With the Ioniq 9, Hyundai struggles to obvious its have excessive bar

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Hyundai has weak the orderly-sheet nature of electrical powertrains to create unique automobiles radically completely different from its inner-combustion models, but what occurs when the one ingredient a brand unique automobile may perhaps even be is typical?
 
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a 3-row SUV that, to be successful, wants to prioritize dwelling and an effortless ownership trip over radical styling or sports actions-automobile using dynamics. That doesn’t jog away worthy room for creativity, but Hyundai has done its only by giving the Ioniq 9 futuristic styling mixed with the proven E-GMP dedicated EV platform from its completely different Ioniq models and the Kia EV9. 
 
The eager response to the EV9, from Hyundai’s sibling designate, presentations why, despite having two fuel three-row SUVs in its lineup already, Hyundai wanted an all-electrical one as smartly.

Yet one more plucky create from Hyundai

Many automakers create a household procure out about all over their lineups, but Hyundai went in a completely different route with its Ioniq EVs. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 are polar opposites by strategy of styling, and the Ioniq 9 follows yet another route that helps it stand out from completely different three-row SUVs.

It’s obvious that engineers spent a bunch of time in the wind tunnel, but unlike so many completely different low-lunge designs, the Ioniq 9 silent has the finest proportions of a supreme SUV. The discontinue result’s something that looks to be love it can maybe be devoted at dwelling on a college pickup line in the Tron Grid. The colossal hood is decidedly SUV-love, but the entrance discontinue is smoothed as if by erosion. Squared-off fenders add rather of ruggedness but don’t stick out a ways passable to obstruct air bolt. And at the abet, the physique sides taper abet, and the roof descends, exact into a chopped-off tail now now not unlike what helped create the 2004 Toyota Prius so distinctive and aerodynamically atmosphere pleasant.

All of this is topped off with one more iteration of the pixel lights previously seen on the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6. The sunshine bar running all over the hood affords the Ioniq 9 a particular and futuristic procure out about when considered through a rearview mirror, while at the abet the lights manufacture a hoop spherical the tailgate. This helps punch up the create rather, adding visual hobby to the otherwise soft and unadorned surfaces of this electrical SUV. Much less successful in that regard is the copious dim plastic smartly-kept, which looks to be tacked-on. And exact as piano-dim plastic interior smartly-kept is inspiring to withhold orderly, the dim license-plate surround will seemingly repeatedly be covered in fingerprints.

Restful a vivid three-row SUV

As with so many of its completely different automobiles, Hyundai made a completely different styling assertion while using the identical platform as a dramatically completely different-looking out model from sibling designate Kia. The Ioniq 9 is in step with the identical plus-sized model of the E-GMP structure because the Kia EV9 (a Genesis luxurious model is furthermore on the trend). The EV9 trades the Ioniq 9’s wind-smoothed surfaces for absorbing edges, but they procure out about virtually similar to a measuring tape. The Hyundai is 2.0 inches longer, 1.6 inches taller, and exact 0.1 spin wider.

Headroom and legroom are aesthetic worthy identical as smartly, no matter which seating arena you’re talking about. And love most three-row automobiles, Hyundai affords 2d-row bench seat and captain’s chairs alternatives, making the Ioniq 9 a six- or seven-seater, respectively. The 2d row can trudge forward or abet in both case, but even with the seats slid the total design forward, adults won’t procure worthy knee room in the third row. There’s silent loads of dwelling for the young folk that can in all likelihood be occupying it, though.

Delivery the Ioniq 9’s favorite energy tailgate and you salvage 21.9 cubic feet of cargo dwelling. That expands to 46.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 86.9 cubic feet with the 2d row folded. All three numbers surpass the EV9, and Hyundai claims more cargo dwelling in the abet of the 2d and third rows than in a Rivian R1S (Rivian doesn’t submit its have comparable figures to substantiate this). Nonetheless while the R1S has a substantial frunk, the Ioniq 9 only has a tiny beneath-hood compartment exact substantial passable for charging cables.

Hyundai’s dual-show disguise setup, with 12.3-spin monitors serving because the instrument cluster and touchscreen, stays spectacular — especially now that Hyundai is integrating wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with this bigger show off. Nonetheless the Ioniq 9’s Universal Island 2.0 center console in actual fact stole the tag. Incorporating loads of storage dwelling entrance and rear, it’s furthermore accessible from both route and slides fore and aft. It’s a thoughtful purpose for a automobile the keep every seat is required. 

Rapid, but now now not sporty

Hyundai is providing three powertrain configurations for the 2026 model year, all with a 110.3-kilowatt-hour battery pack. The Ioniq 9 S base model has a single motor sending 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. SE and SEL models contain a dual-motor all-wheel power powertrain making 303 hp and 446 lb-toes. Small, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Gain models contain a “efficiency” dual-motor powertrain rated at 422 hp and 516 lb-toes of torque.

The rear-wheel power Ioniq 9’s output is similar to a rear-wheel power EV9, but the perfect-output model of the Hyundai has rather more horsepower than the Kia (torque is the identical), getting it from zero to 60 mph 0.1 2d faster, at 4.9 seconds. The advantage will shift to Kia once a more extremely efficient EV9 GT arrives later this year, though.

Rapid acceleration is to hand for merging onto highways, but it certainly’s now now not in actual fact the level of the Ioniq 9. It doesn’t strive and be something completely different than a immense, contented SUV that can scuttle young folk to extracurricular actions, or aid as an analogue to the immense sedans of used for merchants who simply prefer a substantial automobile. The suspension absorbed bumps with none waterbed-love jiggling, and love every EVs the Ioniq 9 was once impressively quiet (even supposing there was once rather more tire noise than anticipated). It’s good to power, exact now now not involving.

Serving to to withhold comfort and composure is Hyundai’s i-Pedal brake-regulate system. This routinely blends regenerative braking and friction braking to gradual the automobile as simply and efficiently as that you just may maybe factor in. It’s a carryover purpose from completely different Ioniq EVs, but the tuning for the Ioniq 9 was once particularly devoted. Whereas it’s silent that you just may maybe factor in to summon a burst of regenerative braking with guidance-wheel paddles, it was once inspiring to compare i-Pedal’s smoothness.

NACS onboard

Hyundai estimates 335 miles of fluctuate for the bottom rear-wheel power S smartly-kept degree, 320 miles for dual-motor SE and SEL models, and 311 miles for the excessive-discontinue Small, Calligraphy, and Calligraphy Gain models, all of which contain the more extremely efficient “efficiency” powertrain tune. That affords the Ioniq 9 a fluctuate advantage over its Kia EV9 platform-mate, which only tops 300 miles in rear-wheel power Gentle Prolonged Differ manufacture, but that advantage is performed with a elevated battery pack.

Both Hyundai and Kia are switching to the North American Charging Not recent (NACS) charging port for the 2026 model year, giving drivers salvage admission to to Tesla Supercharger DC expeditiously-charging stations. This affords salvage admission to to more chargers with a proven reliability fable, but on this case it doesn’t necessarily suggest faster charging. Hyundai estimates that the Ioniq 9 can full a 10%-80% impress in 41 minutes at a V3 Supercharger, but that drops to 24 minutes at a 350-kilowatt Mixed Charging Not recent (CCS) design, using an adapter.

When Stage 2 AC charging, a corpulent recharge takes 9 hours and 40 minutes at 11 kW, in step with Hyundai. Like completely different models in step with the E-GMP structure, the Ioniq 9 is furthermore able to bidirectional charging for powering devices and dwelling equipment. To this level, Hyundai hasn’t discussed a corpulent dwelling backup-energy system love the one who’s accessible for the EV9, but its Hyundai Dwelling market affords a ready portal for selling such equipment.

A relative impress in a excessive-priced market section

With a base impress of $60,555 with rear-wheel power, the Ioniq 9 is the most costly SUV in Hyundai’s lineup. Costs upward push tremendously from there. The all-wheel power SE and SEL begin up at $64,365 and $67,920, respectively. The luxe Small begins at $72,850, the Calligraphy begins at $76,590, and the Calligraphy Gain tops issues off at $78,090.

Kia hadn’t launched pricing for the 2026 EV9 at press time, but for reference the 2025 model started at $56,395 with a smaller battery pack and less fluctuate than the bottom Ioniq 9. Hyundai’s smartly-kept walk is furthermore more top heavy with excessive-discontinue smartly-kept stages, but that can furthermore be the case for the EV9 — Kia has already confirmed Dusk Edition and GT models for 2026 that seemingly won’t be bargains. All Ioniq 9 models will furthermore be in-built Georgia and can fair qualify for a $7,500 federal EV tax credit, but that’s now now not assured with the EV9.

This pricing construction can aid differentiate the 2 manufacturers, but it certainly doesn’t create worthy sense for purchasers, because the EV9 and Ioniq 9 provide the same aspects, interior dwelling, and the identical generous guarantee coverage. The Ioniq 9 would now not lower than live beneath the Rivian R1S and the handful of luxurious-designate three-row electrical SUVs currently on the market. It’s a supreme change, but now now not a rare impress. That’s appropriate for what’s a typical automobile, now now not a rare one — exact because the mission brief says.