There are two trim levels, Comfort and Premium, but 90% of UK buyers will pick the Premium option, because you get even more kit and a better residual value, so the overall cost of ownership will be barely any different.
The Comfort model has a sunroof, three-zone climate control, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat and a six-way adjustable front passenger seat. The Premium then gets heated, ventilated and massaging front seats with electric lumbar support, a 12-speaker Bose stereo and wireless phone charging. Both versions have vehicle-to-load capability.
Perceived quality is pretty good overall, albeit a bit of a mix, as you might expect for a car giving this much space at this price. The door tops are meant to look stitched but I don’t think are, although there is softer, stitched leatherette elsewhere. The metallic plastic looks but doesn’t feel naturally metal, but overall fit and finish are good.
There’s even a smattering of real buttons, including a roller to lower the headlight beam (a very underrated feature for me) among a dash area that has big stowage space too. The gearlever and drive mode selector are mounted high and the steering wheel buttons and knobs are thankfully all physical.
There’s a big touchscreen too, of course. It would be better if some of its features, particularly for the heating/ventilation, were on the switch panel (do you really turn the HVAC off more often than you change the temperature?), but it’s clear and mostly logical. There’s even a function that allows you to customise ADAS activation, so switching out the driver attention monitoring, lane keeping assistance or speed limit sign detection (all of which work inadequately) are two button pushes away. You can select this setting only while stationary, though, so do remember before you set off.
The S9 is roomy in the front, likewise in the middle row, which is split 60/40, with both sides able to slide independently. Scooching them forwards makes for generous leg room in the third row. The chairs are mounted low to the floor, so you sit with your knees bent, but there is reasonable head room.
There are even cupholders, lights and air vents for the rearmost passengers, there are big and small USB ports around and a 12v socket, and it doesn’t feel too claustrophobic, owing to glass that extends to the rear-set D-pillar. The rearmost and middle row can be folded flat, too, in which form you get up to 2093 litres of boot space (there’s 1026 litres with just the rearmost pair folded).
