Hyundai is adamant that it is not abandoning the mainstream market and attempting to become a premium brand. Which is something it needed to clarify as it launched the most expensive model it has ever offered in Australia – the $119,750 Ioniq 9.
The all-new, all-electric, three-row SUV joins the recently launched Inster, Venue, Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade and Ioniq 5 in an expanding SUV line-up, which also includes electric options (Inster, Kona and Ioniq 5).
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Effectively the Hyundai twin to the Kia EV9, the Ioniq 9 joins a small assembly of large electric SUVs. The company admits that this is an “emerging market” with limited mainstream choices and a heavy skew towards premium offerings like the Audi Q8 e-tron, BMW iX, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV and Volvo EX90.
Hyundai management knows full well that a $120k electric SUV will be a niche offering, but also knows that there is a growing number of existing electric vehicle owners that are now confident in the technology but need a larger car.
In keeping with the more premium focus of this market, Hyundai is only offering a single specification, Calligraphy – its usual range-topping variant. That means it comes fully loaded with plenty of goodies to help justify the price and leave you feeling like you got good value from your six-figure Hyundai.
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One of the most notable features of this new technological flagship is the Australian debut of the Hyundai Digital Key 2, which allows you to download a virtual key onto your compatible smartphone to lock, unlock and start the Ioniq 9. It works on near-field communication (NFC) so you don’t even need to take your phone out of your pocket or bag, simply walk up and it automatically unlocks and then you can turn it on via the start button. What’s more, you can share the digital key remotely, so if you need to let a partner or friend drive your Ioniq 9, you can simply text them a key from anywhere in the world.
The other technology that helps make sense of the price is the platform. The Ioniq 9 is built on the same E-GMP architecture as the EV9 and Ioniq 5 and 6, but is the latest development of the Hyundai Group EV platform. This means it has excellent performance and even more range than the Kia can claim.
The dual-motor powertrain makes a very healthy 314kW of power and 700Nm of torque, which is enough to give this big SUV quite sprightly performance. It’s not going to snap your head back, but it’s quite quick for such a big, family-friendly option.
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The other major update for the Ioniq 9 is the 110kWh battery, which is the biggest offered yet by Hyundai. It provides a claimed range of 600km, beating the 512km offered by the Kia, and with DC fast charging it takes just 24 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 per cent.
But, to be blunt, for all its technology and space – because it is a roomy cabin with the choice of six or seven seat layouts – you just can’t avoid thinking about the price. It is fundamentally a very likeable SUV, with room for the family, quiet but effortless performance, responsive handling and plenty of standard equipment.
But it also costs more than $40k on top of the equally family-friendly and well-equipped Hyundai Santa Fe Calligraphy – and even the soon-to-be-replaced Palisade Calligraphy. For the price difference between the non-electric Hyundai SUVs and the Ioniq 9, you can actually afford an electric Inster – so you could have a two-car garage for the price of one.
The challenge is Hyundai finds itself in a new stratosphere on price and it feels like regardless of how good the Ioniq 9 is or isn’t, for many buyers getting over the ‘sticker shock’ will be the biggest obstacle.
If Hyundai can convince people to look beyond the price they will find a very impressive SUV. For anyone who has become convinced on the merits of an EV but is looking for something bigger than the ubiquitous mid-size SUV, the Ioniq 9 gives them a bigger choice – both metaphorically and literally.
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