2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9. Photo: James Coleman.
The worst part about vacuuming is the noise it makes. Not the roar, and certainly not the crinkle of sand or the flailing of a huntsman going up the pipe – which is pure AMSR. But that high-pitched whistle. You know the one. Somehow, Hyundai has managed to capture it in its new electric seven-seater SUV.
It wasn’t all the time, but on several sections of the Hume Highway – that felt like they went on forever – there was what sounded like someone blowing across the top of a giant straw coming from the left-hand side.
To check I wasn’t going mad, I asked Hyundai Australia about it on my return to Canberra, and it turns out I’m not the only one to notice it. Apparently, it’s something to do with the surface of the tarmac reverberating off the tyres.
Happily, whatever it was completely disappeared around town. But it did make me wonder if maybe Hyundai is asking too much for this car.
What is it?
This is the largest of Hyundai’s IONIQ electric car range, fittingly called the ‘IONIQ 9’.
But if you went to buy one, not very carefully and in low light, it’d be easy to end up with a Volvo instead. The similarity to the Swede is uncanny, especially around the back where the rear lights come down from the roofline and swell around the hips – precisely as they do on the Volvo EX90.
Dimension-wise, it shares many features with Hyundai’s hybrid Palisade. It’s cavernous on the inside. Even with all three rows up, you still have 338 litres of boot space and – thanks to the fact that there’s no engine there – you also have a 52-litre boot in the front.
Two electric motors and a very hefty 100 kWh battery does mean the IONIQ 9 tips the scales at over 2.7 tonnes. Or enough to make tarmac ripple in its wake.
And where the Palisade tops out at around $90,000, the IONIQ 9 comes in one spec – the Calligraphy – and costs from $119,750. Key word “from”.
Because add “Premium Relaxation Seats” – which allow you to recline like a Roman emperor – for the front and second rows, and that’s an extra $2000. Digital cameras in place of conventional side mirrors then cost $3000. And opt for the six-seat version, which swaps out the second row for two captain-style chairs, and that’s a $2000 premium.
You could easily be staring down the barrel of a $130,000 Hyundai if you tick all the boxes. Fortunately, it mostly feels like it.
What’s it like to live with?
The interior is undoubtedly magnificent. Especially when robed all in white, like mine. You get a suede roof lining, a massive glass roof, heated and ventilated seats where it matters, and a small compartment equipped with UV-C light to kill germs on anything you put in there.
(Did you know the germs on the average smartphone far exceed those on toilet seats?)
As I discovered after about half an hour on the highway – when the car suddenly decided to start prodding my lower back – my IONIQ 9 also came with massage seats for the driver and front passenger. You can choose between lumbar, pelvic and whole-of-body massages, and all are rather pointy and powerful. My back’s jury is still out on descriptors like “nice” and “therapeutic”, though.
A six-seat version is also available. Photo: James Coleman.
Another piece of tech I didn’t get to try is Hyundai’s new digital key, which means you can unlock and start the car with your smartphone. And yes, even if your phone’s battery goes flat halfway through.
To be honest, I was expecting dismal range from something so enormous and heavy, but thanks to that equally enormous battery, it’s actually a very useful 600 km. It’s one of the few EVs I’ve been able to drive from Sydney to Canberra with over 200 km still in the bank. But that also meant it took nearly 80 hours to charge it from my household power socket.
To drive, it’s very smooth and comfortable. It’s no more boaty in corners than you’d expect from a 2.7-tonne, seven-seat SUV, and the steering has a reassuring feel to it.
But it’s not all that quiet, and I’m not just talking about the third-grade child playing a recorder in the front passenger footwell. A fair bit of general tyre and wind noise makes its way inside, even around town – disappointing for something meant to have active noise-cancelling technology. The ride is also a bit busy over bumps.
It’s impossible not to see Volvo in this rear. Photo: James Coleman.
The verdict
Believe it or not, this brings us to the real Volvo. The EX-90 – complete with its ethereal 25-speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system direct from the concert hall – costs from $124,990. It offers the same circa-600 km driving range as the Hyundai.
The IONIQ 9 is definitely a worthy alternative. It’s still very classy. The interior is certainly less scratchy-feeling than the near 100 per cent recycled Volvo. After a week of copping stares at every set of traffic lights, I can say it certainly draws attention too.
But I still know which electric seven-seat family SUV I’d rather have.
2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Calligraphy
- $119,750 (plus on-road costs)
- Two electric motors, 110 kWh battery, 314 kW / 700 Nm
- Automatic, all-wheel drive (AWD)
- 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds
- 600 km estimated range
- 2,744 kg
- Not yet rated for safety.
Pros:
- Huge and practical
- Strong real-world driving range
- Luxurious cabin with high-end tech and materials.
Cons:
- Very expensive
- Noticeable wind and tyre noise, especially on highways
- Ride and overall refinement falls a bit short.
Thanks to Hyundai Australia for providing this car for testing. Region has no commercial arrangement with Hyundai Australia.
