2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Interior Was Built to Impress, Big SUV Throws It All in the Game

The three-row, all-electric vehicle was unveiled this week at the Goldstein House in Los Angeles, making no secret of the fact that it sees itself as a premium choice on a market flooded by more or less well-built SUVs. It joins a range that already includes the Ioniq 5 and 6, and works toward shifting the entire Hyundai lineup to electric drives by 2030.

In the time that has passed since its unveiling you've probably had enough time to get a close enough look at the Ioniq 9 to form a solid picture of what to expect from a mechanical and performance point of view. This story will focus on the SUV's interior because, really, that's where drivers and passengers will spend their time while on the road.

Before getting into it, though, a quick recap of what to expect as driving technology is concerned. The electric system of the vehicle comprises a floor-mounted lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 110.3 kWh. That should be more than enough to give it a range of 385 miles (620 km, WLTP). Charging time from 10 to 80 percent, when using a 350 kW charger, is estimated at 24 minutes.

There will be three Ioniq 9 versions on the market, each with its own electric motor setup. The Long-Range RWD will move courtesy of a 215-hp electric motor mounted on the rear axle, the Long-Range AWD will use the same setup, but also throws in a 94-hp front-mounted motor, while the Performance AWD has a pair of 215-hp electric motors, one front and the other rear.

All of the above makes the SUV quite the beast, but as said, that's not what we're here for. It's the interior of the SUV that is the focus of our attention now because, in a nutshell, it is nothing short of impressive.

The Ioniq 9 is by trade a three-row SUV that can accommodate a maximum of six or seven passengers, depending on configuration. All will be able to enjoy something Hyundai describes as a "lounge-like atmosphere" thanks to the design, elements used, and materials employed.

The centerpieces of the SUV's habitat are the so-called Relaxation Seats. Occupying the first and second rows, they are equipped with enough high-tech features that they can give massages, for instance. They do that through a first-use case of Hyundai's Dynamic Body Care system, which for now will only be available on the South Korean market.

The second row also comes with swiveling seats, another first for the carmaker, and that allows the occupants there to turn around and face the people in the third row. The maximum headroom and legroom the SUV offers is 1,899 mm and 2,050 mm, respectively.

Up above the heads of the occupants is the so-called Panoramic Sunroof, which features a slim air vent meant to aid with the climate control system. The overall setup offers for the rear a means independently control air conditioning, which opens the doors not only for comfort tailored to particular needs, but also contributes to more pleasant camping activities.

In between the seats Hyundai installed something it calls the Universal Island console. Slidable by trade, it offers 5.6 liters of storage in the upper tray, and 12.6 liters of storage in the lower one that slides. That's more than enough for anything you may be thinking of fitting in there.

The thing about this console is that it can be moved by up to 190 mm, giving access to it to the rear passengers as well, and there are also bidirectional armrests that can be opened from the front and rear.

But what about luggage space? Hyundai says the SUV is built on the longest wheelbase of any model in its lineup (3,130 mm), and aside from offering quite a lot of leg and headroom, it also translates into impressive space for cargo: when the third row of seats is folded, 1,323 liters of luggage fit in the rear (that figure drops to 620 liters when all seats are in upright position). However, there is also a front trunk that delivers an extra 88 liters of space in RWD models, and 52 liters in the AWD ones.

As far as materials are concerned, don't expect luxury, but don't look for low-cost either. Hyundai went for a combination of leather, recycled PET fabric, wool, bio-skin, and bio-suede. Some of the paint used on the Ioniq 9 comes from recycled tire waste.

All these materials come in a variety of colors that are not aggressive on the eyes, mixing Obsidian Black with six available combinations of two-tone paints.

The interior of a modern-day vehicle would not have been complete without the latest in infotainment, and that's more than appropriately represented here. The panoramic curved display at the front comprises a 12-inch instrument cluster and a 12-inch integrated monitor, there are several high-output USB-C ports installed for passengers on all rows to charge devices, and a V2L outlet in the cargo area to feed electricity into electrical devices and appliances directly from the SUV's battery.

The sound system may not be top of the range, but it's pretty close. Sourced from BOSE, it is made of 14 speakers that deliver 5.1-channel surround sound that can play not only music, but also the sound the car makes while driving.

Despite telling you all of the above, one can't really experience the interior of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 9 without actually stepping inside it. I mean, how else would you be able to enjoy the ambient interior lighting, the floating look of the dashboard, or the quietness of the environment, derived in part from the new dual-motion active air flap that seals it from the exterior, or the rolling-type pin-lift door hinge that further keeps unwanted sounds out?

Reading things on a screen will also not give you a true sense of how the battery's charge status is announced by the green dots on the steering wheel, or how the Hyundai AI assistant responds to your demands.

What's to do, then, to properly experience what looks like a very appealing vehicle? Well, wait for it to arrive on the dealers‘ lot, and give it a try. If you're not already hooked on Hyundai, this may be what it takes to get you there.