Hyundai Ioniq 9 test drive: Huge electric SUV with plenty of power and space

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Getting started with the Ioniq 9 isn't that easy. The start/stop button is located at the bottom of a gear lever that is concealed by the slightly turned steering wheel. The same lever is used to shift into forward gear. The Korean car slowly rolls down the hill in the Rheingau region, and our test drive can begin. So much for the introduction: it is aimed at a target group that actually needs a lot of space – or simply wants a huge car.

Rounded and smoother than an EV9

In the past, this type of vehicle would have been called a van. Today, it is called an MPV, which stands for multipurpose vehicle. The Ioniq 9 shares a technical platform (E-GMP) with the Kia EV9, but they look different on the outside. The Kia version has an angular shape, while the Ioniq 9 is rounder and softer. The front end looks quite futuristic and technical. Air flaps open and close at the very bottom. Above them, cameras, radar, and ultrasonic sensors can be seen behind a shiny surface. The daytime running lights and low beams have a pixel design. One might assume that the continuous pixel line lights up as daytime running lights. However, for regulatory reasons, this is not the case. This would require greater distances between the headlights or an interruption in the logo in the middle. The two sides of the Ioniq 9 create light reflections and shadows through curves, edges, and lines in the bodywork. The roof line slopes slightly toward the rear. Overall, the electric car is slightly less voluminous at the rear. Looking at the rear, the tail lights and brake lights form an inverted U.

Active noise cancellation

With a length of 5.06 meters and a width of 1.98 meters without mirrors, every trip through narrow streets becomes a test of courage. But on the winding mountain roads in the Rheingau-Taunus district, driving pleasure prevails. The all-wheel-drive performance version accelerates to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. This is ensured by two permanently excited synchronous motors with a system output of 315 kW. After all, they have to move 2819 kg plus passengers. In the tight curves of the wine-growing region, the 1.79 m high electric car shows little body roll. The interior also remains extremely quiet. In addition to laminated glass in the front and side windows, an active noise cancellation system insulates outside noise. This works via the 14 speakers of the optional Bose sound system. Artificially generated sound waves almost completely neutralize wheel and wind noise.

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Hyundai Ioniq 9 außen (4 Bilder)

No 22 kW option

This means that it remains surprisingly quiet even on the subsequent motorway circuit around Mainz. According to the speedometer, the test car accelerates to 210 km/h. The official top speed is 200 km/h. This also applies to the all-wheel-drive version with 226 kW engine power. The rear-wheel drive version with 160 kW has a top speed of 190 km/h. All three variants have a 110 kWh battery with a voltage of 800 volts. The charging capacity goes up to 233 kW direct current, so that a charge from 10 to 80 percent should be possible in 24 minutes. This corresponds to a promised average charging capacity of 192 kW net in this window. We cannot verify this on our short tour.

With alternating current, the charging power is 11 kW. The manufacturer does not offer a 22 kW option. This is a shame, as with this energy content, it would make a significant difference at inner-city charging stations with time limits. The Ioniq 9 comes with the V2L function already familiar from other Hyundai models. This allows energy to be transferred to external devices at up to 3.6 kW via a socket in the trunk or an adapter in the charging port. At the end of our test drive, the driver's display shows consumption of 22 kWh per 100 km. This is only slightly above the WLTP value of 20.6 kWh, which, however, includes charging losses. The difference is therefore greater than these two values suggest at first glance. Considering that we did not drive particularly slowly on the short test drive, the consumption is absolutely fine for such a colossus. Among other things, the drag coefficient of 0.26 has a positive effect here.

Disinfecting your smartphone

The driver uses two steering wheel paddles to determine how much energy the electric car feeds back into the battery when decelerating. The recuperation can be set in four stages. The WLTP range of our test car is stated as 600 km. On long journeys, the driver can relax thanks to the massage function. This is part of the Techniq package, along with the Bose sound system. However, the front passenger has to do without the massage comfort. Instead, they can disinfect smartphones using the Uniq equipment. To do this, the device is placed in a closed compartment in the lower part of the cockpit. Pressing a button starts the irradiation with UV-C light. This is intended to render viruses and bacteria on the surface harmless.

Single seats rotate 180 degrees

The Ioniq 9 is available with six or seven seats. If you opt for six seats, the second row consists of individual seats. These are available as optional relaxation seats, which can be moved almost completely into a reclining position together with a leg rest. Or you can choose swivel seats. The two seats can be rotated 180 degrees. If you want more daylight in the interior than our test vehicle allowed, you can order the panoramic glass sunroof for $1,350, which can also be partially opened. According to a Hyundai spokesperson, the Ioniq 9 offers more interior space than a VW ID.Buzz. That could be true, as the wheelbase of the standard version of the Volkswagen is 2.99 meters. The Ioniq 9 measures 3.13 meters between the two axles.

Sliding center console

Every seat in the Ioniq 9 has a USB-C port. The center console in the first row of seats can be moved back up to 19 cm. This allows passengers in the second row to access the storage compartment, whose lid can be opened in two directions. The storage compartment underneath has a capacity of 5.6 liters. A drawer with a capacity of 12.6 liters can also be pulled out of the center console from the second row.

Tow up to 2.5 tons

When all seats are occupied, the trunk offers 338 liters of storage space. This means that passengers have to be careful with their luggage. Folding down the third row of seats at the rear at the touch of a button creates a volume of 908 liters. If both rows of seats are folded down, you have 2494 liters of cargo space. The front hood, which can be opened using a remote key or a button on the dashboard, has a capacity of 52 liters. If there is no engine installed here, the capacity is 88 liters. If you want to take even more with you, opt for a roof box (100 kg roof load) or a trailer hitch. On the all-wheel-drive versions, this has a support load of 125 kg. Alternatively, you can tow up to 2.5 tons.

Digital mirrors

The test vehicle has a digital rearview mirror. A toggle switch allows you to switch from the classic mirror to the rear camera view on the screen. The advantage: you can see more. The camera shows following vehicles in full size, while the mirror obscures headrests and the rear window. If desired, exterior camera mirrors are also available for $1,400. These may improve aerodynamics, but any minimal gain in range is usually negated by the increased energy consumption of the two OLED screens.

High proportion of electric cars at Hyundai

Hyundai is the largest Asian import brand in Germany. Germany CEO Ulrich Mechau is proud of the 28 percent share of electric cars in his sales. The average in Germany is 18 percent. In June 2025, Hyundai entered the top ten of new electric car registrations by the Federal Motor Transport Authority with its Inster model. With the Ioniq 9, the brand is now serving the upper end of the market. Mechau hopes that monthly leasing rates starting at 599 euros with a 1,500 euro down payment will attract private buyers. With the recently extended depreciation allowance, the CEO is focusing on fleet customers. The Ioniq 9 with rear-wheel drive starts at 68,500 euros. Our test car with performance all-wheel drive has a base price of $86,750.

(vbr)