Hyundai IONIQ 9

Think the Mercedes comparisons here are ambitious? A drive in a IONIQ 9 might make you reconsider.

No this Hyundai can't match Stuttgart's vastly pricier EQS SUV as a comfy cruiser (and luxurious tower), but you might well conclude that somehow it's in the same ballpark.

Which is impressive given that the E-GMP platform-based underpinnings of this luxury EV are basically the same as its close cousin, the far less aspirational Kia EV9.

Also shared with that Kia is basically the same huge battery pack, though here it's larger still, standardised at 110.3kWh in size across the line-up. Which kicks off with a Long Range RWD model using a single rear-mounted 218PS motor which propels the car to 62mph in 9.4s en route to the 124mph top speed that all IONIQ 9s share.

This is the variant to choose for ultimate range - 385 miles.

That figure falls to a best of 376 miles with the version most customers will choose, the Long Range AWD model.

Here two motors (one on each axle) contribute to a total output of 307PS, reducing the 0-62mph sprint time considerably - to 6.7s.

We can't really see why you'd want to go faster than that in IONIQ 9, but should you feel the need to, there's also a Performance AWD flagship variant that uses the same AWD set-up but tunes the motors up to 427PS, which reduces the 0-62mph time to just 5.2s.

Claimed range is up to 372 miles. As you'd expect, there are various drive modes to control all that power.

And the drivetrain offers multiple levels of brake regen, controllable via steering wheel paddles.

You might expect a 2.7-tonne luxury cruiser of this kind to have air suspension.

The IONIQ 9 doesn't, but needs this if it's to really justify those Range Rover comparisons.

According to early reports, it probably also needs more feelsome steering.

But to manage this car's weight, Hyundai has provided a carefully tuned self-levelling damper system and a chassis control set-up featuring dynamic torque vectoring and wind stability control.

Braked towing capacity is up to 2,500kg.

Interestingly, Hyundai is pursuing a 'chess piece' design philosophy for its IONIQ sub brand which will see each model gaining its own unique character.

Continuing that analogy, the Korean maker describes this IONIQ 9 as its 'king'.

It's certainly a striking-looking thing, nothing like any other Hyundai and nothing like its close cousin, the Kia EV9.

The 'Coke bottle'-style shape is surprisingly aerodynamic for a huge SUV (up to 0.26Cd) and what sits on the E-GMP platform is enormous, 5,060mm in length, 1,980mm in width and 1,970mm tall (though at first glance the car appears smaller than it actually is). 'Parametric Pixel' lighting designs front and rear provide the requisite visual tinsel, with the front daytime running lights illuminating with a 'space invader'-style retro vibe; while at the rear, there's a neat single band of red light that wraps around the entire (and almost vertical) rear hatch.

A kicked-up D-pillar window and big aero-style wheels add finishing touches.

And the end result is one the neighbours will notice. Inside up-front, the fascia has a single wide curved panel that incorporates twin 12.3-inch screens for the instruments and infotainment.

And if you want more screen tech, you can specify digital door mirrors which add a little screen on either side of the dashboard.

Apart from a few chintzy silvery strips, all the trimming's tastefully done and between the commandingly-positioned front seats there is a useful sliding 'Universal Island' storage area with drawers, stowage places and cup holders.

It can be moved back and forth by up to 190mm. Hyundai says the IONIQ 9 has the longest wheelbase of any car it's ever built (3,170mm) and you really feel that in the second row, which will usually be a conventional bench but can (with top 'Calligraphy' trim) be specified with two individual sliding/reclining 'Captain's chairs'. The third row is a little more suitable for adults than is usually the case in this class, thanks to the bluff rear end.

Which also helps with boot space of course.

Even with all three rows in place, there's 338-litres of it - and a storage area beneath the cargo base for the charging cables.

Drop the third row and volume jumps to 908-litres, while if you flatten the second row too, cargo room is truly van-like (2,419-litres).

There's also a little 'frunk' beneath the bonnet, though that's tiny (52-litres) if you choose an AWD model; it has 88-litres in the single motor version.

Expect IONIQ 9 pricing to start from around £65,000, ringing up to nearly £80,000.

And there are the usual Hyundai Premium, Ultimate and Callography trim levels; you'll need the latter if you're to specific the six-seat cabin layout with its two individual centre 'Captain's Chairs'.

As we told you in our 'Driving' section, all variants use the same 110.3kWh battery pack and the line-up kicks off with a rear-driven 218PS model, progresses to twin motor Long Range AWD (307PS) and tops out with Performance AWD (427PS). Avoid base trim and a huge panoramic glass roof is standard and Hyundai's Relaxation Seats are available with top spec - they can fully recline with a leg rest, allowing occupants to lay back and rest during charging.

The cargo area has a V2L outlet allowing you to charge external devices.

Above base spec the brand also includes the brand's 'Remote Smart Parking Assist 2' system, which allows you to stand outside the car and control it via smartphone app.

With this, you can park your IONIQ 9 diagonally and perpendicularly, parallel park, as well as back into and drive forward out of a parking spot.

A key option with top spec lies with the brand's Digital Side Mirrors, projected via monitors seamlessly integrated into the cockpit on the door panels Hyundai also offers a Features on Demand service, enabling drivers to personalise their vehicles with innovative digital upgrades such as Dynamic Welcome and Escort Light silhouettes and an Entertainment Package including video streaming, and Wi-Fi hotspot.

We gave you the 110.3kWh battery's EV range figures in our 'Driving' section - 385 miles for the Long Range RWD, around 350 miles for the Long Range AWD and around 320 miles for the Performance AWD.

Not bad considering the prodigious 2.6-tonne kerb weight.

With most variants, you can expect to average around 3mpkWh in regular use, which would mean a regular real-world range of around 300 miles in day-to-day use.

The car has a really useful 'remaining range' indicator which shows not only the average range remaining but also best and worst case scenarios.

And as you'd expect at this price, a heat pump is standard, designed to recycle waste heat from the ambient air to reduce the energy draw on the climate fan.

There's also an HVAC system that will automatically deactivate climate output for the second and third row seats if they aren't occupied. As for charging (via the rear powered charging flap), well like all Hyundai's E-GMP platform models, the IONIQ 9 has an 800V electrical architecture, so its battery can be DC-charged at rapid speeds of up to 233kW.

This means that the huge battery pack can be DC-replenished from 10 to 80% in 24 minutes.

AC charging from home takes 10 hours using an 11kW wallbox with a three-phase supply; or 14 hours 42 minutes from a more typical 7.4kW single-phase wallbox.

All IONIQ 9 models come with a 1 year subscription to the IONITY charging network, plus Hyundai's 5 Year Unlimited Mileage Warranty, an 8 Year/100,000 Mile High Voltage Battery Warranty, a 5 Year Annual Health Check, a 3 year MapCare navigation update program, a Roadside Assistance package, and a 12 Year Anti Corrosion Warranty.

There's a real prestige to this IONIQ 9 we hadn't expected to find.

It certainly looks and feels considerably more up-market than its Kia EV9 counterpart.

If you discount extreme off-road ability (which almost nobody really needs in this segment), there's almost everything here you could pay almost double the money for in a top Mercedes EQS SUV.

And more realistic rivals like Volvo's EX90 look plain over-priced in comparison. It's a pity the Korean maker didn't complete the job here with more cosseting air suspension and a probably more involving drive experience.

But perhaps the Hyundai Motor Group wants to leave room for a future Genesis-badged version of this design to offer that.

But what's served up here offers everything you really need from a car of this kind.

Hyundai calls it it's 'chess piece' 'king'.

And in segment terms, this might for the time being just be checkmate.