Hyundai has enlarged its Ioniq range of electric cars - in more ways than one - with the unveiling of the new Ioniq 9. Its aerodynamic styling might fool you into thinking it’s a large estate, but this is very much an SUV in the vein of the well-received Kia EV9, with up to seven seats on board. And though the Ioniq 9 shares much with that Kia, it’s the larger car in nearly all dimensions. The new entrant is considerably larger than the Hyundai Santa Fe, too.
It doesn’t look like the boxy Santa Fe, does it?
No, the Ioniq 9’s designers went a different way for its style, eschewing the upright appearance of the Santa Fe in the name of better aerodynamic efficiency. Hyundai calls this approach ‘aerosthetic’ and the result is quite an unadorned look. There are no visible antennae, some models get the cameras pictured instead of door mirrors and the front end of the Ioniq 9 is notably smooth. At its best, this car’s coefficient of drag is just 0.259, remarkably better than that of the smaller Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Low-drag alloy wheel designs help with that, with the smallest fitted measuring 19 inches in diameter, the largest at 21 inches. The sculpting of the bodywork around the wheelarches breaks up what would otherwise be quite a large expanse of metal. Another design trick is the thick black line joining the lower edges of the front lights to the rears with a gentle slope towards the back. And the kick up at the rear of the side glass performs the same feat.
The rear view is plain at first glance but look closer and you’ll see the Ioniq 9 name boldly written across the tailgate. The release doesn’t mention it, but we suspect this lights up. On the subject of lighting, this model continues with Hyundai’s ‘Parametric Pixel’ LED style front and back, while the retractable door handles feature neat indirect illumination, too.
Interestingly, Hyundai mentions a new door hinge design that it says means “better fit and finish”, presumably for closer panel gaps, while the bonnet up front features a newly developed electric latching mechanism. This hopefully means easy access to the extra storage, of which there is a useful 88 litres in rear-wheel-drive versions - or 52 litres in models with two motors.
Now would be a good time to tell us how much range the Ioniq 9 has...
Irish specifications have not been confirmed, but at launch it would appear that all versions of the Ioniq 9 get a battery of 110.3kWh capacity. The most efficient model is the Long-Range version with an electric motor on the rear axle only (and 19-inch wheels) for a WLTP range of 620 kilometres thanks to energy consumption of 19.4kWh/100km. It produces up to 217hp and 350Nm of torque.
The Long-Range AWD version retains that motor at the back, and also has a 95hp motor up front for peak power of 312hp, while there’s a Performance model producing up to 434hp for a 0-100km/h time of 5.2 seconds.
Hyundai has yet to confirm peak charging speeds and projected charging times, but it’s known that the Ioniq 9 uses the firm’s 800-volt electrical architecture, so it’s likely it will manage well over 200kW on DC charging.
What’s the interior like if you’re waiting around for a charge?
It looks pretty good in the pictures of the top-spec Calligraphy model shown here, building on the luxurious Santa Fe. Though not yet confirmed for the Irish market, the Ioniq 9 can be configured with either six or seven seats. In six-seat format both the front and second-row chairs are called Relaxation Seats, and they can fully recline with integrated leg rests when the car is at a standstill. They also have a Dynamic Body Care system with something called a Dynamic Touch Massage feature.
Additionally, the middle-row seats can swivel so occupants can face those in the rearmost row, while the centre console between the front seats slides fore and aft and is designed to be used by those in the seats behind.
On the subject of storage, the Ioniq 9’s boot holds a minimum of 338 litres with all seats in use, rising to 908 litres with the third row folded down. And the Ioniq 9 can tow up to 2,500kg.
How much will the Hyundai Ioniq 9 cost in Ireland?
Hyundai has yet to release Irish pricing, or indeed an on-sale date for the Ioniq 9. Following its global debut at the LA Auto Show this week, it goes on sale in Korea and the US in early 2025, so hopefully it arrives in Ireland before the year is out, in time for a full year of sales in 2026. It’s expected to be more expensive than the Hyundai Santa Fe (which starts at €66,995). For reference, the Kia EV9 is priced from €77,500.