2026
Hyundai Ioniq 9

Outside

The Ioniq 9 has a pretty typical SUV shape, but its basis is the futuristic Hyundai Seven concept that was introduced at the LA Auto Show in 2021. Real-world safety and usability demands, however, have toned down the concept’s open interior and nixed the pillarless doors.

What remains is aerodynamic smoothness that’s functional and aesthetic. It’s not as boxy as the EV9, which CR testers found to be very roomy. Perhaps, in the Ioniq 9, there’s some space sacrificed to the gentle curve along the roofline.

In order to carve out as much aerodynamic efficiency as possible, Hyundai went so far as to design an aerodynamic undercarriage, and to leave out the roof antenna. The wheels are also smoothed out for less drag, and the exterior door handles sit flush with the door skin. Like many newer cars (including those from Tesla), the handles pop out when you need to use them, when the vehicle is stopped.

Inside

Hyundai compares the Ioniq 9 interior with a lounge, but the only vestiges of the open floor plan introduced in the Seven concept are a moveable center console in the front row (dubbed Universal Island 2.0 by the automaker) and optional captain’s chairs for the second row.

Most buyers, though, probably won’t care that their car’s interior doesn’t look like the waiting room of a mid-1960s advertising office or a sleeker version of a 1970s conversion van. What they’ll care about are cup holders and storage, and there are plenty of those. Under the hood where an engine lives in a gasoline-powered car, there’s a 2- or 3-cubic-foot “frunk” (with the all-wheel-drive model having a slightly smaller one). And there are also storage cubbies in the center console. With the third-row seats folded flat, there’s 47 cubic feet of cargo space; 22 cubic feet with the seats up.

The dash looks like what you’re likely to see in any number of other new cars: A large digital display panel, oriented toward the driver, occupies two-thirds of its real estate. The panel includes both the 12-inch center infotainment screen and the driver’s instrument cluster.

The seats look a little more svelte than other models on the market, perhaps another vestige of the concept design. Those who choose the seven-passenger configuration will get a conventional second-row bench, while six-passenger models will get two reclining captain’s chairs that look very inviting, indeed.

All three rows come with 100-watt USB-C charging ports for phones, tablets, and even laptops. The Hyundai AI Assistant is a voice recognition system that Hyundai says is similar to home-based Siri and Alexa systems. An eight-speaker audio system is standard and can be upgraded to an optional 14-speaker, 5.1-channel Bose surround-sound system.

What Drives It

There are three different powertrain configurations for the Ioniq 9: one-motor rear-wheel drive, two-motor all-wheel drive, and Performance, which also features a two-motor all-wheel-drive setup. All three come with a 215-hp rear motor. The long-range all-wheel-drive model adds a 94-hp front motor, for a total of 309 hp. The performance model has two 215-hp motors, for a 430-hp total.

Hyundai says the rear-wheel-drive model will have a 335-mile driving range but hasn’t yet provided range estimates for either of the two all-wheel-drive variants, which are likely to be shorter than the all-wheel drive versions.

Because it comes with Tesla’s NACS port, owners will be able to access more than 17,000 Tesla Superchargers around the country. That’s good news for anyone who might want to buy an Ioniq 9 as their primary—or only—vehicle. According to the automaker, the Ioniq 9’s battery will charge from 10 to 80 percent in 24 minutes using a 350-kW DC fast charger (most Tesla chargers’ current output is a maximum of 250-kW). It also features a vehicle-to-load capability that makes it possible to charge other battery-operated items, or other EVs, using the Ioniq 9’s battery.

The suspension system is tuned specifically for a heavy EV and features an AI-assisted terrain control to smooth out the ride on rough surfaces. Furthermore, the traction motors can change the amount of torque to each wheel to improve stability and handling at higher speeds, and under heavy cross winds.

Hyundai says the Ioniq 9 has a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds. The vehicle computer can detect the trailer’s weight in tow mode and adjust range calculations accordingly.

Active Safety and Driver Assistance

The Ioniq 9 comes standard with a suite of active safety features, including automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning with a blind spot view monitor and a collision avoidance feature, lane keeping assistance, a rear-seat occupant reminder, automatic high beams, a speed limit assist feature, rear cross traffic collision avoidance, and a driver attention alert.