Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9VS 2025 Audi Q8 e-tron

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Ioniq 9 are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Ioniq 9 SEL/Limited/Calligraphy has standard Parking Collision Avoidance Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Ioniq 9’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ioniq 9 and the Q8 e-tron have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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 and available around view monitors.

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 Q8 e-tron’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 Audi covers the Q8 e-tron. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Q8 e-tron ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Ioniq 9 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Audi only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Q8 e-tron.

There are almost 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ioniq 9’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 80 more problems per 100 vehicles, Audi is ranked 31st, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 77 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Hyundai higher than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 9 gets better mileage than the Q8 e-tron:

The Ioniq 9 can travel longer on a full charge than the Q8 e-tron on a full charge:

For better traction, the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Q8 e-tron (285/45R21 vs. 265/45R21).

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 9’s wheelbase is 8.1 inches longer than on the Q8 e-tron (123.2 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Ioniq 9 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.1 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Q8 e-tron.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 300 pounds less than the Audi Q8 e-tron.

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 lower than the Q8 e-tron (.29 to .32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Ioniq 9 get better fuel mileage.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Ioniq 9 has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Q8 e-tron can only carry 5.

The Ioniq 9 has 60.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Q8 e-tron (163.5 vs. 103).

The Ioniq 9 has 3.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 3.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Q8 e-tron.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 9’s middle and third row seats recline. The Q8 e-tron’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 9’s cargo area provides more volume than the Q8 e-tron.

The Ioniq 9’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Q8 e-tron’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Ioniq 9’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Q8 e-tron’s (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Ioniq 9 uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Ioniq 9’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Q8 e-tron’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Q8 e-tron only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Q8 e-tron.

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 Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Ioniq 9 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Q8 e-tron doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.