Hyundai Ioniq 6 vs Kia EV9

What's the difference?

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 will stand out in any automotive crowd, thanks to its distinctive aero-influenced design.

It’s well-equipped for the money, surprisingly roomy, energy efficient and notwithstanding some niggles around the ride and steering feel, comes up to scratch dynamically.

Does it do enough to apply the thumb screws to the likes of Tesla's Model 3? I think it’s got a pretty good shot, and it will be interesting to see if EV buyers embrace the car’s unusual streamlined look.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The Kia EV9 GT-Line earns some serious family points with its practical and luxuriously appointed cabin. Each row enjoys ample amenities and space and you can’t discount the ability to fit five child seats!

That’s where similarities with its Carnival sibling end because the driving performance is too mixed for my liking. Some of its safety features don’t react well in real-world situations but if you’re looking for an electric car that will fit a big family, this ticks that box.

My son thinks the EV9 is really cool with the ambient lighting and two sun roofs. He also loves having his own climate control and sun-blinds, so he gives it a 10/10.

Lots of cars are said to be “shaped by the wind” but all you have to do is look at the Ioniq 6 to know that in this case it’s 100 per cent true.

In fact, images of the car in Hyundai’s wind tunnel show it performing more like a perfectly shaped wing than a four door sedan.

With a drag co-efficient (Cd) of 0.21 it’s slicker than the ultra low-drag Tesla Model 3 and Porsche Taycan. And while not conventionally pretty it’s certainly a striking and unusual design.

Flush door handles? Of course. Carefully sculpted spoilers front and rear? Yep. Active air flaps? Check. The RWD Dynamiq’s 18-inch alloy rims are shaped for aero efficiency, while the top-spec Epiq grade even swaps out conventional side mirrors for super-cool digital cameras and interior OLED screens.

And the sleek looks continue inside with a two-section dash divided horizontally by a swoopy winged insert and topped with a pair of 12.3-inch screens covering multimedia and instrumentation.

The look and feel is minimalist. A lot of the controls are on screen or digital, but a physical dial for audio volume gets a big safety and convenience tick. 

No gearshift in the bridge-like centre console. A rotary stalk is located behind the steering wheel on the right-hand side.

There’s configurable ambient mood lighting with six pre-selected themes and the materials used inside are suitably eco-friendly.

Cloth seat trim is recycled PET plastic, as is the headliner, the dashboard skin is manufactured using bio-ethanol, the carpet is made from recycled fishing nets (!), and bio paint (partially derived from vegetable oils) is used on the doors. 

Yes, there’s leather, but its dyeing process uses biodegradable flaxseed oil rather than conventional pigments, which is a good thing in terms of fewer harmful microorganisms in waste water, and is claimed to reduce CO2 emissions by 3.8kg per car. 

On the outside, recycled pigment paint made using ‘end-of-life’ tyres is applied to the body cladding, and bamboo charcoal pigment paint is used in the ‘Digital Green’ pearl colour option.

Speaking of which, there are seven other colours available; three more pearl shades - ‘Abyss Black’, ‘Ultimate Red’ and ‘Biophilic Ink’, as well a single metallic ‘Nocturn Gray’ and a solid ‘Byte Blue’. ‘Gravity Gold’ matt finish is the only extra-cost choice at $1000. 

To be frank, the EV9 resembles a Lego car on steroids, but it turns heads. I’ve had more looky-loos peeking into the windows this week than any other car I’ve driven.

Once you get over the (very) square shape, there are some awesome design aspects to be had.

Like the flagship exclusive Matrix LED headlights and 'Ocean Blue Matte' paintwork that feels velvet-like under your hands. The black 21-inch alloy wheels and their aerodynamic covers look futuristic and cool.

The pronounced nose looks wide-set because of the positioning of the tall headlights separated by a strangely blank panel in the middle.

In fact, the whole exterior incorporates a slew of blank panels which reinforce the square look.

The flush auto door handles, big windows and dark roof give some cool-kid cred. The digital side mirrors are not for everyone but as a driver, you get used to them. The tech looks as though it's come straight out of sci-fi movie!

The interior is downright plush with the premium-looking upholstery and customisable 64-colour ambient lighting.

The dashboard has floating panels which create a cool 3D effect and even the badge on the steering wheel is illuminated.

There is a plethora of soft touchpoints throughout and the black headliner helps make the cavernous cabin feel almost cosy.

The Ioniq 6 is just under 4.9m long and the wheelbase is close to three metres, so no surprise there’s an impressive amount of space inside the car.

A flat floor enhances the roomy feel, plus controls for windows and mirrors are located in the centre console or on the dash rather than the front doors, which has allowed the armrests to be trimmed down for some extra breathing space.

As mentioned earlier, there’s no gearshift in the centre console, either. It takes the form of a rotary stalk on the right hand side of the steering column. It doesn’t take long to get used to and I found it pretty handy to use.

There are large bins in the doors with space for bottles, two cupholders in the console and a medium-sized lidded storage box (which doubles as a centre armrest) between the seats.

A lengthy tray underneath the main console keeps additional loose items under control and a generous glove box slides out from the dash rather than flipping open. So, there’s plenty of storage on offer.  

Move to the rear and it feels like you’ve teleported into the back of a stretch limo. With the driver’s seat set to my 183cm position there is huge legroom.

Hyundai says thanks to the use of high strength steel the backs of the front ‘relaxation’ seats fitted to the AWD models are appreciably thinner than normal, also increasing rear space.

Rear headroom is fine sitting in a normal, relaxed position, although sitting bolt upright my bonse grazes the headliner. 

Three abreast for adults will be okay for short runs, but not a goer for lengthy road trips. Three up to teenage kids will be fine, though.

Speaking of kids, parents will appreciate ‘Quiet Mode’ which limits audio to ‘25’ in front and mutes the rear. Perfect for uninterrupted sleep back there, or keeping the noise to a minimum for those furiously focused on their favourite game or a movie.

Backseaters are provided with bins in the doors, although the section scooped out for bottles is small, there are two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest, netted map pockets on the front seat backs and a small slot for keys or a phone under the adjustable air vents at the rear of the front console.

Connectivity and power options run to three USB sockets in the front (one Type-A for media and charging, plus two Type-C for power only), a 12-volt socket under the front console, and two Type-C ports in the back. That’s plenty. 

Boot space is 410 litres (VDA), and the rear backrest split-folds 60/40 to liberate more room. Worth noting there are no tie-down anchors in the boot, but there is an underfloor storage compartment, plus a 45L ‘frunk’ under the bonnet of the RWD and a 14.5L storage space in the front of AWD models.

The boot lid is powered but there’s no spare, just a mobility kit. Grrrr!

If you want to hook up the tinny or camper trailer, towing capacity is 1500kg for a braked trailer and 750kg unbraked.

A bi-directional ‘Integrated Charging Control Unit’ (ICCU) allows for ‘Vehicle to Load’ (V2L) functionality on the inside and the outside of the car. There’s a house power-style three-pin outlet at the base of the rear seats or a simple adapter plugs into the charging outlet. Super-handy for camping, picnics, you name it.

It’s large and you have ample space throughout the car. Even third rowers don’t miss out.

It feels quite van-like with the high seat positioning and extending centre console but you get a great view out of the massive windows.

The electrically-adjustable front seats are very comfortable but the mesh ergonomic headrests are a little too comfy!

The boxy steering wheel is nice to use but cut into my vision of the climate control screen from my driving position. I felt like I was looking around it a lot.

Individual storage is fantastic in all three rows. Up front you get a little pocket in the armrest and a huge shelf underneath the centre console.

The glove box is large, but curiously, has a small aperture. There are retractable cupholders in the centre console utility tray and drink bottle holders in each door.

The middle row has two drink bottle holders, four cupholders, two map pockets and a deep but narrow storage cubby at the back of the centre console.

Third rowers are not forgotten, either, with four cupholders and directional air vents to enjoy.

Amenities are great throughout the car and my son loves having the retractable sun-blinds and his own climate control in the middle row. It’s also an easy car to get in and out of, which we both enjoy!

The middle row's 60/40 split is a practical touch and they can be shifted manually or electrically with a one-touch button for access to the third row.

Speaking of which, there is an okay amount of room for my 168cm (5'6") height in the third row (if you push the middle row forward a smidge). And it doesn’t feel claustrophobic thanks to the wide windows.

If you have a pile of kids to shove in this car, you’ll be happy that this row also features two ISOFIX child seat mounts and two top tethers.

I wouldn’t want to be climbing into the third row to buckle in a kid, so reserve these seats for older kids.

The technology looks good but is simple to use which is always a good combination. There are plenty of charging options to choose from with each row getting two USB-C ports, while the front also enjoys a 12-volt socket and a wireless charging pad.

The touchscreen multimedia system is responsive and easy enough to use but the controls on this panel can be difficult to see and use. They’re not always responsive.

I like the satellite navigation and the way the head-up display pulls through the directions. There’s wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too.

The digital instrument cluster is mildly customisable and easy to read. There is a little control panel on the driver’s door which houses the buttons for most of the added seat functions. But it’s hard to read as all the buttons are almost identical.

The boot is a good size when all seats are in use at 333L, which is plenty for my day-to-day errands, but pop the third row down and that jumps up to 828L.

Not as big as you might expect in a car of this size but that’s the compromise of going electric. The batteries have to go somewhere.

You do get a 52L frunk at the front, for cable storage. The loading space is level and you only get a tyre repair kit rather than a physical spare but it’s handy having the powered tailgate.

There are three variants for the EV9 and our test vehicle is the flagship GT-Line model that will cost you $121,000, before on road costs. That makes it the most expensive Kia to date, with the top-spec Carnival Platinum diesel only costing $67,580 (MSRP).

However, it’s nearest rival, the Mercedes EQS450 SUV, sits at $194,900 making the EV9 look downright cheap with the $73,900 price difference.

Yes, you could argue the badges would always offer a little price difference but Kia has made a true flagship model in the GT-Line because it is stupidly well-specified. It’s almost a case of what doesn’t it come with!

In terms of luxury appointments, occupants enjoy two sunroofs and two-toned synthetic leather upholstery. The electric front seats feature heat and ventilation functions, adjustable lumbar support and the driver gets a massage function.

The front seats have a relaxation mode, which I liken to the reclining seats in business class (someone send me on a trip to confirm!).

If you recline, add the sounds of nature feature and pop on the massage function, it’s like you’re in a day spa. Delightful.

The middle row outboard seats are also heated and ventilated which adds a lot of comfort and there’s a heated steering wheel, too.

Other standard equipment includes 21-inch alloy wheels, flush door handles, digital side mirrors, privacy tinted rear glass, pixel matrix LED headlights, 14-speaker Meridian premium sound and remote parking assist.

Practical features include a powered tailgate, extendable sun visors, retractable sun-blinds and three-zone climate control.

The technology is upmarket with dual 12.3-inch digital screens covering instrumentation and multimedia. There's also a 5.0-inch ‘quick-look’ climate control panel. A full tech run-down will come later.

The entry-grade Ioniq 6 is the rear-wheel drive Dynamiq, featuring a 168kW/350Nm permanent magnet synchronous electric motor on the rear axle powered by a liquid cooled lithium-ion battery.

The all-wheel drive Techniq and Epiq models feature an additional permanent magnet motor at the front for a combined output of 239kW and 605Nm.

Drive is fed to the wheels via a single-speed reduction gear auto transmission on the rear or both axles.

The EV9 GT-Line is a pure-electric AWD with dual motors, one located at each end of the car, producing a maximum power output of 283kW and 700Nm of torque. It has a lithium-ion battery with a big capacity of 99.8kWh.

Overall, the EV9 GT-Line is powerful and capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in just 5.3 seconds. That’s impressive for such a heavy car with a 2500kg (braked) towing capacity.

All versions of the Ioniq 6 carry the same 77.4kWh lithium-ion Polymer battery and the car’s 800V architecture allows it to use 350kW DC fast charging for a 10-80 per cent fill in 18 min.

The number of genuinely fast chargers available is increasing rapidly and that fill time is impressive.

Drop to 400V (50kW charging) and that time increases to 73 min, while 7.0kW AC charging from 10 to 100 per cent will take close to 12 hours.

The ports behind the not-fuel flap are a Type 2 for AC and CCS Combo2 for higher powered DC charging.

And if all else fails, you’re also equipped with a portable charger/cable so you can access house power for a full charge in, wait for it… 34 hours 20 min.

Quoted WLTP range for the RWD Dynamiq is 614km, that number dropping to 519km for the more powerful, dual-motor Techniq and Epiq models.

The WLTP combined cycle energy consumption figure for the Dynamiq is 14.3kWh/100km, with the Techniq and Epiq models at 16.9kWh/100km.

A ‘Disconnector Actuator System’ (DAS) on the front axle of the AWD grades is able to automatically engage and disengage drive to the front wheels as required, to reduce mechanical drag, lower energy consumption and increase driving range.

On test, in the Dynamiq, over a mix of suburban, b-road and freeway running we saw an average of 16.1kWh/100km which is a pretty good result.

It's a hulk of a thing to have to move around and the motors perform brilliantly, but my energy cycle figure surprisingly came out at only 21.4kWh, after mostly open-road driving.

The official combined energy cycle is 22.8kWh, so that's a solid result.

The driving range is up to 505km, which takes the sting out of any range anxiety.

The EV9 features a Type 2 CCS port as well as an 11kW AC charger and you can get from 10 to 100 per cent in just over nine hours.

On a 50kW DC charger, you’d see that time drop to just 83 minutes to get from 10 to 80 per cent and it will shrink to 24-minutes on a 350kW charger.

A cool feature is the vehicle-to-load capability, so you can charge and/or power larger appliances on the go. Hello camping!

Hyundai claims the RWD Ioniq 6 Dynamiq will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 7.4 seconds, which is not hanging around, and it feels every bit that quick. 

In fact, it has more than enough performance for sharp response in the city and easy cruising on the highway.

Step up to the AWD Techniq or Epiq and you’re hitting 100km/h in just 5.1 seconds, which is properly rapid. 

A single-speed ‘shift-by-wire’ reduction gear auto transmission sits on the rear or both axles and you have the choice of ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Custom’ drive modes, which fine-tune power output, accelerator response, steering weight as well as power distribution between the axles on AWD models.

Hyundai’s ‘E-Active Sound Design’ (e-ASD) changes the ‘sound texture’ as you drive with a noise roughly approximating Luke Skywalker’s Landspeeder coming through the speakers.

It’s fun for a while, but I found myself turning it down, then off, for the majority of the launch drive. And in that silent mode you can feel and hear (or not?) the impact of the car’s super-slippery shape. No wind noise and only modest tyre rumble at 110km/h on the freeway. 

The Ioniq 6 sits on Hyundai’s ‘Electric Global Modular Platform’ (E-GMP) which features the flat battery pack mounted low down, skateboard-style, between the axles. 

Suspension is strut front, five-link rear, and although the set-up hasn’t been tuned locally, Hyundai Australia says it’s been involved in the development. 

The front seat remained comfy after hours behind the wheel, but it must be said bumps and thumps from typical highway surfaces made their presence felt on a regular basis.

That’s not unusual for a full electric vehicle, but with the RWD Dynamiq riding on relatively cushy Hankook 225/55 ventus S1 evo3 rubber, it’s surprising.  

In corners you can feel the effect of the car’s low centre of gravity with the battery and motor(s) mounted low in the chassis. It hunkers down and remains beautifully balanced and secure through sweeping bends.

But even though the car points nicely, a meaningful connection between the front tyres and your hands on the steering wheel is MIA. 

The physical brakes are vented discs at the front and solid rotors at the rear, adjustable through ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’ settings, and they’re nice and progressive.

However, there’s more fun to be had with the regenerative braking, adjustable through three levels (‘Strong’, ‘Medium’, ‘Soft’) via steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Move to the highest setting and you’re in ‘i-Pedal’ mode which means for the majority of the time easing off the accelerator is all that’s required to wash off speed before coming to a reasonably prompt halt.

In terms of ergonomics, the simple dash layout works well thanks to a sensible mix of digital and physical controls, the head-up display is crystal clear, and the big screens for media and instrumentation are hard to fault.

A word of warning, though. An over-speed chime fires four times when you even marginally exceed the detected limit. It quickly becomes intensely annoying, the saviour being an off button in the vehicle settings menu. Downside is it defaults to ‘on’ every time you stop and re-start the car. Ugh!

Strangely for a large SUV, this car feels most at home in an urban environment. It’s in the city where it feels nimble and easy to manoeuvre. Zippy even, and you don’t notice it’s size.

But it’s a different story on the open road. 

At higher speeds there is a lot of movement in the body and thanks to its floaty suspension the amount of roll in corners starts to make it feel cumbersome.

It has the power to handle mountain driving or overtaking, but remains a bit unsure of itself in these situations.

The steering is responsive and concise, which makes for a nice driving experience in the city and navigating a car park.

The cabin gets very little noise thanks in part to sound-absorbing acoustic glass and foam in the tyres. It makes for a fairly pleasant journey overall.

As a passenger, though, I began to suffer motion sickness thanks to the digital side mirrors! Not an issue when I’m driving, but even my husband, who has an iron stomach, commented on how distracting they are.

It’s nice having a column shifter, as it helps open up the storage in the centre console but it can make pressing the push-start button a bit awkward.

The EV9 has a decent 12.4m turning circle and is relatively easy to park. The 360-degree view camera system is clear and I love having the front and rear parking sensors on this big boy.

But to access the front camera, you have to be in Drive. You can’t select it on the touchscreen, which is a pain when you’re manoeuvring into a tight space.

If you’re not confident, the EV9 also features an updated park itself feature which means you can park it remotely from your key fob. 

The EV9 has an extensive safety list and the blind-spot view monitor, which pops a video feed of your blind spot onto your dash, is a stand-out feature.

Standard safety items include blind-spot monitoring, lane departure alert, daytime running lights, forward collision warning, side collision warning, rear-cross collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent seatbelt reminders, a 360-degree view camera system, as well as front and rear parking sensors.

There are other items but I need to call out their sensitivity issues.  

The driver attention monitor doesn’t always activate when you have sunglasses on and alerts you via multiple warning sounds and alerts on the instrument cluster.

The lane keeping aid is rather aggressive, which makes for a jerky on-road experience, and the adaptive cruise control with stop/go functionality isn’t nice to use.

Even on the shorter distance setting, it slows down way too fast when approaching a car in front.

Also, annoyingly, this model features all the warning chimes and alerts that are linked to the traffic sign recognition tech.

Go over the speed limit by one kay, chime. Enter a school zone, several chimes. If the speed sign changes, chime. If the traffic sign changes, you guessed it, CHIME.

Suffice it to say I don’t like this feature.

There's an option in the car set-up menu that turns off the warning sounds but keeps the important sign information. However, it's not permanent and has to be selected every time you turn on the car.

In better news, the Kia EV9 has just been awarded a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating and features nine airbags which includes curtain airbags covering all three rows and side chest airbags for the second row.

Usually, you only see side chest airbags on the front row, so this is great! It also sports a front centre airbag to protect the front row from head clash injuries.

The EV9 has autonomous emergency braking with car, pedestrian and cyclist detection as well as junction turning assist.

It's operational from 10 to 80km/h but surprisingly, the car-to-car avoidance is only operational from 10 to 60km/h.

That upper speed figure usually sits closer to 160km/h. Unless there is a typo on ANCAPs website…

Families will rejoice that there is a total of four ISOFIX child seat mounts (two in the middle row and two in the third row) plus a total of five top-tether anchor points.

The car is large enough to accommodate five child seats and there’s plenty of room for front passengers when a 0-4 rearward facing child seat is installed on the middle row.  It’s pretty much a people mover at this point!

Hyundai covers the Ioniq with a five-year, unlimited km warranty, with eight-year, 160,000km protection for the high-voltage battery. Both are industry standard these days.

There’s a lifetime servicing plan with maintenance intervals set at an impressive two years/30,000km. 

At this stage cost is $560 a throw, which is pretty handy when you consider the lengthy service intervals. 

A ‘Premium Roadside Support Plan’ is complimentary for the first 12 months and renewed annually while the vehicle is serviced by Hyundai.

Also complimentary is a ‘Sat Nav Update Plan’ which includes nine updates to be used within 10 years.

The EV9 comes with a seven-year/unlimited km warranty, while its battery is covered for seven years, 160,000km. It’s normal to see an eight-year battery warranty term for EVs, though.

You can pre-purchase a three-, five-, or seven-year servicing plan, priced at $706, $1351 and $1997, respectively.

The seven-year schedule costs an average of $285 per service, which is good, but servicing intervals are more in line with a fuel-based car at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever occurs first.