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Title: Hyundai's Ioniq 9 is a big electric SUV with big style

Date: Tue, 20 May 2025 13:00:50 +0000
Link: https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/h...

The pool of electric vehicles currently available on the North American
market keeps getting wider and deeper. But, since the beginning, there's been
something of a hole right in the middle. A big hole, as it turns out. The
three-row SUV, one of the most popular segments in American motoring, has
been woefully underserved. The only real options come on the high-end, with
things like the Rivian R1S or the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV.

Kia added a new and more attainable option last year with the EV9, and now
it's time for the other side of the corporate family to enter the fray with
its own option, the Hyundai Ioniq 9. The latest American-made electric SUV
from the Korean giant bears sharp styling and impressive performance. After a
day piloting one through the countryside around the Savannah, Georgia factory
where it'll be built, it's hard to argue against its $58,955 starting price.

Economy-Sized Tim Stevens for Engadget

There's no denying that Hyundai's new Ioniq is huge. At 199 inches long, it's
three inches bigger than the Hyundai Palisade, the company's now second-
biggest three-row SUV. However, Hyundai's designers have done a stellar job
of giving its new biggest baby a very compelling shape.

Many SUVs with that much space resort to acres of flat sheet metal just to
cover the distance between the bumpers, but the Ioniq 9 has a subtle,
sophisticated and, equally importantly, aerodynamic shape. I confess I'm not
a massive fan of the nose and its bland curves, but I absolutely love the
subtle taper at the rear. That not only helps with the coefficient of drag
(which measures at 0.269), but also helps make this thing look much smaller
than it is.

The Ioniq 9 has a stance more like a Volvo station wagon than a gigantic
family hauler, but make no mistake, it's the latter. That's immediately
evident as soon as you climb into the third row. It's a bit of a slow process
thanks to the power second-row seats, but once your path is clear, access to
the rear is easy, and I was shocked to find generous headroom back there.
There's even a tolerable amount of legroom for an adult.

Even better are the 100-watt USB-C outlets that are present even in the way-
back. All three rows have access to high power outputs that'll keep just
about anything short of a portable gaming rig juiced on the go. Second-row
seating is far more comfortable, especially if you opt for the Ioniq 9
Limited or Calligraphy trims with a six-seat configuration. These give you a
set of heated and ventilated captain's chairs. (A seven-seat, bench
configuration is also available.)

The seats up front are quite similar, also heated and ventilated, with the
driver's seat adding massage. Extending leg rests also make the Ioniq 9 an
ideal space for a nap during a charging stop. It'll need to be a quick one,
though.

Power and Charging Tim Stevens for Engadget

The Ioniq 9 is built on Hyundai's E-GMP platform, which also underpins the
Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, among others. That includes an 800-volt architecture and
a maximum charging speed of 350 kW. Find a charger with enough juice and
it'll go from 10 to 80 percent in 24 minutes.

Yes, it has a Tesla-style NACS plug, which means you can use Superchargers
without an adapter. Still, sadly, Tesla's current suite of chargers isn't
fast enough to support that charging rate. That means you'll have to use a
CCS adapter, which is included.

All those electrons get shoved into a 110.3-kWh battery pack, with roughly
104 kWh usable. Maximum range depends on which trim you choose, from 335
miles for a base, rear-drive model, dropping to 311 miles for a top-shelf
Performance model with dual-motor AWD. Naturally, that upgrade gets you more
power, either 303 or 422 horsepower, depending on which dual-motor variant
you choose. Still, even the single motor has 215 hp.

I sadly was not able to sample the single-motor flavor, but the Performance
Calligraphy Design I drove was plenty snappy. Even in Eco, the most relaxed
of the available on-road drive modes, the Ioniq 9 had plenty of response to
make impromptu passes or simply to satisfy my occasional need for G-forces.
There's also a selection of off-road drive modes for various types of
terrain, but that's clearly not a focus for this machine. While it'll do just
fine on unpaved surfaces and some light off-roading, given the sheer
dimensions of this thing, I wouldn't point it down any particularly tricky
trails.

Behind the Wheel Tim Stevens for Engadget

Much of my time spent driving the Ioniq 9 I was sitting in traffic, cruising
on metropolitan streets or casually motoring between rest stops over broken
rural roads. I'd say that's close to the average duty cycle for a vehicle
like this, and the Ioniq 9 was a treat over most of it.

At slower speeds, the suspension proved a bit rough, possibly due to the 21-
inch wheels on the Calligraphy trim. But, over 30 mph or so, everything
smoothed out nicely. This three-row SUV is calm and quiet at speed, helped by
sound-isolating laminated glass in the first and second rows, plus active
sound canceling akin to your headphones, but on a significantly larger scale.

The only place where you hear any road noise is back in the third row.
There's noticeably more wind noise and a bit more whine from the rear motor,
too, but I'd gladly take that over the drone of an average SUV's exhaust out
the back.

Behind those rear seats, there's 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space, or a
whopping 86.9 if you fold both rows down. Yes, there is a frunk, but it's
tiny and it's fully occupied by the charging cable, CCS adapter and flat tire
kit.

All the Tech Tim Stevens for Engadget

Those 100-watt USB-C ports are definitely the tech highlight on the inside of
the machine. Still, you'll also find Hyundai's standard infotainment
experience here, including both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
They're experienced through a pair of 12.3-inch displays joined at the bezel
to form one display, sweeping from behind the wheel out to the middle of the
dashboard. On the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, this looks impressive. On the Ioniq 9,
it honestly looks a bit Lilliputian given the giant scale of everything else
here.

The Ioniq 9 features some lovely styling touches, subtle RGB LED mood
lighting and generally nice-feeling surfaces ΓÇö so long as your fingers
don't wander too far down. Harsh plastics covering the lower portions of the
interior feel less than premium for a machine that otherwise looks this posh.

But it at least carries a fair price. You can get in an Ioniq 9 for as little
as $58,955, if you don't mind the single-motor version. You can also subtract
the $7,500 federal incentive for as long as that lasts. There are six trims
to choose from, with the top-shelf Performance Calligraphy Design AWD model
you see pictured here costing $79,540 after a $1,600 destination charge.

Yes, that's a lot, entering into Rivian R1S territory. But, where the Rivian
is quicker and certainly more capable off-road, the Ioniq 9 is roomier, more
practical and honestly more comfortable for the daily grind.

You can also save a few thousand by going with a Kia EV9, but I feel like the
extra presence and features of the Hyundai will woo many. Either way, you're
getting a winner, which is yet more proof that our current slate of EV
options is the best yet, and only getting better.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/h...
electric-suv-with-big-style-130050754.html?src=rss

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