2025 Hyundai IONIQ 9 revealed

The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 9 three-row electric SUV has finally made its global debut and will arrive Down Under late in the second quarter of next year – around June.

Measuring more than five-metres long and offered in six- or seven-seat configurations, the IONIQ 9 is Hyundai’s new mothership and will be most expensive model in the brand’s global fleet once it’s released.

How expensive? Hyundai is yet to confirm pricing for the futuristic EV, but the expectation is for the base model to start from north of $100,000 and while the top-spec Calligraphy versions could top $150,000 (plus on-road costs).

Pitched as an electric alternative to the Mazda CX-90, VW Tiguan and Volvo XC90, the IONIQ 9 will join the IONIQ 5 crossover and IONIQ 6 sedan in Australia but dwarfs them in stature and features a ‘loungeroom-inspired’ interior with countless cup holders, plenty of power outlets, scads of storage cubbies and even swivelling seats.

Six-seat versions feature a pair of free-standing captain’s chairs in the second row that can rotate 180-degrees and twist 90 degrees towards the doors to make fitting child seats and infants easier.

Flagship versions will be offered with fully reclining front and middle row seats complete with heating, cooling and advanced massage functionality with vibrational effects, something Hyundai reckons improves blood circulation.

It’s not clear if the 2+2+2 configuration will be offered in Australia, but if Hyundai wanted to create more space between the IONIQ 9 and the mechanically-related Kia EV9, a six-seat option would be a good place to start.

Equipment levels for Australian-delivered IONIQ 9s haven’t been confirmed yet, but you can expect to see plenty of the high-tech goodies like dual 12-inch displays and digital wing mirrors in Aussie vehicles – see further down for more specific equipment details.

Hyundai has also tried to use recycled materials as much as possible, with eco leather, wool and recycled suede upholstery on offer, while repurposed plastic waste is used for certain interior surfaces.

Recycled tyre waste goes into the paint.

The exterior design is loyal to the Seven concept of 2021 – save for a few compliance-mandated alterations to the lighting and body structure – and completely independent of the other IONIQ products.

“In Hyundai design, we don't do a family look,” newly appointed Hyundai design boss Simon Loasby said.

“Working on IONIQ 9, we realised there’s a big bandwidth in what's called an ‘SUV’ out there.

“We treat each of our vehicles much like the chess pieces of a western chess set, where they all have a different role to play,” said the Hyundai design boss who previously worked for Volkswagen.

“We’re moving our vehicles towards the lifestyle of the consumers, and that means they deliberately don’t all look the same.”

All 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 9 variants are fitted with a massive 110kWh lithium-ion battery pack claimed to offer up to 620km of WLTP range – more than its Kia EV9 cousin.

Based on the same scalable 800V e-GMP architecture as the big Kia, it can be DC fast-charged at up to 350kW, yielding a 10 to 80 per cent top-up in a claimed 24 minutes (under ideal conditions).

Base grade Long Range variants are powered by 160kW/350Nm e-motor mounted to the rear axle while the equivalent Long Range AWDs add a 70kW/255Nm motor onto the front axle – a combined power output is TBC.

The flagship Performance AWD system meantime ups the ante with a 160kW/350Nm front motor, netting it a 5.3-second 0-100km/h time.

Hyundai execs also hinted to carsales that a stove-hot, tyre-slaying IONIQ 9 N is under consideration.

Hyundai appears to have thrown absolutely everything at its new flagship SUV – including high-end captain’s chairs for middle row passengers in six-seat versions, complete with armrests, powered seat adjustment and next-generation massage functions.

All models come with dual 12-inch displays – infotainment and instrument cluster – set behind one curved pane of glass, the Android-based operating system of which includes over-the-air (OTA) updates and FoD (features on demand) functionality.

This allows owners to purchase digital upgrades and customise their vehicles both inside and out, something Hyundai said new-car buyers find appealing – apparently free customisation options are less desirable.

A single wireless phone charger with an in-built cooling fan lives at the front of a sliding island console positioned between front seats, however second-row occupants can also access it via the dual-opening lid. There’s also a storage drawer that opens into the second seat row.

High-output (100W) USB-C ports peppered across all three seat rows while a conventional household power point in the boot (and an external port) can run larger, hungrier appliances and even camping equipment via vehicle-to-load (V2L), adding more versatility.

Air vents and cup holders are fitted across all three seat rows and the UV-C steriliser system first seen in the Santa Fe is part of the package too. You can put phones or face masks or any small objects into the compartment and bombard them with ultra-violet radiation to kill off germs and viruses.

A 14-speaker BOSE stereo is fitted to top-spec models, as is a panoramic glass sunroof, while lower grades get an eight-speaker audio system.

An AI-based voice recognition system can operate most of the in-car systems while Bluelink smartphone connectivity allows for remote vehicle operation and supervision.

Depending on the model-grade, 19-inch, 20-inch or 21-inch alloy wheels are available but like most EVs, there’s no spare wheel.

All 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 9s get 10 airbags as standard along with a reinforced body structure that Hyundai says “ensures maximum battery safety by effectively distributing collision energy and maintaining structural integrity, even in severe electric vehicle accidents”.

A full-suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are designed to make the car safer and easier to drive, with highlights including autonomous emergency braking, semi-autonomous steering, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and collision-avoidance assist, and rear cross traffic collision avoidance.

As mentioned above, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 9 is expected to arrive in Australia in the second quarter of next year, most likely May or June.

It was originally meant to have been released earlier this year but was pushed back due to a late production start and to avoid lobbing in the festive holiday when new vehicles aren’t always front-of-mind for consumers.

Stay tuned for our first drive of the new Hyundai IONIQ 9 soon.

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