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modern I’ve been impressed with how the brand has moved upmarket in recent years – reminding me of what Volvo has done. The impressive combination of style, quality and Korean hospitality, particularly in the brand’s all-electric Ioniq models, resulted in the Ioniq 5 becoming a World Car Award winner, while the Ioniq 6 also impressed.
There is also proof of the popular Ioniq N model electric car It’s also for enthusiasts, with impressive power, equally exciting looks, and quality to back up its hefty price tag.
Now, Hyundai has unveiled its all-electric Ioniq 9 flagship car, a car that focuses more on comfort and luxury than power. This is a big seven-seater SUVwhich has a lot in common with its sister car (and another World Car Award winner), Come to EV9. However, new Hyundais gain the benefit of hindsight with the latest technology and larger batteries.
I’ll be living with the Ioniq 9 over the next few months to see if this newfound luxury is more than skin deep. So far it’s surprising how many people have compared this car to a Range Rover – which even includes current Range Rover owners. I was also blown away by how comfortable it was – not just for me, but for all the passengers.
This all puts the Ioniq 9 into the luxury car category where Hyundai’s premium brand Genesis should be competing – which is a bit embarrassing. But let’s see how the 9 fares as a true luxury SUV. I’ll update my review as I drive it and get to know the Ioniq 9 better, so check back to see how this car performs in the real world.
Modern Ioniq 9 calligraphy
- base price: £78,595
- Options: Celadon Gray Matt Paint (£1,200)
- Total price: £79,795
- Battery size: 110kWh
- Test efficiency: 2.8 miles/kWh
- Maximum claimed range: 372 miles
- 0-62 mph: 5.2 seconds
Hyundai Ioniq 9 – Second report
Christmas is a great time of year to get to know your car. This is a time when you are tested more than at any other time, with family, long journeys, bad weather and more to contend with.
That was certainly the case with the Fowler family and our Hyundai Ioniq 9, first visiting the Royal Albert Hall and then admiring London’s Christmas lights.
There were six of us in the car again, including my 89-year-old father and 85-year-old mother-in-law, who have limited mobility, but getting in and out of the Ioniq 9 was really easy. The most nimble of the six of us – my two adult children – came along and had no trouble sitting in the third row. In fact, as you can see from the pictures, they’re the best place to view the Christmas lights; Hyundai’s full-length panoramic sunroof comes in handy when there’s such a good view overhead.
Winter weather is a challenge for any electric vehicle—the batteries don’t like the cold. That means the Ioniq’s range hovers around 300 miles, rather than the claimed 372 miles – hopefully I’ll be able to test the car in warm weather in the near future. That means efficiency has dropped slightly too – now averaging 2.8 miles per kWh, although I think that’s not bad considering the cold weather, a fully loaded car and the long drives I’ve been on lately.
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A bonus for all of us is that modern apps allow me to preheat the car before traveling. As we sang “Deck The Halls,” I set the car’s climate control system to running and the temperature in the car was perfectly comfortable (and thawed) for our evening trip to see the lights.
There’s only one blemish on the Ioniq 9’s transcript so far, and that’s the connection to my phone. It works perfectly with other cars, but the connection with modern cars would often freeze, causing the navigation screen to freeze, any podcasts or music to pause, and sometimes, phone calls to disappear. Maybe the car needs some kind of software update, but currently I have to disconnect and reconnect the phone and everything is fine – and it only seems to happen once per trip.
However, there’s one thing I’ve always raved about about the Ioniq 9 – the seats. My car has modern lounge seats that recline and footrests pop out when parked. This is ideal if you stop to recharge and want to blink 40 times or just relax. There’s also something called Ergo Motion that automatically activates the seat’s massage function after about 30 minutes of driving to ensure I don’t get back pain. But I don’t think so.
Carmakers often promise their cars to have “lounge-like” interiors, but I think this is the closest. The Ioniq 9 isn’t a sports car, so I don’t need grippy sports seats. What I really want is something that will keep me comfortable on long journeys or while stuck in traffic, and the seats in my Hyundai do just that – they’re more comfortable than many armchairs I’ve sat in, and I’d go so far as to say they’re the most comfortable seats I’ve ever had in a car.
The seat heating (I haven’t tried the seat ventilation yet!) and the heated steering wheel also work brilliantly in the winter – they’re on and ready when I heat the car via the app.
Additionally, I and numerous passengers were impressed by the other luxury features that make the ongoing Range Rover comparison so valid. From the Active Noise Control-Road technology (just plain old noise-canceling technology to you and me) to the 14-speaker Bose sound system (I usually don’t like Bose in cars), the Ioniq 9 makes a very good luxury car impression.
Like many luxury cars, it’s big, which sometimes means you need to drive around the block to find a bigger parking spot. But with ample cameras and clever parking magic, it also takes the pain out of parking without the car feeling too big on the road.
I’d be keen to try a lower version than my top-of-the-range Calligraphy model at some stage to see if it still feels as luxurious. Smaller wheels might have softened the ride, and while I’m not complaining that my car has a firm ride – not at all – it could be a little softer.
More miles to come in the coming weeks, hopefully with warmer weather and improved efficiency. I’ll be using it in full truck mode soon to see how it performs as a workhorse.
Hyundai Ioniq 9 – first report
The Ioniq 9 arrives at the perfect time. As you can see from the pictures, all six seats were very handy when I had to transport my family from Buckinghamshire to Kent for my sister’s birthday party.
So, let’s see what all five passengers think of the new arrival of the Fowler family, starting with mother-in-law Thelma who comes along. “The ride was smooth, very comfortable and easy to get in and out of,” she said. This kind of access is important to her – she likes open doors, although I haven’t seen how well they work in a tight parking lot.
My wife, Victoria, praised the seats saying: “The middle row seats are so comfortable and warm – lovely.”
My daughter Gemma was placed in the third row, where the seats are not heated but are no less comfortable. “Even in the back without heated seats, you still have a heater on your legs to keep you warm,” Gemma said.
My sons were obviously wrapped up warm and focused on other things. “It’s very comfortable and there are nice extras like charging sockets, cup holders and lots of storage throughout,” Jack said. Harry, a man of few words, simply said: “Great technology.”
But what about the guy in the driver’s seat, me? So far, I’m pretty happy – but I’m having a hard time making an impression. However, something strange happened: This large SUV was one I was really looking forward to driving. Don’t think it’s anything like a modern N model, but it’s a very comfortable car – quiet, fast enough, has a comfortable ride (although the smaller wheels and larger tires of other versions will pick up some bumps you do feel) – and I’m honestly looking forward to my time behind the wheel.
Is it as luxurious as a Range Rover? My top-spec Caligraphy model, which comes with six “captain’s chairs” instead of the three-person middle-row bench of the seven-seat model, is very well built and the interior is very attractive.
And what a luxury it is: The Ioniq 9 automatically adjusts the driver’s seat backrest to keep your back mobile during long journeys, or you can set it for a proper in-car massage. In some cars I do get a bit of back pain when I sit still for a while, but that’s not the case with the Ioniq 9.
I’ll discover more luxury features in the coming weeks, but the final decision will be left to the mysterious guy who had his nose pressed against the Ioniq 9’s window as I walked back in the parking lot. “This could be a Range Rover, couldn’t it?” he said, before smiling and walking away, looking back again.
