Watch out Range Rover! Major car brand launches direct rival to hugely popular SUV with their most luxurious EV yet

HYUNDAI person acceptable their sights firmly connected Range Rover arsenic they hole to merchandise an ultra-luxurious SUV.

The Korean brand's upcoming Ioniq 9 is their largest electrical car yet and is acceptable to instrumentality connected a big of premium brands.

Their ever-expanding flagship Ioniq scope of EVs, which includes the Ioniq 5 crossover and Ioniq 6 saloon, volition present cater for the plush SUV marketplace with the Ioniq 9.

High-class crossed the committee and with a terms tag to match, aboriginal suggestions assertion drivers volition person to fork retired £80,000 for the precise top-of-the-range version.

First unveiled astatine the Los Angeles Motor Show past week, the futuristic-looking SUV has been referred to by Hyundai arsenic an “aerosthetic lounge” with a absorption connected aerodynamic ratio and interior refinement with a spacious cabin.

It volition diagnostic 3 rows of seats with capable seating for up to 7 passengers, arsenic good arsenic a tapered cabin, a heavy raked roof, and a bluff rear end.

The car’s debut successful California highlighted Hyundai’s absorption connected the US market, acknowledgment partially to their caller occurrence determination with the likes of the Tucson, and is wherever overmuch of the car's improvement occurred.

However, globally it is acceptable to instrumentality connected the likes of the Volvo EX90, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, and Kia EV9 erstwhile it arrives successful the UK.

Hyundai are adjacent aiming to pull customers who usually spell for premium brands, specified arsenic Audi, BMW, and Range Rover.

As good arsenic 7 seats, drivers tin opt for the VIP-focused six-seater configuration, which provides important legroom and a versatile centre console.

The footwear abstraction tin beryllium arsenic ample arsenic 1323 litres with the 3rd enactment folded - capable for a mates of bikes and possibly adjacent a acceptable of skis - portion the abstraction is 620 litres with seats up.

There’s adjacent 88 litres of ‘frunk’ space.

Expected to commencement successful the debased £60,000s, with the top-spec Performance exemplary reaching £75,000, the Ioniq 9 volition connection 3 powertrain options; a 215bhp rear-driven Long-Range exemplary with a 385-mile range, a 308bhp dual-motor mentation with a 320-mile range, and a 429bhp AWD Performance exemplary with a 311-mile range.

Ultimately, the Ioniq 9 has been designed for long-distance comfortableness and creaseless handling - courtesy of its multi-link suspension, self-levelling dampers, and hydro-bushing components.

Noise levels are kept debased with sound-absorbing foam, acoustic glass, and an progressive dependable power system.

Customers successful Korea and the US volition beryllium capable to get their hands connected it first, with it being released to these markets successful the archetypal fractional of 2025.

A consequent rollout is past planned for Europe and different markets - with the UK apt to get it by mid-2025.

The luxury SUV EV marketplace is becoming progressively intriguing, particularly with the Range Rover EV nearing its afloat reveal.

Sun Motors' main antheral Rob Gill besides got down the caller Volvo EX90 EV backmost successful September – describing it arsenic a fast, harmless and astute SUV, highlighting its hovercraft-smooth aerial suspension, bi-directional charging, cinema dependable strategy and massaging seats.

This comes arsenic Carwow revealed their coveted awards for the 2025 exemplary year, with SunMotors getting an exclusive peek astatine the results.

And aft assessing hundreds of motors from each large brands, the judges crowned the Hyundai Santa Fe as the nation's champion car.