Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9VS 2026 BMW iX

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW iX doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW iX doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The iX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Ioniq 9 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The BMW iX has not been tested.

Both the Ioniq 9 and the iX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The iX has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

The Ioniq 9 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The iX’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Ioniq 9 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than BMW covers the iX. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the iX ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ioniq 9’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 14th, below the industry average.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy electric motors is faster than the iX xDrive45:

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 9 gets better mileage than the iX:

The Ioniq 9 can travel longer on a full charge than the iX on a full charge:

For better stopping power the Ioniq 9’s brake rotors are larger than those on the iX:

The Ioniq 9 stops shorter than the iX:

For better traction, the Ioniq 9 has larger standard tires than the iX (255/60R19 vs. 235/60R20). The Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the iX (285/45R21 vs. 275/40R22).

The Ioniq 9’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The iX doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 9’s wheelbase is 5.1 inches longer than on the iX (123.2 inches vs. 118.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Ioniq 9 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the iX.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy handles at .88 G’s, while the iX xDrive60 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Ioniq 9’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the iX’s (41 feet vs. 42 feet).

The Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The iX doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ioniq 9 has standard seating for 7 passengers; the iX can only carry 5.

The Ioniq 9 has 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.9 inches more rear legroom and 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the iX.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 9’s middle and third row seats recline. The iX’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 9’s cargo area provides more volume than the iX.

The Ioniq 9’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The iX’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Ioniq 9 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the iX only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Ioniq 9 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The iX doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Ioniq 9 SEL/Limited/Calligraphy has standard front air conditioned seats and the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The iX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Ioniq 9 offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The iX doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Ioniq 9 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The iX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2026 issue and they ranked the Hyundai Ioniq 9 S higher than the BMW iX xDrive45.