Toyota Grand Highlander vs Hyundai IONIQ 9

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a standout in Toyota's lineup of crossovers and SUVs, offering a range of options from all-gas to hybrid-powered models. Built on the TNGA-K platform, it shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander, RAV4, Sienna, and Camry, distinguishing itself from the body-on-frame Sequoia. With a length of 5,115 millimetres and a wheelbase of 2,950 mm, it was larger than competitors like the Kia Telluride, providing a spacious interior. Its design, inspired by rugged vehicles, featured a blockier style with a trapezoidal grille and narrow headlights, reminiscent of the 4Runner. The Grand Highlander was available in three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with interior options ranging from black Softex synthetic leather to real leather in higher trims. It offered a comfortable and well-built interior, making it an excellent choice for road trips.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, on the other hand, presented a distinctive design that divided opinions. Its aerodynamic shape, inspired by smooth pebbles and midcentury modern sofas, housed seven passengers comfortably. Measuring 5,060 millimetres in length with a 3,130 mm wheelbase, it offered impressive interior volume. Despite its size, it achieved a 0.27 drag coefficient, enhancing its aerodynamic efficiency. The Ioniq 9's design featured a swooping roofline and a stubby rear end, with LED taillights wrapping around the tail's circumference. Available in seven paint colours, the Ioniq 9 offered various trim-specific options. Inside, it boasted a spacious and airy interior with flat floors and a sliding centre console. The Ioniq 9's interior featured high-quality materials, although some elements, like the dashboard insert, felt underwhelming. Overall, it provided a comfortable and practical family SUV experience.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options, starting with a 2.4-litre turbo four-cylinder engine producing 265 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. For those prioritizing fuel efficiency, a 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid option delivered 245 combined net horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. At the top of the range, the Grand Highlander Hybrid Max powertrain generated 362 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. All powertrains came with all-wheel drive in Canada. While not a sports car, the Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration with a zero-to-60 time of 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander excelled in road manners, though it felt less nimble than its smaller counterpart. The brakes were solid, and acceleration was adequate, especially with the 2.4-litre turbocharged engine. Toyota offered three drive modes—Sport, Eco, and Normal—with additional off-road modes for gas-only and Hybrid Max models.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 featured a 110.3-kWh battery pack on the e-GMP platform. The base Essential trim had a rear-wheel-drive setup with a 160-kW electric motor producing 215 horsepower. Other trims received dual-motor all-wheel-drive systems, with power outputs ranging from 303 to 422 horsepower. The Ioniq 9 impressed with energy efficiency, often exceeding the estimated 500-kilometre range. Its chassis provided a smooth and quiet ride, though it wasn't a corner carver. The Ioniq 9 offered a towing capacity of 1,587 kilograms for RWD and 2,268 kilograms for AWD models. Charging options included NACS superchargers and CCS-port Level 3 chargers, with fast charging times. The Ioniq 9's performance was characterized by a comfortable ride and impressive range.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its primary rivals, offering a spacious interior with a length of over 5 metres and a 2,950 mm wheelbase. It provided ample cargo space, with a total capacity of 2,761 litres, surpassing competitors like the Kia Telluride. Even with all seats in place, it offered 583 litres of cargo space. The Grand Highlander excelled in comfort, with good visibility and generous headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in all rows. It was a practical choice for families seeking a spacious and comfortable vehicle.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 focused on family-SUV practicality, seating seven with a middle-row bench seat or six with the Ultimate Calligraphy Package's captain's chairs. The sliding centre console improved access for middle-row passengers. The Ioniq 9 offered 1,086 millimetres of legroom in the middle row, though the third row felt tight for adults. It featured dual-zone climate control, air vents in all rows, and a heat pump for energy efficiency. Cargo space measured 620 litres behind the third row, expanding to 2,462 litres with seats folded. The Ioniq 9 provided a practical and spacious interior for families.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander featured a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a significant improvement over previous interfaces. It offered an intelligent assistant, cloud-based navigation, and live agent assistance through a connected-services subscription. Standard features included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The 11-speaker JBL stereo, standard on higher trims, delivered good sound quality. Toyota's tech offerings had improved, but careful consideration of subscription options was recommended.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 boasted dual curved 12.3-inch displays, similar to those in higher-level Hyundai models. It offered SiriusXM Satellite Radio, wireless Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay. A wireless charging pad was standard, though it struggled to keep up with high-demand devices. The Ioniq 9 featured six USB-C ports for charging, and the 14-speaker Bose audio system provided impressive sound quality. Hyundai's infotainment system was user-friendly, though prone to fingerprints and glare.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander had not yet been crash-tested, but it came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (TSS 3.0) as standard. This suite included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, road-sign recognition, and blind-spot monitoring. Traffic jam assist and a head-up display were exclusive to the Platinum grade. Adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings was also standard.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 had not received crash-test ratings, but it offered a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Standard features included collision avoidance, lane-guidance technologies, driver attention warning, safe-exit assist, and Highway Driving Assist 2. The latter combined lane-keeping assist with adaptive cruise control for supervised hands-free driving. Higher trims received a surround-view monitor and blind-spot view monitor for added safety.