Glide into Town in the New Ioniq 9!

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 adds another electric vehicle to the line-up and it’s the brand’s biggest. A 110.3 kWh battery pack offers up to 335 miles of range.

Adding the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, the first three-row crossover SUV for the Ioniq sub-brand, Hyundai continues to bolster its battery-electric vehicle line-up. Unlike the Ioniq 5 hatchback and Ioniq 6 sedan, the 9 also gets a larger battery pack, 110.3 kWh hours. That’s enough juice to propel the 9 for as much as 335 miles in its most efficient form—the rear-wheel-drive with 19-inch wheels Ioniq 9.

POWERTRAIN

But that is just one of three choices for the 9. The first is the aforementioned rear-wheel-drive model. Power comes courtesy of a single electric motor mounted on that axle. It develops 215 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft of torque. The one and only battery pack is the 110.3-kWh unit, which Hyundai calls long-range.

From there you get two all-wheel-drive options. The first starts with the same electric motor mounted in back and adds a smaller one up front. It produces 94 horsepower and 188 lb.-ft of torque. The battery pack is an 800-volt system that supplies plenty of power to both motors at once, simply sum up to two motors for a total 309 horsepower and 446 lb.-ft of torque.

But Hyundai found space for the larger motor up front too. If you go with the performance all-wheel-drive system, you get two of the big motors, which supplies 430 horsepower and a tree stump pulling 516 lb.-ft of torque in your BEV family hauler. This version takes less than five seconds (4.9) to reach 60 mph from rest. This version of the family-hauler hauls!

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, rear 3/4. Image courtesy of Hyundai

CHARGING

Being an 800-volt battery pack—just like all Ioniq models—allows for quick charging. The lithium-ion pack will accept up to 350 kW of power. That will take state of charge from 10-80 percent in just 24 minutes, according to Hyundai. Expect it to completely charge up on a 220-volt system overnight.

And, the Ioniq 9 comes standard with a NACS port, which gives you access to more than 17,000 Tesla supercharger stations across the country. Or go the other way and charge other things from the 9. It includes Hyundai’s vehicle to load set-up, plug-in whatever appliance you want. Moreover, you’ll find several usb-c ports inside, which Hyundai says offers up to 100 watts of power.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, interior. Image courtesy of Hyundai

STILL AN SUV

At 199.2 inches long, 78.0 inches wide, and 70.5 inches tall, with a 123.2-inch-long wheelbase, the Ioniq 9 roughly matches the size of a Toyota Grand Highlander. Given that, it provides ample space in the first two rows and reasonable space in the third.

You can also equip the 9 with a third climate control zone for the second row, which complements the dual-zone system up front. Beneath that you’ll find a wireless smartphone charger. Visually speaking, the driver sees all pertinent information through the panoramic curved display. It looks just like other Hyundai systems, which uses two 12.3-inch screens, one for the digital instrument cluster, the other for the center display.

And many controls land right on the steering wheel, including a stalk that functions as the PRNDL. There are also paddle shifters to adjust the amount of off-throttle battery charging deceleration. I hope to learn details of that on a test drive. You also get first and second-row relaxing seats, seat massaging optionally available, and a clever sliding lower center console.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, second row relaxation seats. Image courtesy of Hyundai

FUTURISTIC YET FAMILIAR LOOK

At first glance, the Ioniq 9 takes a very familiar shape: a family friendly, long, family crossover SUV. But then you notice a strip of lights running across the front of the 9, just below the hood line. Hyundai calls them parametric pixel lamps. They look space age and cool. Then the headlights sit low and stack vertically on either side of lower part of the fascia.

Similar to the front, Hyundai mounted a lot of light in the rear. A stream of lights ascend vertically on either side and then a strip runs across the top of the liftgate. You also get a nice, clean set of lettering. It spells out Ioniq 9, appropriately enough.

A clean shape flows across the side of the 9. That’s capped off my 19-, 20-, or 21-inch wheels. The 9 at the 2025 Chicago Auto Show showcased the middle of the road 20-inch wheels and looked lovely to me. But, efficiency wise, the 19s offer the best driving range.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, front 3/4. Image courtesy of Hyundai

CONCLUSION

Hyundai continues to keep mum on pricing. But promises that the ioniq 9 will arrive at dealerships before the end of June, 2025. We’ll learn pricing closer to that date. Hyundai expects the 9 to qualify for the $7500 federal credit, regardless. And we already know the 9 will be built in the U.S. as it invested more than 12 billion dollars in a plant in Georgia, named the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.

Hyundai continues to push forward with a heavily electrified line-up. And the Ioniq 9 makes an even bigger push to normalize our new form of transportation. The proof of its success will come once I get the chance to drive one and share how it really feels.

Rather stick with an internal combustion engine, but want a similar Hyundai? Check out the new Santa Fe

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, panoramic curved display. Image courtesy of Hyundai

IF YOU SEE POWER LISTED IN KILOWATTS

RWD – 160kW: 215 HP 258 lb.-ft

AWD – F: 70kW: 94 HP 188 lb.-ft and R: 160kW – 215 HP 258 lb.-ft.
AWD Total: 309 HP and 446 lb.-ft

Performance AWD – F/R: 160kW each or 215 HP and 258 lb.-ft each
Performance AWD Total: 430 HP and 516 lb-ft