2026 Ioniq 9 EV features Hyundai’s largest battery: Tesla Supercharger Access
The newest member of Hyundai’s family of dedicated electric vehicles debuted tonight at an event ahead of the 2024 LA Auto Show. The three-row 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 electric SUV will also be the largest electric car in the brand’s lineup as it will be launched next year with the Hyundai Motor Group’s largest battery to date, with an estimated range of over 500 kilometers for all configurations and charging via the Tesla. groundbreaking NACS port with Supercharger access. The SUV’s specifications are complemented by a well-thought-out design that, in my opinion, also makes it the most beautiful Ioniq model to date.
The design is the production-ready distillation of the 2021 Seven concept, although Hyundai has since decided to assign the “Ioniq 9” designation to the three-row SUV, presumably to allow room for growth in the mid-line up. Whatever you call it, the 9 follows in the footsteps of the Editors’ Choice award-winning compact eSUV Ioniq 5 and the impressively efficient Ioniq 6, based on Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and sharing many familiar technologies with its smaller siblings, but on a much larger scale.
I enjoy the way the large SUV’s design plays with proportions and scale.
The electric powertrain comes in three flavors. The Long-Range RWD spec features a single 160 kW (215 hp) motor that twists the rear axle with 258 foot-pounds of torque. Long-Range AWD adds a second 70 kW motor to the front axle, bringing the total to 254 hp. Finally, the Performance AWD model boosts the front axle to a symmetrical 160 kW (approximately 429 hp combined) for a 0 to 100 km/h sprint in an estimated 4.9 seconds.
The power is stored in a 110.3 kilowatt-hour battery pack, the largest fitted to an E-GMP EV to date. Hyundai estimates that the Long-Range RWD model will be able to travel up to 535 miles during the EPA test cycle when equipped with 19-inch wheels. Opting for the larger 21-inch wheels, all-wheel drive, or some of the fancier features will likely come with a range penalty, but the automaker tells us that either configuration will go more than 300 miles per charge.
The dual 12-inch screens are a familiar sight by now, but their new curved construction adds to the premium feel.
North American Ioniq 9s come standard with the North American Charging System (NACS) plug, making them compatible with Tesla’s Supercharger network right out of the box. (Charging at CCS stations will also be possible via an included adapter.) The EV can charge up to 235 kW and should be able to optimally charge from 10% to 80% in about 24 minutes at a state of charge from 10% to 80%. 350 kW DC fast charger.
Bumper to bumper, the 2026 Ioniq 9 measures 199.2 inches, eclipsing the full-size Hyundai Palisade (the now former largest model in Hyundai’s U.S. fleet) by half a foot. Even more impressive is the 9’s extended 123.2-inch wheelbase, which is a whopping 9 inches longer than the internal combustion flagship. On paper, the Ioniq’s footprint is similar to Rivian’s R1S, but with rear-seat head and legroom that leaves the competition behind. When I tried out the Ioniq 9 for myself, I found both the second and third rows to be quite comfortable.
In combination with the black body cladding, the eyebrows on the fender reflect the square wheel arches of the Ioniq Seven concept.
The Ioniq 9’s chassis has a handsome silhouette and a roofline that rises gently to a point just above the second row of seats, before dropping rapidly toward the abrupt, upright rear. The width of the SUV also tapers towards the rear, creating what Hyundai designers call an aerodynamic boat tail, which is emphasized by strong, flared shoulders over the rear wheel arches.
I especially love the way the SUV’s shape plays with scale and proportion. Seen from the rear, it looks quite small thanks to the low roof, tapering greenhouse and wide haunches that make it feel more like a large sports car than an upright SUV. (I mean, look at that shoulder and those vertical taillights and tell me you don’t see a piece of early 2000s Volvo V70R in there.) But viewed from the front, the strong horizontal pixel light visor and wide gloss black grille are and enhance the dimensions and width of the SUV. The scale of the SUV seems to change depending on whether it’s coming or going, giving it a sense of motion that I like.
By far the weirdest and most interesting design element are the crescent-shaped ‘eyebrows’ cut into the wheel arches. These are a nod to the original Ioniq Seven concept, which featured open square wheel arches that would have been an aerodynamic nightmare for the production car. The eyebrows should help create a square look around a round opening. How successfully they pull it off depends largely on the color; the effect is more visible on liveries with gloss black bodywork finishes. (Hyundai also hinted that this element gives it the flexibility to easily reshape the wheel arch if it decides to fit large knobby tires on an off-road variant, for example.)
Second-row passengers can take advantage of the Ioniq 9’s legroom with optional reclining captain’s chairs.
There aren’t many surprises to be found in the cabin of the Ioniq 9. The SUV features a familiar digital dashboard with dual 12-inch displays, although the screens here are curved rather than flat, creating a more premium look. The center console can be opened from the front seats or from the rear thanks to a clever double hinge system, and the whole thing slides back up to 7.5 inches for even better rear seat reach and to make room on the flat floor for wallets or front backpacks.
In its home country of South Korea, the Ioniq 9 will be offered with camera-based digital side mirrors that improve aerodynamics. Thanks to the regulations, American motorists will check their blind spots with regular optical mirrors. We also don’t get the option to equip the SUVs with swiveling second-row seats that offer a new twist on comfort while parked. But the optional reclining captain’s chairs are a nice comfort.
My favorite additions to the cabin are the nine 100-watt USB Type-C charging ports located around the cabin, spanning all three rows. The ports draw power directly from the high-voltage battery (rather than the 12-volt accessory battery), making them technically part of the EV’s vehicle-to-load (V2L) system, so you won’t get stuck if you decides to charge half a dozen MacBooks while they’re parked. Speaking of V2L, the Ioniq 9 will be capable of external power via an adapter. (However, the NACS port will likely require a different adapter than the CCS V2L dongle that current E-GMP vehicles use.) The EV will also be ready for bi-directional charging – able to link to home energy systems – and vehicle-to-grid energy management with the right hardware.
The Ioniq 9 will go on sale in the first half of 2025.
US-bound units of the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 will begin production at the automaker’s Georgia plant in the first half of 2025. Either way, Hyundai will hold final prices and detailed specifications until a time closer to the on-sale date. With similar technology, but a larger battery, I think the Ioniq 9 will start just north of the Kia EV9 Long Range’s roughly $60,000 price tag. US assembly would make the Hyundai eligible for the full $7,500 EV tax credit, but that incentive may not even be there by the time deliveries begin. I can only hope that Hyundai prices the 9 in such a way that it can be competitive even without the 9.
