By Ian Strachan.
Of all the fully electric cars I’ve tested over the past couple of years or so – and there’ve been a few – Hyundai’s IONIQ 9 Calligraphy is unquestionably the biggest. It’s also one of the most complete electric vehicles I’ve tested. It lacks nothing in space, style and specification.
The award-winning IONIQ 9 is big – the biggest car Hyundai has ever made. It’s bigger than a Santa Fe and longer than a Range Rover. Little wonder that it can seat seven people in leather-cosseted comfort.
It’s also a real head-turner. It has a smooth, modern and streamlined design with a purposeful high front end and rounded edges.
As well as its good looks, the IONIQ 9 has other attractions too. It’s packed with technology and safety aids and has a published range of more than 370 miles, providing you’re light-footed. In real-world driving, a range of more than 300 miles is perfectly possible.
It also has impressive power. The all-wheel-drive range-topping Calligraphy spec that I tested develops 307PS. If you take full advantage of this power there will, of course, be a range penalty. Even so, you’ll still get sufficient range for most journeys and this car has fast charging times., despite having dual motors powering all four wheels.
The IONIQ 9 is a good looker from all angles. The body-coloured door handles sit flush with the body, only projecting when the car is unlocked. The side view is enhanced with impressive 21-inch alloys, wheel-arch inserts and roof rails.
The interior, as well as being modern and well laid out, is immense. Trim materials are of an impressively high quality. The flexible seating adjustment means every passenger gets plenty of room and powered reclining seats make comfort a given. There’s also a huge amount of storage space. Even the central armrest has a very large storage space beneath it. You get comfortable, leather-faced seats, a leather-trimmed multifunction steering wheel and ambient lighting.
Specification on the technology-laden IONIQ 9 is excellent, with three-zone air conditioning, heated front and second row seats and steering wheel, 12.3-inch colour touch-screen navigation and media system with BOSE Premium 14-speaker DAB radio and sound system plus Apple CarPlay, voice recognition and Bluetooth connectivity, USB ports, head-up display and a range of safety technology including lane keeping aid, distance monitoring, cross traffic alert, speed limit assist, blind spot monitor and forward collision avoidance alert. You also get an intelligent headlight system which avoids dazelling oncoming drivers, panoramic sunroof and rear privacy glass.
Your journey will be accompanied by a bewildering cacophony of beeps and bleeps telling you when the speed limit has changed, when there’s a speed camera coming up, and if you’re exceeding the speed limit. If these get annoying – and they may – you can turn them off.
My test car also came with cameras instead of wing mirrors, linked to screens inside the doors. It takes a bit of getting used to: instinctively you look outside the car to where your wing mirrors would be. Plus when it’s dark and wet the cameras steam up and the image is blurred. I’m not sure if this piece of clever technology actually adds value.
Specification on the Calligraphy spec also includes electric seat and lumbar adjustment in the front, smart powered tailgate, automatic windscreen wipers with rain sensor, daytime LED running lights, a heat pump to avoid draining battery, rear camera with surround view monitor, guidance assistance and parking distance warning, all-round electric windows, smart cruise control and a wireless phone charging pad.
Handling on the all-wheel-drive IONIQ 9 is sure-footed and composed for a large car and the ride is quiet and comfortable. And for peace of mind you get Hyundai’s five year unlimited mileage warranty.
The IONIQ 9 is a good choice for anyone looking to buy a fully electric vehicle which is roomy and practical but doesn’t want to sacrifice style and performance for the virtue of environmental responsibility. The IONIQ 9 Calligraphy 307PS all-wheel drive version that I tested comes at £75,795. That might sound expensive but you’re getting a supremely comfortable, practical, high-performing electric vehicle with every conceivable extra as standard. The range starts at £64,995.
