Review: Hyundai Ioniq 9
As Tom Sharpe discovers, Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 brings business class to the road
HYUNDAI’S Ioniq 9 is to UK roads what an Airbus A380 is to the average airport.
Not only does it offer business class comfort, but it is also an EV flagship that stands out for its sheer size. At 5.06m, it is longer than a Range Rover.
What is more, cutaway body panels above each wheelarch make it look as though it could sprout wings and take off at any moment – 2,610-2,744kg kerb weight permitting.
The Ioniq 9 is strikingly modern. The brand’s pixel light signature is distinctive, our test car’s 21-inch alloys classy and that very bluff rear end, with its slender arc of LED lights, has real design merit.
Prices start at £64,995 for the fully electric SUV, which shares its underpinnings with Kia’s EV9.
The range-topping Calligraphy trim tested here is £78,595, with the six-seat option’s rear armchairs commanding a £2,800 premium over the standard seven seats.
These can rotate 180 degrees, allowing rear passengers to face one another. However, even with the acres of space afforded by a 3.13m wheelbase, this results in a rather intimate knitting of legs.
With all seats facing forwards, the interior feels huge, a long panoramic sunroof flooding the cabin with light.
Passengers on all three rows benefit from USB-C charge points and, even with all six seats in place, the boot measures 338 litres.
Storage is abundant. The front armrest houses the drive mode selector, wireless smartphone charger, cupholders and a giant cubby, accessible from the rear seats via a sliding drawer.
Up front, two 12.3in infotainment and driver instrument displays span the dashboard.
Hyundai should be applauded for not condensing all functionality into these screens, instead retaining buttons and dials for key climate and media settings.
Occupants benefit from a 14-speaker Bose sound system which assists with active sound deadening, keeping the cabin refined.
The Ioniq 9’s cabin materials may not match those of BMW or Volvo, but its interior is effortlessly accommodating, and the driving experience is far less intimidating than its giant frame might suggest.
The suspension allows for a comfortable ride and a surprisingly accurate helm which ensures the car is easily placed on the road.
The Ioniq 9’s whopping 110kWh battery allows it to claim a 373-mile range, even in 421bhp, all-wheel-drive guise, as tested here.
Charging speeds of 350kW mean this can be topped up from10-80 per cent in just 24 minutes.
The range-topping drivetrain is equally adept at piling on speed. It will reach 62mph in just 5.2 seconds.
But that is not what the Ioniq 9 is about. It is a car in which to take off in absolute comfort and land at your destination feeling none the worse for wear. A true airliner for the road.
Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy
Price: £78,595
Engine: 110kWh battery
Power: 421bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Transmission: single-speed electric
Top Speed: 124mph
0-62mph: 5,2 seconds
Range: 373 miles
CO2 emissions: 0g/km