2025 Hyundai IONIQ 9 review: Flagship luxury electric SUV is big on features... and price

“We do a terrible job with EVs.” It’s not what you expect the CEO of Hyundai Australia to be saying at the launch of a new electric vehicle but Don Romano’s not mincing his words. He’s not talking about the new IONIQ 9 specifically, but he’s acknowledging that Hyundai hasn’t made the most of their opportunities in this country, due in no small part to trying to launch EVs with a direct sales model that they had no expertise in and which alienated and bypassed their dealer network.

All that has changed now, and dealers will have to be at the top of their game to get bums on Ioniq 9 seats. Without wishing to issue too much in the way of spoilers, it’s not due to any particular shortcoming of this new three-row electric SUV, more the fact that buyers aren’t used to seeing Hyundais wearing price tags that, with a typical option spend, will sail to over $120k. As many of you will doubtless know, high-end electric SUVs aren’t exactly flying out of dealerships no matter what badge they’re sporting.

In a way that takes the pressure off the IONIQ 9 a little. This isn’t the car that makes or breaks Hyundai’s EV aspirations in Australia. In terms of financials, it barely has to wipe its own nose. It’s there as a mild statement of capability and, a cynic may well point out, to lay the ground for a next generation Palisade that will step up from its current price ceiling of $80k somewhere nearer to six figures.

5

“This is what we stand for,” says Romano, keen to see the quality, the engineering and the technical focus of the IONIQ 9 leach into the public consciousness. It’s easy to see why he’s so keen on this new big ‘un. It’s a bit special.

As well as being saddled with the highest list price of any Aussie market Hyundai to date, the Ioniq 9 also carries the biggest battery – a whopping 110.3kWh unit, good for a WLTP-rated 600km of range and, thanks to its 800v electrical architecture, can recharge from 10 to 80 percent in 24 minutes. That’s if you can find a vacant 350kW DC charging station.

There’s only one model on offer, the stacked to the gunwales Calligraphy, and there’s only one drivetrain choice, which features an electric motor on each axle combining for a total of 314kW and 700Nm. More than adequate to propel 2680kg of luxury SUV up the road.

Romano contends that it’s a model aimed at those already sold on electric vehicles, rather than one that is set to convert petrolheads. “What I’ve found is that people who drive electric vehicles seldom go back [to ICE vehicles],” he muses. “There are people now that have been in electric for some time that are graduating to higher levels,” he says. It’s these customers, who may have already owned a Tesla or a Polestar, that Hyundai thinks it can interest in the IONIQ 9.

Yes, it can quite easily be used as a family bus with all seven seats occupied. But perhaps the most appealing option for the IONIQ 9 is if you have, say, a pair of teenage kids. Spend another $2000 on the second row captain’s chairs, and you have a vehicle that’ll seat four in unashamed luxury, with enough space in the back for almost every conceivable journey.

In this regard, it’s hard to think of too much that competes at this price point. Its cousin the Kia EV9 is the obvious choice, but the Hyundai feels quite far removed from the big Kia in terms of cabin execution and quality, as indeed its should given its price premium. Indeed, the closest competitor may not be an SUV at all. The Zeekr 009 electric MPV is the only other thing we can think of in this ballpark that transports adults in quite such serenity. Acoustic laminated side glass, chunky door seals and a specially reinforced body structure featuring foam pads to cut noise all lower the decibel count inside. There are even sound-insulating pads incorporated within the tyres to quell resonant frequencies.

4

Even though it rides on a similar platform to the Kia EV9, the Hyundai is undoubtedly a bigger vehicle. At 5060mm long, it’s 50mm longer than the EV9 and 25mm taller, with 30mm grafted into the wheelbase. The styling has been cleverly worked too, avoiding the monolithic look of the EV9, with a hint of tapered boat tail, a crisp rising beltline and no fewer than 306 lighting elements (that I could count) that comprise the Parametric Pixel design motif at front and rear. It offers decent walk-around cohesion from front to rear, and the only thing that does jar is the crease line that runs diagonally across the rear door. I know this is a Hyundai design cue, featuring on vehicles such as the Tucson, but it does sometimes create an disjointed and ungainly reflection in the side of the vehicle.

The IONIQ 9 is offered with ten different paint finishes and they all attract an option charge, which seems a bit cheeky. Two are metallics (Nocturne Grey and Celadon Grey), there are five pearl finishes (Serenity White, Abyss Black, Ionosphere Green, Biophilic Blue and Sunset Brown) and then there are three matte colours (Nocturne Grey and Celadon Grey, along with the quite spectacular Gravity Gold). The metallics and pearls cost $750 and matte paintwork is $1000 extra on your invoice.

Even the initial ‘handshake’ with the vehicle is a little different. Yes, you do get a conventional fob, but a whole suite of functions can be performed by your smartphone acting as the key. I’m unsure of whether this raises more issues than it solves, but the Digital Key 2 system has some smarts about it. It utilises both near-field communication (NFC) and ultra-wideband (UWB) tech and connects via Hyundai’s Bluelink smartphone app. It doesn’t require a mobile network to operate, the key can be shared with up to 15 devices and, for most handsets, the NFC functionality will operate even if the phone’s battery is flat.

Step inside and the dash layout features a now familiar curved 12.3-inch instrument cluster and infotainment displays, but the materials are next level. The dash features aluminium fillets, with a kind of industrial distressed look to the passenger’s side panel. The headlining is pale suede, studded with microphones for the IONIQ 9’s active noise cancellation system. The front seats are soft Nappa leather, with an air cushion massage function, heating and ventilation, a one-touch electric relaxation recline and adjustable side bolsters.

Visibility out is good, and there’s the option of sticking with the conventional door mirrors or paying $3000 to upgrade to a camera-based system. Having tried both, I’d keep that money in the bank. The definition of the screens doesn’t seem to be the best and the angle of view is so wide that it can be tricky to judge the speed of rapidly oncoming vehicles.

Space is rarely, if ever, an issue. With a huge flat floor, the IONIQ 9 scores on functionality. The front seats feature a huge array of storage bins, cupholders, a UV-C sterilisation tray, three USB-A sockets, a wireless charging pad, door pocket bottle holders, a low-level drawer, a decent glovebox, and there’s also a sliding centre console available if you choose the six seater option. This slides 190mm fore and aft and allows for storage for both first- and second-row occupants.

5

Second-row accommodation is generous, with plenty of headroom and feet fit beneath the seats in front. Both rear rows get two 100w USB-C sockets and cupholders. Curiously the third row gets two cupholders on the driver’s side but only one on the kerb side. The second row also gets its own dedicated AC controls, the IONIQ 9 featuring a tri-zone air-con split. There’s a large dual pane sliding sunroof overhead, but thankfully it has a sturdy enough blind to keep the Aussie sun from roasting occupants. Access to the third row is quick and relatively easy due to an electric fold forward and slide function for the second-row seats.

The captain’s chairs are extremely comfortably, featuring slide, recline, heating and cooling functions. Unlike many such items, they also fold fairly flat, so that when the rear seats are also folded (it’s all electrically operated, naturally) there’s a largely flat load floor, albeit one with a gaping slot caused by the gap between the two individual chairs that you don’t suffer from if you stick with the three-berth bench.

You’ll squeeze in 338 litres of luggage with all three rows in place, and this jumps up to a huge 908 litres if you drop the third-row bench. There’s a 12v connector and a remote boot opening switch on one side of the luggage bay, while on the other are the four buttons for raising and lowering each of the two rearmost rows of seats. One notable omission is a spare wheel and tyre set.

The column-mounted gear lever features a neat integrated starter button. Twist it into Drive and give the throttle pedal a poke and the IONIQ 9 steps off the line cleanly, belying its heft. The steering is accurate and not too light, and there’s a decent transition between re-gen and fiction braking. It’s predictably quiet, noise-cancelling voodoo emanating from the 14-speaker Bose stereo. What it isn’t so notably cosseting is its ride quality around town. When the wheels suddenly go into droop, such as when you hit a pothole, there’s a noticeable thunk that runs through the superstructure.

Up the speed a bit on more open roads and the ride becomes a bit more convincing. Body control is well-judged for a big, luxury car, rolling in a reassuring fashion through corners while quelling the sort of chassis heave that can make some big SUVs feel like a ferry in a Biscay swell. You’re always aware that there’s a lot of unsprung mass at each corner, this Calligraphy model being shod with huge Continental Premium Contact C tyres, 285/45 R21 all round. Hyundai wisely resisted the urge to specify a lower sidewall profile, the relatively boofy rubber affording benefits in both ride and cabin refinement.

The SmartSense safety suite seems well calibrated, the sensors picking up speed limit signs accurately (assisted by GPS) and the radar cruise being particularly adept at lane-centring and keeping speed in check on downhill inclines. It’ll also slow the car when the mapping data shows a tight curve approaching. Assistance functions include second-generation Forward Collision-avoidance Assist 2, Highway Driving Assist 2 and Lane Following Assist 2 systems. You also get a very clear surround view monitor, remote smart parking using the key fob and 10 airbags.

3

Servicing? There’s a 24-month/30,000km service that costs $660, and that’s followed by a 48-month/60,000 appointment that’s $685, so that’s eminently reasonable for such a big, luxurious car. Given the weight of the IONIQ 9, it might well be worth keeping an eye on tyre tread depths, because it could well need new boots before 30,000km, depending on how enthusiastically you pedal it. Over the air updates are part of the ownership experience, which ought to keep the UX fresh. In case you’re interested in towing with an EV, and very few are, the Ioniq 9’s braked towing capacity is 2500kg.

The Hyundai IONIQ 9 is an extremely polished proposition, contriving to make many of the established premium marques’ SUV offerings in this price bracket look quite complacent. Brand equity being what it is, however, it’s unlikely that too many of them will be worried about the big Hyundai eating into their share. As a statement of capability, the IONIQ 9 ought to have a few of them concerned about their medium term prospects. A vehicle with this feature set and a German badge on the bonnet would likely carry a $200k price tag.

Does that make the IONIQ 9 a conspicuous bargain? We’d hesitate there. Were the Aussie car market entirely meritocratic, it would be a big seller, and it earns the thumbs up from us, with the caveat that residuals remain a question mark. Knowing what we know about how we buy $100k+ cars, it’ll likely remain a relatively rare sight on our roads. The few that do take the plunge on an IONIQ 9 will be rewarded with one of the slickest and most accomplished luxury SUVs at any price.

2

Specs

2