Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9VS 2026 BMW XM

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 XM 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 XM doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Ioniq 9 and XM have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Ioniq 9 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The XM’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

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 XM 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 XM has not been tested.

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

Both the Ioniq 9 and the XM have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front 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 XM 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 XM’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 XM. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the XM 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.

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

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

The Ioniq 9 can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 311 to 335 miles. The XM Label has to start its internal combustion engine after only 30 miles.

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

For better traction, the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XM (285/45R21 vs. 275/35R23).

The Ioniq 9 has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The XM doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

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 XM doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 600 pounds less than the BMW XM.

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 XM doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

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

The Ioniq 9 has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom and 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the XM.

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

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

The Ioniq 9’s standard folding rear seats are split to accommodate bulky cargo. The XM’s standard single piece folding rear seat is not as flexible; long cargo and a passenger can’t share the rear seat.

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Ioniq 9’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The XM doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

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 XM 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 XM 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 XM 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 XM doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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