The electric vehicle pools available in the North American market are getting deeper and deeper. But, from the beginning, there was a hole in the middle. As it turns out, a big hole. This three-row SUV is one of the most popular segments of American cars and is very uncomfortable. The only real option is high-end, something like or something.
Kia added a new, more achievable option with The last year, and it’s time to bring its own choice to the other end of the corporate home, the Hyundai Ioniq 9. After a day driving around Savannah in Georgia’s factory, it’s hard to object to its $58,955 starting price.
Economy size
It is undeniable that the modern new Ioniq is huge. It’s 199 inches long, three inches larger than the Hyundai Palisade, which is now the second-largest SUV of the company. However, modern designers have done a great job of making their new largest baby have very striking shapes.
Many SUVs have such a large space lawsuit to cover the distance between bumpers, but the Ioniq 9 has a subtle, delicate and just as importantly aerodynamic shape. I admit I’m not a big fan of the nose and its bland curves, but I absolutely love the subtle taper behind it. Not only does this help with the drag coefficient (measured at 0.269), but it also helps make this thing look much smaller than before.
The Ioniq 9 stands more like a Volvo station wagon than a giant family tug, but there is no doubt that this is the latter. This is immediately obvious when you climb into the third row. It’s a slow process thanks to the second row of seats for the power supply, but once your road is clear and it’s easy to get to the rear, I was shocked to find the spacious headroom back there. There is even room for tolerant legroom for adults.
Even the 100-watt USB-C socket that exists in the backup is even better. All three lines have access to high-power outputs that keep almost any juice content on the go. The second row seats are much more comfortable, especially if you choose the Ioniq 9 Limited or calligraphy decor with a six-seat configuration. These provide you with a set of heated and ventilated captain’s chairs. (The desktop configuration of seven seats is also available.)
The front seats are very similar, and are also heated and ventilated, and the driver’s seats are added to massage. The stretched legs are also a good space for naps during charging stops. However, it needs to be fast.
Power and charging
IONIQ 9 is built on a modern E-GMP platform, which also supports Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, etc. These include an 800-volt building and a maximum charging speed of 350 kW. Find a charger full of juice that will increase from 10% to 80% in 24 minutes.
Yes, it has a Tesla-style NACS plug, which means you can use an adapterless supercharger. Still, sadly, Tesla’s current charger kit isn’t fast enough to support that charge rate. This means you have to use the included CCS adapter.
All of these electrons are pushed into a 110.3 kWh battery pack, about 104 kWh available. The maximum range depends on which trim you choose, from the basic, rear-drive model at 335 miles, the top rack performance model with dual-motor AWD drops to 311 miles. Naturally, this upgrade can give you more power, i.e. 303 or 422 horsepower, depending on the dual-sport variant you choose. Nevertheless, even a single motor has 215 hp.
Sadly, I can’t taste the single sporty flavor, but the performance calligraphy design of my driving is lively. Even in ECO, the most relaxing thing about the available road drive modes is that the Ioniq 9 has enough responsiveness to improvise passes or just satisfy my occasional G-Forces needs. There are also various off-road drive modes for all types of terrain, but that is obviously not the focus of the machine. While it would be great with unpaved surfaces and some off-road lights, I wouldn’t point it to any particularly tricky trails given the huge size of the thing.
Behind the steering wheel
I spent a lot of time driving the Ioniq 9, sitting in traffic, cruising on metropolitan streets or driving casually on broken country roads. I would say that this is close to the average duty cycle of a vehicle like this, and the Ioniq 9 is a treat for most of it.
At a slower speed, the suspension proved to be a bit rough, which could be due to the 21-inch wheels on the calligraphy trim. However, everything smoothed well over 30 mph. The speed of this three-row SUV is calm and quiet, which is aided by laminated glass isolated in the first and second rows, plus a similar active sound to the headphones, but significantly larger in scale.
The only place you hear any road noise back to the third row. There is also noticeable wind noise in the rear motor, and more tremolo, but I’d be happy to take the drone that rides on an average SUV out of the back.
Behind these rear seats, there is 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space, and if both rows fold down, there are 86.9. Yes, there is a small foam, but it’s tiny and it’s completely occupied by charging cables, CCS adapters and flat tire kits.
All technologies
Those 100-watt USB-C ports are definitely the technical highlights inside the machine. Still, you’ll find modern standard infotainment experiences here, including wireless Android Auto and Apple Carplay. They are done through a 12.3-inch monitor connected to the bezel, sweeping from behind the wheel to the middle of the dashboard. On the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, this looks impressive. On Ioniq 9, honestly, it looks a bit Lily Putian considering the huge scale of everything else here.
The IONIQ 9 has some lovely styling touch, subtle RGB LED mood lighting, and generally good surfaces – as long as your fingers don’t linger too far. The irritating plastic covering the lower part of the interior is of a lower quality for machines that otherwise look luxurious.
But this comes with a reasonable price at least. If you don’t mind the single motorcycle version, you can buy it in Ioniq 9 for $58,955. You can also subtract $7,500 from federal incentives. There are six trims to choose from, and the Top-Shelf Performance Calligraphy Design AWD Model The AWD model costs $79,540 here after the $1,600 destination is charged.
Yes, that’s a lot, into the territory of Rivian R1. But where the Rivian is faster and certainly more capable off-road range, the Ioniq 9 is more spacious, more practical, and honestly more comfortable with everyday grinding.
You can also save thousands with the Aa, but I think the extra presence and features of Hyundai will attract a lot. Either way, you’ll get a winner, which is more proof that our current EV options are the best and will only get better.
