The starting price of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is considerably higher than that of Kia’s alternative to this car, the EV9. Case closed? Not quite, because when all is said and done, the base version of the Ioniq 9 seems to be the better deal.
Hyundai Ioniq 9 110.3 kWh RWD Style – €67,995
What a behemoth, right, that Hyundai Ioniq 9? An electric powertrain makes offering gigantic SUVs possible again in a country like the Netherlands, and we are now seeing the consequences of this, especially with Kia and Hyundai. With a length of 5.06 meters, the Ioniq 9 is a few centimeters longer than an EV9, and the Hyundai is indeed even more spacious, although at 2,419 versus 2,318 liters (volume behind the front seats, all seats folded flat), it’s not a huge difference.
The starting price of the Ioniq 9 is currently set at €67,995, a significant jump from the €59,995 that Kia wants at a minimum for an EV9. But that’s comparing apples to oranges, as quickly becomes clear. The base version of Kia is namely the First Edition, which with a battery pack of 76.1 kWh ‘only’ gets 443 kilometers. The Hyundai has a standard battery of no less than 110.3 kWh and a range of 620 kilometers, and those are both values that EV9 drivers can only dream of for now. Even if you order an EV9 with the largest battery, that battery ‘only’ has a capacity of 99.8 kWh. That yields a range of 563 kilometers, and the EV9 in this form also costs €68,795, more than an Ioniq 9 in base trim.
Plenty of space, and seven seats are standard.
Thus, the situation seems more favorable for the Hyundai, at least if you were already planning to pay a bit more for the largest possible battery. However, the Ioniq 9 can still fall short when it comes to equipment, but that is precisely why this section was created.
The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is currently available in four different versions, with the top ‘Lounge’ version always coming with four-wheel drive. The base version Style does offer the choice between rear- or four-wheel drive, with the four-wheel drive having 90 hp extra and costing an additional €4,000. However, you do sacrifice some space (smaller frunk) and range (606 instead of 620 kilometers), although those differences are not too significant. By the way, an Ioniq 9 RWD is not fast, especially for an EV. The acceleration from 0 to 100 takes 9.4 seconds, and we can at most judge that as ‘adequate’, but it is of course perfectly livable.
After a look at the list of standard equipment, things look good for the Style. Heated seats front and rear are standard, for example, as are electrically adjustable front seats, an electric tailgate, fully automatic climate control with three zones, a wireless phone charger, ‘self-leveling rear suspension’, V2L functionality, adaptive cruise control, a heat pump, and a nice combination of two 12.3-inch screens with all the bells and whistles.
A third row of seats is also standard, because an Ioniq 9 is standard a seven-seater and can be configured as a more luxurious six-seater in the most expensive versions. However, we can easily consider the base version of this car as exceptionally luxurious. More expensive versions offer frills like better audio systems, head-up displays, nicer LED headlights, and a panoramic roof that can actually open. All nice, but certainly not necessary.
The choice between a dark or light interior can be made for free.
Visually, the base Ioniq 9 is also quite presentable. The trained eye can certainly distinguish it from the even more expensive versions by its simpler LED headlights, 19- (instead of 20-) inch wheels, and ribbed steel roof. The all-black wheel arch trims are, by the way, a big giveaway, because in more expensive versions, they are finished with a glossy finish. But for the average viewer, this is simply an incredibly impressive SUV even in base trim. Hyundai offers a total of seven metallic and pearl paints for the exterior, but only ‘Sunset Brown Pearl’ is free. For other shades, you pay an extra €995, still a modest amount for so many liters of paint. The interior, covered with a combination of fabric and leather, can even be executed in light gray at no extra cost, for those who find the standard black too dark.