Hyundai IONIQ 9 – the electric family hauler that makes your Tesla look like a toaster on wheels

If you’ve ever sat at home and wondered what the perfect family car might look like—one that blends genuine luxury, acres of space, and more tech than the Starship Enterprise—then Hyundai’s latest offering might just be your answer. Meet the IONIQ 9: a fully electric, seven-seater SUV that promises up to 620 kilometers of range. That’s more than enough to drive from London to Edinburgh without hunting desperately for an electric socket halfway through, praying you don't end up stranded in some godforsaken motorway services.

Inside, it’s so luxurious that it makes even a Mercedes-Benz S-Class feel slightly inadequate. Seats swivel, recline, and practically transform into beds because, apparently, Hyundai believes you’ll need a comfortable nap halfway through your morning school run. There's even a massage function, because obviously, you need a full spa experience while ferrying your offspring between ballet lessons and rugby practice.

Hyundai has also fitted a climate system that’s so advanced, it can handle cold weather effortlessly—even the kind of biting chill usually reserved for August afternoons in Britain. There's a heat pump so clever it saves energy like a miserly Yorkshireman, leaving your battery fuller and your cabin warmer, even in freezing conditions. And just to make sure you never accidentally leave your baby or the family dog behind, it has a sensor system capable of detecting even a sleeping infant’s soft breathing.

Performance-wise, this isn't a Ferrari. It's certainly no Lamborghini. But even though it’s roughly the size of a small cruise ship, Hyundai has somehow ensured it won’t roll about in corners like a drunken elephant. Thanks to torque vectoring, active air flaps, and clever suspension tech, you’ll glide through bends with surprising ease, wondering how exactly a vehicle so large can feel quite this agile.

But there’s more. You also get swiveling seats, lounge-style reclining with leg rests—perfect when you fancy a quick nap waiting for your batteries to top up—and a Bose stereo system so powerful it could make Metallica sound like they're playing live in your back seat. And as if that weren't enough, it has an array of driving assistance features sophisticated enough to practically drive itself, plus sensors capable of preventing any unfortunate encounters with cyclists, pedestrians, or random hedgehogs.

Charging the massive 110.3 kWh battery from 10% to 80% takes just 24 minutes with a 350kW charger. That means you barely have time for a coffee, let alone a full English breakfast at a charging station.