Hyundai IONIQ 9 Review 2026: Prices, specs and verdict

What is the Hyundai IONIQ 9?

Luxury SUVs are big business, particularly in markets like the USA and Middle East. And Hyundai wants a piece of the premium family bus action with the striking IONIQ 9.

It’s a vast electric SUV that takes Hyundai to new pricing and technology levels. And, in embracing battery power, it’s beaten established posh brands like BMW and Audi, who are yet to electrify their largest SUVs.

The IONIQ 9, so named because it sits above other electric Hyundais like the IONIQ 5 and 6, arrived a couple of years after the closely related Kia EV9. Both are similarly practical and loaded with technology, but the Hyundai sports a more aerodynamic shape that boosts range.

Priced in-between smaller alternatives like the Peugeot e-5008, and posher rivals from brands like Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, is this a big Hyundai that can take the brand to new heights? We find out in our in-depth review.

Verdict: is the Hyundai IONIQ 9 a good car?

The Hyundai IONIQ 9 is one of the best large electric family cars on the market. Whether you prefer its quirkier design to its Kia EV9 sister car is a matter of taste, but it’s just as capable and manages even more range on a charge.

Combine that with impressive amounts of space and flexibility, loads of equipment and technology and a comfortable, easy driving experience, and you probably won’t miss the posher materials and cushier ride of much pricier SUVs.

Pricing, specs & rivals

Prices for the Hyundai IONIQ 9 start at £64,995 at the time of writing – although Hyundai is offering a discount of £1,500 on all versions until March 2026.

That’s fractionally cheaper than the Kia EV9, but over £15,000 less than the cheapest Volvo EX90. A seven-seat Volkswagen ID. Buzz starts at just over £60k, however.

Entry-level Premium trim is very well equipped and might be all the SUV you need. It comes with 19in alloy wheels, LED headlights, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, heated outer rear seats and a heated steering wheel. There’s also wireless phone charging, three-zone climate control, an electric tailgate and a host of safety features.

Upgrading to Ultimate spec, from £73,495, upgrades the wheel sizes to 20in while also adding a panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, leather upholstery, ventilated front and rear outer seats, a Bose sound system, remote parking, a digital rear view mirror, a 360-degree camera system and much more.

Calligraphy spec focuses on visual upgrades inside and out, with 21in alloys, upgraded interior materials, Nappa leather seats, electric steering wheel adjustment and a UV sterilisation tray. It’s priced from £75,795, but you can also opt for this version to have six ‘captain chair’ seats instead of seven for another £3,000.

The only issue with Premium trim is that you can’t upgrade to the dual-motor, all-wheel drive motor option. This is standard on Ultimate and Calligraphy models, but an even faster version of the latter is available for just £1,800 extra.

Rivals

You’ll likely be considering the Kia EV9 if you’re in the market for the IONIQ 9, and they’re so similar it mainly comes down to which design you like the most.

There isn’t a vast number of posher electric seven-seaters to choose from outside of this. You’ll want to check out the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, while if you can stretch your budget the Volvo EX90 or even pricier Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV are worth considering.

Smaller, cheaper options like the Peugeot e-5008, Mercedes-Benz EQB and Citroen e-Berlingo might work for those who don't intend to use the third row of seats often. A plug-in hybrid SUV, like the Hyundai Santa Fe, is an option if you’re not ready to fully commit to electric.  

Interior comfort, quality & technology

The IONIQ 9’s cabin is a clear step up from Hyundai’s cheaper models, both in terms of design and quality. The Range Rover-like elevated driving position also gives you a good view out all-round, too.

There’s loads of adjustment in the steering wheel and immensely comfortable seats, and those front seats even get a little calf rest that can be electrically summoned for relaxing while you’re charging.

Everything is very straightforward to operate, with plenty of physical buttons, and although the drive selector is slightly obscured behind the steering wheel you get used to it.

In terms of materials, while the IONIQ 9 is nicer inside than other Hyundai, it’s still some way short of creating the premium ambience that Volvo, BMW and Mercedes-Benz do. Some of the textures and finishes aren’t as posh, with the odd hard plastic trim marking this out as something a bit cheaper. It’ll be hard wearing enough for family life, however.

Infotainment, sat-nav, stereo and connectivity

Every IONIQ 9 gets a pair of 12.3in curved screens linked in a single bezel. One is a touchscreen, the other is the digital dial display.

The touchscreen has slick graphics and is decently responsive, with a mostly intuitive menu layout, although some functions take a bit of finding. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, as is an online app store that brings features such as Netflix or YouTube streaming while parked.

There’s also a separate touch panel for the climate controls, with separate little displays within the temperature knobs. This makes controlling these functions much easier on the move than burying them within the touchscreen, and we prefer its placement to the Kia EV9’s climate controls which are partly hidden behind the steering wheel.

The digital dial display has plenty of different graphics and information. The head-up display (standard on Ultimate trims) is clear and crisp too. You get a grand total of six high power USB-C ports spread around the cabin along with wireless phone charging. The standard eight-speaker audio system is decent enough, but the upgraded 14-speaker Bose system is punchier.  

You can specify digital door mirrors as a £1,000 option. They use two cameras in place of conventional mirrors, feeding to displays on the doors, but we wouldn’t bother because they don’t give you the same depth perception and field of vision as proper mirrors.

How practical is the Hyundai IONIQ 9?

With dimensions of 5,060mm in length, 1,980mm in width and 1,790mm in height, the Hyundai IONIQ 9 is vast by British SUV standards. It’s slightly bigger than the Volvo EX90 and longer than a Kia EV9, although something like a BMW X7 is even longer still.

It’ll come as no surprise, then, that the IONIQ 9 is immensely spacious. The 3.13m wheelbase (the space between the front and rear wheels) is longer even than an X7’s, providing enough space for six or seven adults to get very comfortable.

All three rows get ample headroom and legroom. Those in the front two rows will enjoy the most space to stretch out, and the broad cabin allows three people to sit across the bench without fighting for shoulder space. The seats slide forward and back easily, too, and you four ISOFIX points – although not one for the front passenger seat.

But even the third row is generous, as a couple of six-footers will find space to spare in all dimensions, a nice, padded armrest in between and even electric reclining. An ID. Buzz offers even more headroom, but the IONIQ 9 is far roomier than most seven-seat SUVs.

Opting for Calligraphy trim lets you specify two individual chairs in the second row instead of a three-seat bench. These can recline and swivel round to face the third row, with their own armrests.

Storage and boot space

Storage in the IONIQ 9 is outstanding. There’s a vast centre armrest cubby with removable trays that slides back on runners for those in the back, two cupholders, large door bins, trays for phones and other items and a generous glovebox. The lower lidded tray at the bottom of the dash even gets a UV sterilisation function on top models to kill bacteria on small items.

Those in the middle row are also well catered for with big door bins, two cupholders on each door, map pockets and even the ability to access the front armrest storage from a second button. Even the third row of seats has a pair of cupholders either side and USB-C ports.  

Folding the rear seats is an absolute doddle with buttons to electrically drop individual seats in the boot. With all six or seven seats in place you get a decent 338-litre space - more than a Vauxhall Corsa’s entire boot – but that increases to a vast 908-litre space with the third row of seats folded.

You also get a bit of underfloor storage where the load cover can fit in a neat holder. You even have a decent front boot area with 88 litres of space – enough for the charging cables and an overnight bag – but that does reduce to a tighter 52 litres on all-wheel drive models.

That’s about as much storage as you’ll get from an electric SUV, although the Volkswagen ID. Buzz has an even more vast boot with the third row folded.

Performance & drive: What is the Hyundai IONIQ 9 like on the road?

Most premium electric cars offer brisk performance even from the base level. In the IONIQ 9, that entry-level version is more sedate.  

Although 218hp sounds like plenty for the rear-wheel drive (RWD) model, it’s trying to shift a car that weighs more than 2.5 tonnes. That means a 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds. By premium electric car standards, that’s gentle acceleration.

It is faster than a Peugeot e-5008, however, and in everyday driving most are unlikely to be found wanting. It’s only when joining a busy motorway slip road that you might like a little more punch – and that’s before you load up the car with passengers and luggage.

For those regularly doing fully loaded trips or drivers who like to get ahead at the lights, the dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) version is a lot more effortless. Its 303hp delivers a much brisker 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds.

Interestingly, going for the top-spec Calligraphy gives you access to an even faster AWD model.  This puts out 427hp, enough to fire it from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds. That’s great, if a bit unnecessary in a big family cruiser such as this.

Both the throttle and brake pedal are smooth and easy to modulate. We also like the adjustable regenerative braking via steering wheel paddles.

Power, 0-62mph times

• Hyundai IONIQ 9 RWD: 218hp/ 9.4 secs
• Hyundai IONIQ 9 AWD: 303hp/ 6.7 secs
• Hyundai IONIQ 9 AWD Calligraphy: 427hp/ 5.2 secs

Ride and handling

Premium SUVs often have the option of air suspension, delivering a pillowy smooth ride and the ability to change the car’s ride height. The IONIQ 9 doesn’t have that, but the standard springs are aided by self-levelling dampers and fancy hydroelastic bushes.

While that means the Hyundai isn’t quite as cossetting as the best large SUVs, it’s still very comfortable and smothers low-speed potholes and speed bumps with ease. That said, the largest wheel options can make the ride a bit more unsettled on rough roads. All versions are smooth on the motorway, however.

The IONIQ 9’s isn’t as cumbersome to drive around town as you might expect, with the various cameras and sensors helping. It’s far from agile, however, and although it’s quite composed in the corners and the steering is precise, this isn’t a car you’ll take the twisty route home for.

It’s also a shame that other markets get the option of rear-wheel steering to make the turning circle tighter, but for some reason the UK doesn’t.

Noise and refinement

The IONIQ 9 is a superb way of travelling long distances quietly. The electric motor is almost silent, while road noise is well isolated thanks to active noise cancellation tech (standard on Ultimate trim). Combined with the immensely comfortable seats it’s a lovely cruiser, although there is a bit of wind noise if you really pay attention.

Euro NCAP: is the Hyundai IONIQ 9 a safe car?

The IONIQ 9 achieved the maximum five-star safety rating when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2025. Its strong scores across the board are almost identical to that of the Kia EV9, although the Volvo EX90 is even better at protecting occupants in a collision.

Every IONIQ 9 comes with no fewer than ten airbags, along with the usual autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assistance and driver attention monitoring – though the latter feature uses eye tracking tech and can be a bit over-zealous.

On top of that, every version has blind spot collision avoidance, multi-collision braking, trailer stability assist and Highway Driver Assist tech, while all but entry-level models get rear collision avoidance and auto-braking. This also brings Hyundai’s Blind Spot View Monitor (giving a camera feed of the rear blind spots in the digital dials).

Charging, range and running costs

To give such a vast car a meaningful range on a charge you need a big battery, and the IONIQ 9 certainly has that.

All versions have a battery with 106kWh of usable capacity. That’s even larger than the battery in the Kia EV9, and on a par with the Volvo EX90 Twin Motor’s pack.

In the IONIQ 9, it means an impressive range on a charge of up to 385 miles is possible, according to WLTP testing. That’s ahead of all versions of the EX90, much more than any VW ID. Buzz offers, and not far off the vastly more expensive Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

That maximum figure is for the most efficient single motor model. Opting for the dual motor all-wheel drive variant reduces the official range to 372 miles – still excellent. The equivalent Kia EV9 offers around 10% less range in the same tests.

As you’d expect at this price point (though it’s not always guaranteed) every IONIQ 9 comes fitted with a heat pump as standard. This helps reduce the impact of heating the cabin on the car’s range in cold weather.

Range on a charge (WLTP figures) 

• Hyundai IONIQ 9 RWD: 385 miles
• Hyundai IONIQ 9 AWD: 372 miles

A big battery is all well and good, but if the charging speeds don’t match up then you’ll be waiting a long time to juice it up. Happily, the IONIQ 9 can achieve very competitive charging speeds on paper.

All models are capable of a maximum rate of 233kW, which in theory allows a 10-80% top up in just 24 minutes using a DC rapid charger. You’ll need all the stars to align to achieve and maintain that speed, but the peak speed is faster than that of a VW ID.Buzz. A Volvo EX90 promises even faster speeds, though.

It’s worth bearing in mind that such a big battery will take a long time to slow charge. Even on a 7kWh wallbox, you’re looking at 17 hours for a full charge from empty. Being able to use three-phase charging brings that down.

All IONIQ 9s feature Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology, able to supply up to 3.6kW of power via a domestic socket in the car, or an external adaptor. That’ll power most household appliances or camping equipment, for example.

Charging speeds

(Figures from EV Database)

• 7kW charging: 17hrs
• 11kW charging: 11hr 30 mins
• 50kW rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 94 mins
• 150kW+ rapid charger (10 to 80% charge): 24 mins

How much does the Hyundai IONIQ 9 cost to insure?

The IONIQ 9 should be slightly cheaper to insure than the Kia EV9, if insurance groups are anything to go by. The entry-level Premium IONIQ 9 kicks off from insurance group 42, with Ultimate models in group 43. AWD versions start at group 47, rising to 49 for the top-level Calligraphy model.

By contrast, every version of the Volvo EX90 is the maximum insurance group 50.