel ahead of the passenger, and the pale trim felt less luxurious than we’d have liked. We know it enhances the feeling of space and light, but we’ll have our Ioniq 9 in black, thanks. Inside and out.

What else has it got?

The Universal Island is a slidable console with bidirectional arm-rests. The whole thing can slide up to 190mm, for genuine storage flexibility, and it’s another thing for the kids to play with. Or indeed those harassed Korean business executives. The upper tray can hold 5.6-litres of stuff, with room below for 12.6 litres. It’s indicative of the general usefulness of the Ioniq 9. There are even little rubberised pixels on the top of the console to stop your phone from sliding around while it charges. And it’s cooled so your phone doesn’t fry. The doorbins are cavernous.

Then there’s the heating and ventilation system, which uses a special heat pump that recycles waste heat to maintain an appropriate cabin temperature without sucking the life out of the battery. You can also pre-condition the interior before setting off. And rows two and three get their own independent HVAC system.

Anything else?

Oh yes. It’s supremely gadget-friendly. There are six USB-C ports inside on all three rows that can deliver 100 watts of power if you use the Hyundai branded cable. In high output mode, the system draws on the high voltage battery, enough to charge a laptop without using its adapter. There’s also a UV-C steriliser that can sanitise phones, wallets and whatever else you might want to stash in there.

It’s worth noting that the Ioniq 9 was being designed while the world convulsed with Covid, hence the emphasis on well-being and a ‘back to nature’ spirit. There are plenty of sustainable materials inside, too, including recycled marine waste and aluminium.

Also present is a voice recognition system that uses generative AI from Chat GPT, and level 2 autonomous driving. As with most other car makers, there are a number of over-the-air features available from an online store. The list is territory-specific, and includes Amazon Music and customisable ambient lighting options. We were able to stream YouTube on the central screen very happily.

Meanwhile, Hyundai’s remote parking aid does what it says and parks the car remotely from the key using ultra-wide angle cameras and ultrasonic sensors. Useful in tight car parks given the Ioniq 9’s size, although we still gulp every time we try it. It’s like parking a building inside another building.

How practical is it?

The boot can swallow up to 1,323 litres with the third row folded, 620 litres with all the seats in place. The frunk is good for an additional 88 litres (52 in the AWD versions). Useful for charging cables.

Moving the seats around isn’t particularly speedy, but then we’ve yet to drive a car like this that’s solved that particular conundrum. The Ioniq 9 also has an intelligent trailer mode that optimises range predictions based on trailer weight, and keeps a 50:50 front to rear torque distribution for maximum traction.