Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9VS 2026 Volvo XC90

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 XC90 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

With its standard Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Volvo XC90, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

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 Volvo XC90 has not been tested.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 comes with a standard Surround View Monitor, while the Volvo XC90 doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Ioniq 9 and the XC90 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 weighs 454 to 1566 pounds more than the Volvo XC90. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is safer than the XC90:

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 XC90’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 Volvo covers the XC90. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XC90 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Volvo 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 Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 85 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is ranked 29th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volvo With 20 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 5 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

As tested in Car and Driver the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy electric motors is faster than the XC90 T8 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 9 gets better mileage than the XC90 running on electricity:

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 9 gets better mileage than the XC90 running its gasoline engine:

The Ioniq 9 can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 311 to 335 miles. The XC90 T8 Extended Range has to start its internal combustion engine after only 32 miles.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard locking charge port with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the XC90. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage; a locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Ioniq 9 higher (10 out of 10) than the Volvo XC90 (6). This means the Ioniq 9 produces up to 12.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XC90 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Ioniq 9’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the XC90:

The Ioniq 9 stops shorter than the XC90:

For better traction, the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XC90 (285/45R21 vs. 275/45R20).

The front and rear suspension of the Ioniq 9 uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the XC90, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 9’s wheelbase is 5.7 inches longer than on the XC90 (123.2 inches vs. 117.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Ioniq 9 is 1.2 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than the track on the XC90.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy handles at .88 G’s, while the XC90 T8 Ultra pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy Design executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.2 seconds quicker than the XC90 B6 Ultra (26.2 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The design of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 amounts to more than styling. The Ioniq 9 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .269 Cd. That is significantly lower than the XC90 (.33) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Ioniq 9 get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Ioniq 9 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XC90 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ioniq 9 has 59.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the XC90 (163.5 vs. 103.8).

The Ioniq 9 has 2.6 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, 2.5 inches more rear headroom, 5.8 inches more rear legroom, 1.2 inches more rear hip room, 4.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.4 inches more third row headroom, .1 inches more third row legroom and 8.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the XC90.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 9’s middle and third row seats recline. The XC90’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 9’s cargo area provides more volume than the XC90.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The XC90 doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The XC90’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Ioniq 9’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XC90’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Ioniq 9 has standard extendable sun visors. The XC90 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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 XC90 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Ioniq 9 is equipped with both FM and AM stereo radios, offering access to more content and better coverage than the XC90, which solely provides FM radio. With AM radio, you can enjoy a wider variety of stations featuring news, talk shows, sports commentary, native language programing, automated traffic guidance, and emergency broadcasts. AM waves travel further and penetrate buildings and obstacles more effectively than FM signals, especially at night. Having both FM and AM stereo radios the Ioniq 9 offers a more comprehensive listening experience compared to only FM in the XC90.

HD Radio boasts several benefits over conventional radio: superior sound quality with clearer and consistent FM broadcasts, CD-quality audio, and Multicast Channels offering up to four streams from a single station, adding programming choices. Cars like the Ioniq 9 equipped with HD Radio provide an improved in-car entertainment experience. The XC90, devoid of this technology, foregoes these benefits. Selecting the Hyundai Ioniq 9 empowers drivers to enjoy a more immersive and enjoyable listening experience while on the go.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy’s Parking Assist can parallel park by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The XC90 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Ioniq 9 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The XC90 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.