- Meet the Hyundai Ioniq 9, the model’s first three-row electrical SUV.
- It targets as much as 335 miles of EPA vary and can come from the manufacturing facility with Tesla’s NACS plug design.
- It goes on sale early subsequent yr, however its value continues to be TBD.
In case you’ve been attempting to find an electrical three-row SUV however by no means beloved any of the alternatives obtainable, you’re not alone. The Rivian R1S and Tesla Mannequin X have their compromises, and whereas we love the Kia EV9, some selection can be good too.
The scenario is enhancing, thanks once more to the Hyundai Motor Group. Following the house run it scored with the EV9, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 makes its debut as the latest and largest addition to its acclaimed Ioniq household of EVs.
Photograph by: Hyundai
The Ioniq 9 builds on what makes its smaller siblings nice: lengthy ranges, quick charging and head-turning design. It’s simply all in a much bigger bundle that, for higher or worse, American households more and more crave.
And it is greater than only a re-badged and re-bodied EV9 this time. It beats the EV9 on vary and even comes with the Tesla-style North American Charging Customary (NACS) plug proper out of the gate, so it’s going to be prepared to make use of the hundreds of Supercharger stations on the market on the subsequent household highway journey.
The Fundamentals
First got here the Ioniq 5 as a compact crossover aimed on the Tesla Mannequin Y. Then Hyundai launched the Ioniq 6, a streamlined sedan with epic effectivity and vary. Hyundai’s third U.S.-market EV on its fashionable E-GMP platform is the Ioniq 9. It provides as much as seven seats and is an electrical various to the Hyundai Palisade.
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Hyundai
It’s a part of Hyundai’s plan to have a lineup of 23 electrical fashions by 2030. It goes into manufacturing this coming spring at Hyundai’s Georgia plant, so the automaker expects it to qualify for the total $7,500 federal tax credit score, which requires automobiles to be assembled in North America. (That’s, if that coverage nonetheless exists when the automobile goes on sale.)
Hyundai hasn’t introduced pricing but, solely saying will probably be “aggressive.” On condition that the EV9 begins at round $55,000, someplace round there’s in all probability a very good guess. It’ll value much more than a Palisade or Santa Fe, I can let you know that a lot.
Vary, Charging and Different Specs
Hyundai is concentrating on an Environmental Safety Company vary score of as much as 335 miles, which is effectively above common and positive to dampen some consumers’ vary nervousness. Much more impressively, the model says that it doesn’t matter what Ioniq 9 trim you purchase, it’ll be rated for at the least 300 miles. The identical can’t be stated of its cousin, the EV9, which is sweet for anyplace from 230 to 304 miles, relying on the trim.
Photograph by: Hyundai
A lot of that has to do with the Ioniq 9’s 110.3 kilowatt-hour, nickel-cobalt-manganese battery, which is about 10% bigger than the most important pack obtainable within the EV9. Lengthy vary and super-fast charging is a successful mixture, and that’s simply what the Ioniq 9 serves up. Hyundai says the 9 will be capable to recharge from 10%-80% in 24 minutes on a sufficiently highly effective plug, because of its 800-volt structure. And it comes from the manufacturing facility with Tesla’s NACS plug design. So house owners will be capable to plug in at some 17,000 Tesla Superchargers while not having to make use of an adapter.
Each main automaker is switching over to NACS from the Mixed Charging System, the present normal, however Hyundai is forward of the curve. Different automakers are nonetheless placing out new or up to date fashions with the outdated charging port, necessitating using a dongle at Superchargers.
There can be three powertrain choices on provide. The Lengthy-Vary RWD is the vary champion, whereas the Efficiency AWD is the quickest. The AWD Lengthy Vary matches within the center.
Right here’s how they break down:
| Drivetrain | Entrance Motor | Rear Motor | Whole Energy | 0-60 MPH | Tow Capability | Est. Vary |
| Lengthy-Vary RWD | N/A | 160 kW | 215 HP | 8.4 sec | 3,500 lbs | 335 miles |
| Lengthy-Vary AWD | 70 kW | 160 kW | 303 HP | 6.2 sec | 5,000 lbs | 300+ miles |
| Efficiency AWD | 160 kW | 160 kW | 422 HP | 4.9 sec | 5,000 lbs | 300+ miles |
Inside and Design
At first look, the Ioniq 9 offers off minivan vibes. I imply this in a great way; the 9 lacks the usual upright boxiness of different large SUVs and that provides it a hanging presence. Its brief hood, steep windshield and curving roofline give it a modern, distinctive look. Identical to on different Ioniq fashions, the outside is dotted with lots of of little squares, or “pixels,” that tie collectively the in any other case disparate-looking EVs.
And a stretched-out wheelbase—the longest of any Hyundai mannequin—creates loads of room to stretch out inside. After all, as a three-row SUV, the Ioniq 9’s primary promoting level is how a lot stuff and other people you possibly can match inside.
Photograph by: Hyundai
The Ioniq 9’s cabin does certainly really feel enormous, as I discovered after I received a preview of the mannequin earlier this month. It has a flat ground all through, which frees up room on your ft, significantly within the center seat. The second row is downright cavernous and may be optioned with both a three-seat bench or reclining captain’s chairs. The third row is completely usable, even for adults. Once I crawled again there, I didn’t really feel cramped within the legroom or headroom departments.
One enjoyable contact up entrance is the addition of a sliding middle console. So if you need further room between the entrance seats for a handbag or one thing, you possibly can slide the unit backward. If you want extra room within the rear, you possibly can shift it ahead. The same function can also be obtainable within the Ioniq 5.
Up entrance, the 9 provides high-output, 100-watt USB-C ports that get their energy straight from the high-voltage battery. That’s along with vehicle-to-load, or V2L, a function that lets house owners use the Ioniq 9 as a cellular battery pack to energy virtually something.
Tech
The Ioniq 9 has the identical dual-screen setup that’s shared with different Kia and Hyundai EVs. On this one, although, it’s curved reasonably than flat, which is a pleasant contact. Each the driver-facing cluster and the primary display are available at 12 inches. And the system can deal with over-the-air software program updates, similar to earlier fashions.
Photograph by: Hyundai
What’s new right here is one thing known as “Options on Demand,” an in-vehicle retailer the place house owners should buy “digital upgrades” for his or her automobiles. It’s debuting with a couple of choices: some lighting signatures for opening or closing the doorways, new themes for the shows, and streaming companies like Amazon Music and Soundcloud.
Don’t fear—Hyundai says paying to activate one’s heated seats is off the desk.
Ought to You Purchase This Or The EV9?
Photograph by: Peter Holderith / Motor1
We gained’t know for positive till we are able to get the Ioniq 9 out on the highway and spend some high quality time with it. But it surely’s largely a query of design desire. These two SUVs share a platform, they’re each large and spacious, and their person interfaces will really feel related too. The Ioniq 9 has the agency edge on vary, although, which would be the deciding issue for some of us. And we all know that the EV9 will quickly pack the NACS port as effectively, together with an adapter for the prevailing automobiles.
On the finish of the day, it’s simply nice to see one other stable electrical possibility for larger households.
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