Video: 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Up Close: Electric Family SUV

It has three rows, making it, well, part of one of the rarest and most least populated segments in the entire automotive industry, that being the non-luxury, all-electric, three-row crossover segment. And there really isn't many of them for other than this platform mate, Kia EV9, and the all new mini van-ish Volkswagen ID Buzz. Other than that, if you want something with three rows and a battery, you're gonna have to turn to Mercedes or Rivian. So is this the family-friendly, all-electric super hauler that Hyundai bills it in? Well, let's check it out. First though, we've got to talk about the styling. I'd say this is a fairly significant departure away from the retro futuristic appearance of the existing Ioniq 5 and what the forthcoming production version of the Vision 74 concept promises. It's also not nearly as boxy and upright as its Kia sibling. Instead, aligning more with the smooth, soft edge appearance of the Ioniq 6 sedan. Still, there is heavy use of the Ioniq brand language, especially with that familiar pixel motif and distinctive headlight and taillight signature. The design is simultaneously quite busy while also offering notes of simplicity, departing well away from some of the language found on Hyundai's mainstream gas-powered offerings like the Santa Fe and Tucson. But its numbers and not just styling that moves EVs. No matter which trim or motor configuration you pick, all Ioniq 9s pull power from a large 110-kilowatt-hour battery pack that offers 300 miles of range no matter what. That's not bad. Hyundai is still finalizing some of the ratings, but the thriftiest single-motor, rear-wheel drive model will cover up to 335 miles of EPA-rated range. That range is pretty good, but the biggest news here is definitely your charging options. The Ioniq 9 will incorporate Tesla's NACS charge port straight from the factory, meaning owners can make good use of the well-established and generally reliable Supercharger network. But don't feel like you're just locked into Tesla's charging network, each comes with an adapter for non-NACS charging as well, so you can use whichever charge port is most convenient. Regardless of which one you pick, it is rated for 800 volts of charge speed, so you're likely only gonna be limited by the charger speed and not vehicle capacity. Regarding motor options, well, those are gonna be very similar to those found in the Kia EV9. The base single-motor, rear-wheel drive Ioniq 9 has 215 horsepower, whereas the long-range, dual-motor, all-wheel drive (indistinct) to 303 horsepower. The big bad Performance all-wheel drive trim is the juiciest at 422 horsepower, enough for a 0 to 60 mile per hour run in acclaimed 4.9 seconds. But more important than the exterior styling is what's on the inside, because remember, this is a family-friendly kit hauler. You're always gonna spend your time here, maybe on road trips going around the city. So if you are all familiar or comfortable with Hyundai's current Ioniq lineup, you're gonna be right at home in here. Honestly, there's a lot pulled from the rest of the Hyundai lineup, even in the gas-powered vehicles as well. You've got this familiar steering wheel that we first saw debuted on the the Santa Fe. A lot of what we see here, including the dual-screen infotainment, the bi-level control stack here, a lot of that is what we've, again, seen on the rest of the Hyundai lineup, especially down here with the AC controls that it's separated, thank goodness, from the screen. And of course, you've got storage galore. You've got a huge kind of little shelf here, two big cup holders, a lower shelf down here, not so bad, traditional glove box. But right above that, it might be hard to see, there's a little shelf for your keys and whatnot there. Hyundai is quite proud of what it calls a Universal Island, which is a center console the passengers can open up to access in the rear. And front passengers can open this up and access it from the front, not too bad. So at the moment, we only have access to this mid-level equipped example, but the interior is predictably luxe. But as this is for the friends and fam, it better have the toys. And don't you worry, it's got you covered. Other than standard infotainment fair, there are three USB-C ports in the front alone, two of which are high-output 100 watt ports, so make sure you bring your laptop. Heck, tell the second and third row to bring theirs as well as each row's dual USB-C charge ports are also high-output 100 watts sockets. So yeah, there's a zero excuse for dead devices. Based on the popularity of Hyundai's existing Ioniq products and where this falls in the lineup, yeah, I think they've got quite the hit on their hands. Want one? Yeah, well, I figured as much. You're gonna have to wait a little bit longer, 'cause as Hyundai says, production is kicking off spring 2025. And because the entire vehicle, including the battery, is built and assembled here in the United States, it qualifies for the full federal tax rebate, not bad. We're gonna know more information closer to that production date including pricing and a little bit more of the range figures. But for my full thoughts and impressions as it sits right now, you gotta go to cars.com/news. (gentle music)