Hyundai Ioniq 9 - long-term review

We’re past the point of being shocked that the once plucky Koreans are now confident and capable enough to take on the luxury car elite. The Kia EV9 took direct aim at the Range Rover with its monolithic styling, sheer size and all-you-can-eat tech… the Ioniq 9 is Hyundai’s take on the massive, seven-seater electric-SUV formula. And I’ll be living with one for the next three months.

Whereas the EV9 took inspiration from a brutalist apartment block, the Ioniq 9 is more aero-focused. Well not that aero-focused obviously, physics cannot be sidestepped, but slipperier. A drag coefficient of just under 0.26 (when fitted with the digital side-mirrors – a £1,000 option, only offered on top-spec Calligraphy cars) is admirable, and understandable when you look at the way the front-end curves smoothly into the bonnet via the pixelated lights, the falling roofline and the sharply cut-off rear end.

Hyundai calls this design philosophy ‘aerosthetic’, which I quite like, and the 9’s styling definitely continues Hyundai’s run of fearless design – recognition that EVs are all much the same to drive, so the top hat is the differentiator. For me, the overall effect sits somewhere between the Ioniq 5’s slam dunk and the disappointingly droopy Ioniq 6. Let’s call it a B+. Still, it’s different, instantly recognisable and a conversation starter, which in a sea of seemingly AI-generated Chinese SUVs is an increasingly rare commodity.

It’s yacht-like size (over five metres long, almost two metres wide – how can 21in wheels look this tiny?) is the thing that strikes you first, but while there was a time when SUVs of this bulk were rallied against by the anti-Chelsea Tractor brigade, being an EV softens the conversation and alleviates the guilt. So now I’m free to openly enjoy this surplus of space, and an absolute zinger of a family bus.

The three rows come with seven seats as standard, but for a grand more you can get the six-seat configuration as we’ve gone for here. I’ve only got two kids, so a throne each with some floor space between them, seemed like a no-brainer. The third row will remain mostly folded - leaving an enormous 908-litres of boot space to swallow bikes, shopping, suitcases, small planets, that sort of thing – but ready to rise into action (electronically, no physical effort required) when required.

And so to the spec of our top-trim ‘Calligraphy’ test car. I’m loving the Ionosophere Green paint (£700), less so the light-coloured leather, which is already going blue on the driver’s outside bolster (my jeans aren’t that cheap). The seats themselves are fantastic – heated and ventilated, loads of electronic adjustment, massage function (for the driver only, which seems mean) – and the sense of space is wonderful, especially with the blind peeled back on the panoramic roof.

The equipment list is frankly too long to list here, but highlights include a head-up display, huge centre console storage unit with a pull-out drawer for those in the second row and 100KW USB-C rapid chargers. There are heated rear seats, a V2L three-pin plug, a 14-speaker Bose sound system with sub-woofer and a sweep of screens subtly curved towards the driver. The build quality is excellent (albeit using materials a notch down from those you’ll find in a BMW, Audi or Merc) but we’d avoid the faux-marble edifice on the dashboard and weirdly tacky (as in… slightly sticky) plastic ledge that run the full width of the dash.

Telling, isn’t it, that I’ve left the powertrain stats for last, but we have eschewed the lesser-powered 215bhp RWD and 303bhp AWD models in favour of the most-potent 421bhp AWD version with 372-miles WLTP range and a max charging speed of 233kW, thanks to its 800V architecture. The 421bhp version is only available in top Calligraphy trim, which means a bill of £78,595 or £80,295 once you throw in the paint and digital side mirrors. Can a Hyundai possibly live up to that level of coin? Let’s find out.