‘Absolute unit’ is a term that, if you spent any time on the internet from about 2017 to 2020, you’d probably see applied to something truly massive. Well, then, meet the Hyundai Ioniq 9 – something we can confidently describe as an absolute unit.
It measures 5.1m long, 2m wide and 1.8m tall and follows the Ioniq 5 and 6 in going for a pixel-heavy retro-futuristic design yet managing to look not quite like anything else in the process. Well, maybe aside from shades of cyberpunk Volvo XC90 at the back.
More important than how it looks is the interior of it, with it becoming Hyundai’s first electric three-row car. Based on the same platform as the Kia EV9, it’s no surprise to hear that you can have it as either a six- or seven-seater like that car.
Go for the six-seater, and you’ll get a neat set of swivelling chairs for the middle row. Those – and the ones up front – come with massaging features and can fully recline. That should help get the kids (and maybe even your partner) to sleep on a long drive.
Being an Ioniq, it’s quite tech-dependent too. You’ve got two 12-inch displays for the instrument cluster and infotainment, plus the standard fitment of an eight-speaker audio system. That can be upgraded for the 14-speaker Bose system, which we can only assume will be the only one you’ll really want.
Hyundai Ioniq 9, interior front
Its sheer size also means it has a pretty huge boot – fold the rear-most seats flat and you’ve got 1,323 litres of load space to work with.
Obviously, given its mass and kit, it’s going to need some big batteries to power it. Juice comes courtesy of a 110.3kWh gross capacity pack, quoted as offering up to 385 miles of range depending on the spec.
That’ll be the single-motor Long Range car’s figure, powered by a 215bhp, 259lb ft of torque unit. It’ll take 9.4 seconds to get to 62mph from a standstill, so if you have concerns about shifting (presumably) three tonnes of metal with that, there are two dual-motor options.
Hyundai Ioniq 9, middle seats
The first is a 308bhp car said to hit 62mph in 6.7 seconds, or a 429bhp version cracking it in 5.2 seconds. Obviously, those will come with a hit to your available range – quoted at 320 and 311 miles respectively. All versions top out at 124mph.
It’ll go on sale in the US and Korea in the first half of 2025, before arriving in Europe and the UK later in the year. No word yet on pricing, but expect this to be the most expensive Hyundai money can buy.
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