OK, it's a cardinal rule of journalism to stay away from lots of figures, writes Brian Byrne. But in 20 years, the average length of cars sold in Europe has increased by more than 5 per cent to 4,536mm. The average width is up by more than 6 per cent to 1,844mm. Those increases might not really sound so much, but they do put flesh on what we've instinctively known: it's getting harder to park your wheels in standard spaces.
Much of the increase is due to the mass adoption of the SUV format, with globally more than half of all cars sold being in that style. On a quick look back at the review cars I've driven this year, that's about right for this country, too. I was prompted towards this train of thought during some time recently with Hyundai's newest model for Ireland, the Ioniq 9 EV. That is a big car in the Irish context. Bigger than the latest Volvo EX90, just a little shorter than Audi's Q7.
The Ioniq 9 is longer and taller than even its Kia stablemate, the EV9, with which it shares platform, drivetrain, and a lot of the interior fitments. Wondering where it might fit in Hyundai's sales here, I looked at that Kia version, here for quite some time now. It could be worth anything between 2.5-3.5 per cent of total sales, where the Tucson compact-medium car is the front-runner. We'll see.
Sometimes I mention a car's presence as it looks on the road. The Ioniq 9 has this with a capital 'P'. Then a bit more in the particular shade of green in the review car. From the high-fronted but smoothly styled face to the rear with a very deep back window, it's a statement of intent to stand out. The hatched design of the main lights, intriguing detail of the wheel arches, and its own version of the BMW 'Hoffman Kick' flip at the rear pillars, the Ioniq 9 demands, and gets, turnings of heads. The very vertical tailgate style also differentiates it from others in the format and class, and I should note that the driver's view through the rear window is quite amazing.
The width — only the BMW XM is wider in its size space — is also immediately evident when you get in. Everybody on board, including in the rearmost pair of seats, has elbow room almost to excess. Most of all, though, they'll be impressed with the quality of the finish throughout. As it should be, of course, in a car priced at the premium end of the scale.
The dashboard styling is strong, with a wide satin-metallised crosspiece that emphasises the width quite elegantly. The unified pair of information screens are in a slightly curved unit standing out from the general dash. There are strong graphics, and the menu levels are relatively easy to manage. Buttons and scrollers on the steering wheel help with keeping distraction to a minimum. There's a double row of virtual buttons underneath to handle the climate. A star button on the steering wheel can be programmed to open the driver assist screen so that you can turn off what you don't need before you move off.
Although there's a big armrest-storage unit between the front seats, there's floor space in front of it so that a handbag, for instance, can be placed on the floor, away from the traffic-light snatch-thieves, though they're not so much an issue today because of automatic door-locking. That unit also has the phone charge pad, placed where you'll not be inclined to forget the phone when you leave the car.
The middle seats easily accommodate three adults, and for those full-passenger-load occasions, the two in the rear are easily accessed once you have mastered the flip-and-forward action of the middle ones. With the rear seats down there's a whopping 908 litres of cargo space, and with all seats in place there's still a commendable 338 litres. Lots of USB points will take care of the connection needs for all passengers.
The real test of a car like this is the long journey, and while I had it, I did one of my periodic 400+ kilometre round trips to the west. I wasn't surprised to have done it in good comfort, but what I didn't expect was how nimble this 2.5-tonne machine was on some very indifferent, narrow, and twisty roads that the sat-nav decided to direct me through. It just proved you can have a big car and not feel like you're piloting a bus.
There's a realistic range of around 500 km, more if you haven't been driving on motorways. On my way back from the west, I took a break to charge from an indicated 15 percent and had it back up to 70 percent in the time it took me to buy and consume a safety-strategic coffee.
Although the number of cars of this size you'll see on our Irish roads is still relatively small, it's growing, and they're noticeable.
PRICE: €78,495. WHAT I LIKED: The style, comfort, and long-distance legs.
