Hyundai Ioniq 9 2025 preview: walkaround, specs, prices and on-sale date

This is the Hyundai Ioniq 9: an all-new flagship electric SUV that aims to elevate the brand into uncharted territory. It follows the IONIQ Concept 'SEVEN' from 2021; the name change, we’re told, leaves room for range expansion at a later date.

The 9’s specs are strong: a massive 110kWh battery, an 800-volt electrical architecture and nearly 400 miles of range – even on the fastest Performance AWD model. There’s room for seven inside, and a huge boot capable of carrying more than a small van.

While the car shares its overall design language with the smaller Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, head of design Simon Loasby sees the Hyundai line-up like a series of chess pieces, whereby each car plays a different role. The 9 is designed to capitalise on the current “growth opportunity in the three-row SUV segment”.

Prices and specs will be revealed in time, but we expect the 9 to start from around £65,000 – on par with the Kia EV9. That’s more than for a base-spec Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB, but significantly less than for a Volvo EX90 – although that’s currently offered only in pricey dual-motor guise.

The Ioniq 9 has been revealed this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It will launch in Korea and the US in the early part of 2025, before arriving in Europe later next year. 

What powertrain options and performance can we expect?

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The Hyundai Ioniq 9 will be offered with three powertrain options at launch. Entry-level cars will use an efficient, rear-mounted motor with 215bhp – good for a relatively sedate 0-62mph time of 9.4 seconds. This model, Hyundai claims, posts an official range of up to 372 miles.

Above this sits the standard all-wheel-drive car. The rear motor is bigger than that at the front, but combined they produce 309bhp – enough for 0-62mph in 6.8 seconds. There’s no news of a Hyundai Ioniq 9 N yet; the Performance AWD model will top the range for now. With 429bhp, it’ll do 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds. All versions have the same 124mph top speed.

What do we know about the range, charging and running costs? 

As mentioned, there will be three distinct models offered at launch, although the chunky 110.3kWh battery is standard across the Ioniq 9 range. That’s 10.5kWh bigger than in the mechanically similar Kia EV9, which sits on the same E-GMP platform.

That, inevitably, benefits range. The base Long-Range RWD car comes with just one motor and is therefore lighter – and posts the longest range at 372 miles. A comparable EV9 Air has an official range of 349 miles.

Above the Long-Range RWD sits the Long-Range AWD, which adds an extra motor to the front axle for all-wheel drive and a bit of extra grunt. This version will still do a claimed 346 miles on a charge – equivalent to around 3.1mi/kWh.

The range-topper, for now, is the Performance AWD, which with 429bhp doesn’t quite offer the performance of its N-badged Ioniq 5 stablemate. Still, with a quoted 317-mile range, the flagship Ioniq 9 should serve those wanting to blend performance with efficiency well.

As with all (current) Ioniq-badged Hyundais, the 9 uses an 800-volt electrical architecture for lightning-fast charging. The maker doesn’t quote a peak charge speed, but we’ve been told it is “very similar” to that of the Ioniq 5 and 6 – meaning a 230-240kW maximum. A 10-80 per cent top-up takes 24 minutes on a suitably fast charger. As with the Ioniq 5, charge status is highlighted via a series of green dots on the steering wheel.

What is the exterior and interior design like?

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Hyundai refuses to implement an Audi-style cookie-cutter design language, meaning each of its models looks quite distinct. The Ioniq 9 is the brand’s flagship electric SUV, and while it sits on the same E-GMP platform as the Kia EV9, it takes on a much sleeker and slipperier shape. The Hyundai boasts an impressively low drag coefficient of 0.259Cd when fitted with the optional digital door mirrors.

US cars will get a full-width pixel front lightbar, but apparently European crash-test legislation means UK cars do without. This is a distinctive feature, and it’s a shame we miss out – but you still get the pixel-style daytime running lights and separate headlights located underneath. A lot of the tech and sensors are hidden in the black panel just above the numberplate, yet the smoother front end gives it a much less imposing stance compared with its EV9 sibling.

The smooth surfacing continues down the side, where trim choice will dictate how much black cladding each car gets. Calligraphy is expected to be the top spec (but still to be confirmed), which looks pretty upmarket thanks to the extensive use of body-coloured trim. A selection of alloy wheels will be offered, from 19 to 21 inches.

Whereas the EV9 wears its boxy profile with pride, the Ioniq 9 is much sleeker, with a taper towards the rear that Hyundai claims is reminiscent of a boat tail. The back end is almost Volvo-like in its appearance and features more pixel lighting, which curves up and over the top edge of the bootlid. It’s a striking look that is sure to turn heads at night.

The interior is just as fresh and clean as the exterior, with a pair of 12-inch screens laid out in what looks like a single curved display. The media and climate controls sit within a separate panel beneath the air vents, with easily accessible rotary dials to tweak the temperature. 

The materials used feel suitably high end, no matter which of the seven seats you’re sitting in. The car features a number of sustainable materials including eco process leather, recycled PET fabric and bio paint. A total of 16 exterior colours will be offered, alongside a selection of six two-tone interior options.

What do we know about the infotainment system? 

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 uses a familiar twin-screen infotainment system running intuitive software found in other Ioniq-badged models. The curved display is made up of two 12-inch screens, is clear and easy to read, and is responsive to the touch. The graphics are perhaps not as crisp as you might hope for a range flagship – this is one area where the Ioniq 9 could benefit from a significant over-the-air (OTA) update.

Specifications haven’t yet been confirmed, but you can expect all the usual phone connectivity options including Bluetooth, plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus the option of a 14-speaker Bose stereo on top-spec models. There’s an AI voice-recognition system and a series of Bluelink connected car services. Occupants in all three rows benefit from high-power 100W USB-C ports.

Hyundai says it will also incorporate an e-Active Sound Design (e-ASD), which apparently “outputs the virtual driving sound of an EV using an audio system”.

How practical is the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and how big is the boot space?

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Looks can be deceptive. To our eyes, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 looks lighter and more compact than the Kia EV9, and yet it’s ever so slightly longer – both in the wheelbase (3,130mm) and overall (5,060mm).

That makes this a hugely practical car. All seven of the seats are suitable for adults on short journeys, and they’ll fold flat to reveal a van-like 1,323 litres of boot space. Hyundai doesn’t yet offer a figure with rows two and three folded, but it’s reasonable to expect this to exceed 2,000 litres all-in. There’s a decent frunk as well – 88 litres in single-motor models, or 52 litres on all-wheel-drive cars. Either way, there is enough space for a charge cable or two.

As mentioned, the Ioniq 9 is a seven-seater. However, if you want to make the cabin even roomier, you can opt for the six-seat layout, with a totally flat floor and two captain’s chairs in the middle row. If you tick the right option boxes, these can swivel 180 degrees to face the rearmost seats, and recline to virtually flat to make those long, laborious motorway journeys a little more relaxing.

Up front, you get two almost armchair-like seats, with a chunky, sliding Universal Island 2.0 centre console and a completely flat floor. It feels roomy, which is only helped by the minimalist dash layout.

What safety tech does the Hyundai Ioniq 9 have? 

Hyundai claims the Ioniq 9 has a “reinforced body structure” that “distributes collision energy and maintains structural integrity, even in severe electric vehicle accidents”. Even the third row gets seatbelt pre-tensioners, and there are 10 airbags dotted throughout the cabin “to further enhance safety”.

Advanced safety features include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2, Lane-Keeping Assist, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Safe-Exit Warning and Driver-Attention Warning to name a few.

What will the Hyundai Ioniq 9 price be?

We’ve not yet been offered even indicative pricing for the Hyundai Ioniq 9, but given that the Kia EV9 starts from just under £65,000, we expect its Korean stablemate to sit in a similar ballpark. An all-singing, all-dancing Ioniq 9 Performance AWD in the proposed range-topping Calligraphy spec could feasibly nudge £85,000.

While that might sound a lot for an SUV with a Hyundai badge on the boot, it’s worth considering that every model offers more than 300 miles of range, plus that all-important 800-volt electrical architecture and ultra-rapid charging capability.

Rivals span everything from the aforementioned EV9, to the Volvo EX90 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz LWB. If you don’t need seven seats, models such as the Mercedes EQE and BMW iX might also be worth considering.