Hyundai Ioniq 9 vs Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX: Family EV Comparison

Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Volkswagen ID. Buzz GTX: price and design

Neither of these family cars is remotely cheap. The examples tested here are both range-topping versions, fitted with their strongest available powertrains. On a three-year PCP agreement, after a substantial £10,000 deposit and with a 10,000-mile yearly allowance, a six-seat Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy would set you back a little over £1,000 each month.

Volkswagen’s long-wheelbase ID. Buzz GTX, which carries the same number of passengers, is not dramatically cheaper: it requires 36 monthly instalments of £825. Yet these are intended to be more than simple people carriers. They are meant to be desirable, stylish things. That may sound fanciful, but the Ioniq 5 has already shown that Hyundai is capable of pulling it off.

For the Ioniq 9, Hyundai has again used its retro-flavoured ‘parametric pixels’ in the front and rear lighting. Its swept windscreen and abruptly cut-off, estate-style tail are designed to reduce aerodynamic resistance. A great deal of the car’s streamlined thinking is said to come from the Ioniq 6 saloon, and Hyundai has somehow achieved a slippery 0.26 drag coefficient for this enormous relative.

Photography: Jonny Fleetwood

When I first encountered the Ioniq 9 in the US, I was taken by its appearance. In that market, it stood apart from the angular, truck-derived SUVs sold by local brands. Now that it has arrived in the UK, though, I am less convinced. Is it the pixel motif being used too heavily, the eyebrow-like wheelarch details, or the £1,200 Gravity Gold matt paint? Perhaps it is simply its immense scale. It is 8mm longer than a Range Rover, and manages to make this extended ID. Buzz appear tidy and almost compact.

Before Volkswagen finally revived the Bulli in 2022, the Scirocco was arguably the last genuinely cool VW (RIP). This is retro styling handled properly, though: the electric architecture delivers a flat floor, while the nose is short and blunt because it needs very little cooling. We did not see the long-wheelbase ID. Buzz until mid-2023, and the more powerful GTX first appeared in March the following year, but neither revision has damaged the design. If anything, I rather enjoy the GTX’s new, faintly smirking front bumper.

The longer wheelbase also makes it a substantially more adaptable family car. Rather than the standard car’s five seats and large boot, it can be specified with either six or seven seats. Glass is abundant, making the cabin feel bright, while the GTX comes with a vast panoramic roof as standard. Its ‘smart glass’ changes from opaque to transparent at the press of a button.

It is a minor disappointment that the sporting model cannot be ordered with white paint for a traditional two-tone finish, but this £2,791 Mono Silver/Cherry Red combination still attracts plenty of attention. The interior uses black cloth upholstery, enlivened somewhat by red stitching and a sporty-looking steering wheel.

The haptic controls fitted to that wheel remain every bit as irritating to operate as before. However, the 12.9in central infotainment display has improved considerably. It starts up rapidly, reacts quickly to commands, retains permanent climate controls and provides a fast shortcut to the driver-assistance menu. There are illuminated sliders beneath it, too.

ID. Buzz GTX seating and family practicality

Although the Buzz’s rear doors and windows open electrically, its back seats are manually operated and exceptionally straightforward to fold, tip and slide. In the six-seat arrangement, there are two captain’s chairs in the second row and a pair of slightly smaller chairs at the rear. Even so, the third row provides ample room for an adult measuring 6ft. The compromise is a fairly limited boot: with the last row occupied, capacity is only 306 litres. Even an ID.3 beats that without difficulty.

The Ioniq 9 follows a comparable seating formula, though it leaves a little more luggage space when every seat is filled. It cannot match the van-shaped Buzz once seats begin to fold, however. Hyundai also uses a 2-2-2 layout, but giving third-row adults reasonable legroom means those in the middle row cannot stretch out.

Its floor is flat as well, yet the seats sit lower, leaving occupants with their knees uncomfortably high. There is also an odd mixture of seat-adjustment systems in this top-specification Calligraphy. The third row folds flat electrically, whereas the middle row is manual and quite awkward to operate. It is baffling.

One component that does move smoothly is the centre console. Hyundai refers to it as the “Universal Island 2.0”, and it is effectively a huge storage compartment that slides between the first and second rows. It also contains cupholders, a wireless charging pad and every rear-seat climate control. Volkswagen provides something comparable in the Multivan, but not in the ID. Buzz.

The driving position is pure van but it handles more like a passenger car

Hyundai also deserves considerable praise for retaining physical controls. Ahead of the driver is a broad curved display incorporating two 12in screens, but separate panels are provided for climate and media functions, while the steering wheel has real buttons and rocker switches. Press and hold the volume control to silence the speed-limit warning bong, then do the same with the small steering-wheel symbol to deactivate the overzealous lane assistance. Simple.

Unfortunately, I did not find the Ioniq 9’s driving position especially comfortable. Its front seats are upholstered in Nappa leather, and offer heating, ventilation and massage functions, but the headrest is excessively bulky. The steering wheel also lacks sufficient reach adjustment, leaving you stretching towards it while your legs are cramped against the pedals.

The cameras masquerading as mirrors also need discussing. They undoubtedly help achieve that low drag coefficient, but they undermine the everyday usability gained by fitting conventional mirrors. The screens are positioned naturally and I am sure familiarity would help, but parallel-parking a 5m-long car using cameras alone is not something I would choose to do daily. Even assessing distances for what should be a straightforward lane change is difficult. Hyundai has added a guide to the display, but placing complete trust in it demands serious faith in technology.

Hyundai Ioniq 9 and ID. Buzz GTX on the road

Fortunately, whether you are joining the outside lane on an unrestricted stretch of autobahn or not, there is ample power to get the Ioniq 9 moving. Its Performance AWD system places a motor on each axle, producing a combined 421bhp and allowing it to complete 0–62mph in just under five seconds.

The power arrives smoothly and with little drama, and the production car feels far better controlled than the prototype I drove last year. It pitches less under braking, and for such a hugely heavy SUV it remains remarkably level through bends, with steering that gains a pleasing weight as speed builds. Paddles behind the wheel even allow the regenerative-braking level to be adjusted.

Comfort has not been sacrificed in pursuit of performance. Laminated glass, active noise-cancelling technology and foam-filled tyres work together to suppress road and wind noise, making the Ioniq 9’s cabin a calm place to travel. The suspension uses a relatively straightforward MacPherson-strut front and multi-link rear arrangement, and benefits from that simplicity. There is no air suspension. It copes capably with uneven surfaces, although an enormous pothole will occasionally produce a hefty thump that reminds you exactly how much mass is involved.

The big Hyundai is more refined than the ID. Buzz. The Volkswagen’s upright sides and low-profile tyres allow more sound into the cabin, though it remains light-years ahead of the diesel-powered, van-based VW buses from years gone by. With 335bhp delivered to all four wheels, it is properly rapid, too.

Even in Normal mode, its nose rises slightly under acceleration. Thanks to its low centre of gravity, it also tackles corners with surprising enthusiasm. The seating position is unmistakably van-like, but the handling is closer to that of a passenger car, and the steering supplies a little feedback. Together, those qualities make it genuinely entertaining.

As expected, the Volkswagen is also much simpler to place and manoeuvre. Ioniq 9 buyers in some overseas markets can select four-wheel steering, but for reasons unknown, UK cars make the front wheels do everything. Consequently, its turning circle is comparable to that of a cross-Channel ferry. Although the ID. Buzz is heavier on paper, it feels more agile and is much easier to park. That matters when the children have spent the past hour and a half asking whether you are nearly there.

The ID. Buzz is a car that gets under your skin and makes you smile. It’s the one I’d really want to own

Charging, range and the family-car choice

Once parked and connected to a charger, there is little separating their charging performance. Hyundai quotes a peak of 233kW, while Volkswagen can reach 200kW. Both models can also operate as enormous power banks, supplying electricity in the opposite direction. Naturally, the Ioniq 9 has a much larger battery and claims 372 miles of range, compared with 282 miles for the Buzz.

During our test, however, their efficiency was almost identical: the Hyundai achieved 3.1 miles per kWh, while the VW recorded 3.0. For a family bus, the GTX’s range feels ample, and choosing the extra motor and greater power costs only five miles against the rear-wheel-drive version.

For frequent long-distance trips, the Hyundai is probably the better option. It is the more capable cruiser and the more refined vehicle while travelling, although I have reservations about its driving position and would certainly avoid selecting the £1,000 digital side mirrors.

Truthfully, though, if I were picking between them, I doubt I would even reach Hyundai’s configurator. The ID. Buzz is a car that gets under your skin and makes you smile. It’s the one I’d really want to own, and when you are spending this much money on an electric family car, that matters enormously. Otherwise, you could simply spend £30k on a seven-seat Vauxhall Combo Life.

Volkswagen took the standard Buzz, made it considerably more practical by introducing a long-wheelbase version, then added a sportier front bumper and an extra motor to make it more rewarding to drive. It is now properly enjoyable for the entire family.