Hyundai Ioniq 9
Space, style and quality
Words by Mark Slack
I have commented before in these pages that the designers of EVs seem to be competing to produce the most striking, brash and ‘out there’ designs possible to make their cars stand out in an ever-increasing automotive EV crowd. A good case in point is the Hyundai Ioniq 9, a genuinely large machine that feels particularly spacious, not necessarily a given with large cars, utilising the interior space very effectively.
From a style point of view, which is obviously subjective, the feedback on my Ioniq 9 test model was not entirely positive. The feedback changed for the interior though, where without exception everyone thought it not only spacious and comfortable but extremely tactile, premium and stylish. Externally the Ioniq 9’s looks are much improved with lighter paint finishes and the same can be said of the interior too. Light interiors always tend to look classier but very effectively make an interior feel light and airy too.
The range starts from £64,995 with three trim levels, the top-line version costing £78,595. All bar one version offers seven seats with a six-seat model providing two individual chairs in the middle seating row. Standard fare across all models includes three zone climate control, smart cruise, power tailgate, wireless phone charging, powered, heated and folding door mirrors, heated front seats and steering wheel, power front seats, automatic flush door handles plus auto lights, wipers and dimming mirrors.
My test model was the Ultimate version (£73,496) and adds such niceties as a panoramic glass sunroof, heated front and middle row seats plus ventilated front ones too. A head up display (very useful and easy to read), a superb Bose sound system and rear privacy glass. Finished in Biophillic Blue Pearl with a light interior the moment you opened the door it genuinely looked a million dollars in terms of style, feel and quality.
Ultimate models upwards add a heat pump to assist range by keeping the battery at an optimal temperature and makes the heating and ventilation system much more efficient. All Ioniq 9 models have a 110-kwh battery and the lead-in version with rear-wheel-drive develops 218PS, the top-line version develops 427PS. My 307PS all-wheel-drive test version, offers a potential range of 372 miles, although in real-world-driving I’d suggest a more realistic range would be in the order of 300 miles. That’s still a very useable range.
Considering the size of the Ioniq 9 the handling is surprisingly good, although you aren’t going to be powering along twisting cross country routes. Comfort is the key and you couldn’t really want for anything such is the level of standard equipment. If you like the look, want a genuinely impressive interior, and let’s face it you spend most of your time inside a car, then the Ioniq 9 is an example of where a manufacturer still puts quality above cost.
Words by Mark Slack
