2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Reviews, Pricing & Specs

“Good” design is inherently subjective, and from time to time, that presents some challenges. Take the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9: many onlookers will appreciate this new electric crossover’s distinctive design. Others will recoil. Hyundai’s design team claims many sources of inspiration when talking about the Ioniq 9’s curved sheet metal, from smooth pebbles to midcentury modern sofas, but it seems clear that the mission was first and foremost to produce a slippery, aerodynamic shape that could comfortably house seven passengers.

And, by the numbers, the team succeeded. The Ioniq 9 is 199.2 inches long and rides on a 123.2-inch wheelbase. For reference, that puts it at just barely shorter in length than a Honda Pilot, yet its wheelbase stretches longer than a Chevy Tahoe. These dimensions, made possible by Hyundai’s EV architecture, result in terrific interior volume. However, despite the Ioniq 9’s size, it manages a 0.27 drag coefficient, making it much more aerodynamic than a big Rivian SUV.

Although the Ioniq 9’s design is clearly effective in terms of efficient space, it’s tough to classify this as a truly beautiful car. The swooping roofline is offset by a dramatically stubby rear end–Hyudai claims a ship’s stern as the inspiration here–and horizontal character lines above each wheel well add further dissonance to the Ioniq 9’s styling. The rear view of the Ioniq 9 is definitely the most recognizable angle, with LED taillights wrapping around nearly 75 percent of the tail’s circumference.

Hyundai offers the 2026 Ioniq 9 in nine paint colors, although some are trim-specific. The S and SE trims are available in Abyss Black Pearl, Cyber Gray Metallic, Snow White Pearl, and Cosmic Blue Pearl. The SEL and Limited trims add Ultimate Red Metallic, with Ecotronic Gray Matte and Ionosphere Green Pearl additionally available on the Limited. Calligraphy-trim Ioniq 9s oddly lose the red option, but the top-tier Calligraphy design adds Gravity Gold Matte and Sage Silver Matte. Wheels range from 19 to 21 inches, with the SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy receiving their own unique designs. Our test car–a Calligraphy Design trim level–came with Sage Silver Matte paint, and we particularly liked its jet-turbine-inspired 21-inch wheels.

Inside, the Ioniq 9 is a spacious and airy masterpiece. As with the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 9’s EV platform allows for flat floors in the front and back, and Hyundai doesn’t clutter the space with unnecessarily large consoles. The dashboard offers multiple cubbies, the doors have a nice scalloped shape, and on the Limited trim and above a panoramic sunroof stretches nearly the entire length of the roof, and the center console slides forward and backward as well.

Hyundai sells the S and SE trim levels with cloth upholstery in either black or gray. The SEL and Limited trims keep those color options but upgrade to H-Tex synthetic leather, and the Calligraphy trim levels use a premium H-Tex and add a two-tone dark teal color option.

The Ioniq 9’s interior does feature quite a bit of plastic, but it is at least high quality. A dashboard insert ahead of the front passenger seat in our test vehicle had a hammered aluminum look, but it felt a bit underwhelming, almost as if it was an applied decal. Similarly, the Ioniq 9’s seats are soft but not overly supportive; they particularly lack thigh support.

Every 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 comes equipped with a 110.3-kWh battery pack, mounted in the skateboard style on the company’s lauded e-GMP platform. This is a bigger battery than you’ll find in the otherwise similar Kia EV9 and the Tesla Model X, but it’s significantly smaller than the massive batteries used by Rivian and GM.

The base S trim is offered with rear-wheel drive (RWD) only thanks to a single, rear-mounted 160-kW electric motor, which translates to 215 horsepower. Every other trim receives a dual-motor all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, although power output depends on trim level. The SE and SEL Ioniq 9s make 303 hp, while Limited and Calligraphy powertrains generate 422 hp.

Despite driving the most powerful iteration, we saw impressive energy efficiency during our first drive, with the trip computer regularly reporting between 3 and 3.2 miles driven per kilowatt hour used. That would put the driving range estimate in line with Hyundai’s suggestion of 335 miles for the S trim, but a bit beyond the Calligraphy Design’s 311-mile estimate. Consider us impressed.

EVs are heavy vehicles–batteries weigh a lot–and the Ioniq 9’s chassis is very softly sprung, which leads to a smooth and pillowy ride on most roads. Unfortunately, the combination of the vehicle’s weight and the soft suspension make the Ioniq 9 an unsophisticated corner carver. Although it looks the part of a futuristic SUV, it corners more like a minivan. Luckily, most shoppers will be happy to trade some dexterity for an ultra-smooth ride. In the same vein, the Ioniq 9 is astonishingly quiet. Even at highway speeds, the Calligraphy trim’s active noise cancellation, sound-absorbing tires, and first- and second-row acoustic glass do a terrific job of quieting down any wind and road noise from creeping into the cabin.

Hyundai claims 3,500 pounds of towing capacity on the RWD Ioniq 9 S, while AWD models can tow 5,000 pounds. Note that the driving range will drop when towing, however. When it does come time to charge the Ioniq 9’s batteries, owners can use either the Tesla-style NACS superchargers or–via an included adapter–other CCS-port Level 2 chargers, such as those found from Electrify America or EVGo. Hyundai claims charging the battery from 10 to 80% on a NACS V3 Supercharger will take 40 minutes, or 24 minutes on a 350-kW CCS-port DC Fast Charger (if you can find one). Plug your Ioniq 9 into an AC Level 2 (240-volt) home charging port, and it should go from 10 to 100% in 9 hours 40 minutes.

There’s a strong family-SUV focus with the Ioniq 9, which is evident given the interior’s practical dimensions. S, SE, and SEL trims seat seven thanks to a middle-row bench seat; the Limited and Calligraphy trims trade the bench for ventilated captain’s chairs and seating for six. Hyundai’s Universal Island 2.0 (a working title, according to the product planners) comes on the Limited and Calligraphy trims; it can be opened from the front seats and from the rear, and slides forward and aft to improve access for the middle-row passengers.

42.8 inches of legroom in the middle row is superb, although 32 inches in the third row did feel a bit tight for adults. These figures put the Ioniq 9’s interior passenger space on par with the Hyundai Palisade. We were particularly impressed by the ease of access and the headroom, though. The rear doors are massive and swing out wide, creating a huge entryway. Loading and unloading children from the second-row seats or the third-row seats will be nearly as easy in an Ioniq 9 as it would be in a minivan with sliding doors.

Dual-zone climate control comes standard and there are air vents in all three rows. A heat pump is also standard, which should help negate energy loss during colder months. A heated steering wheel comes standard on the SEL, Limited, and Calligraphy trims. We found it difficult to position the driver’s seat into a comfortable position, leading us to wish the Ioniq 9’s seats were available with more than eight-way adjustability. Additionally, the glove compartment is mounted strangely low, and it’ll bang into your front passenger’s shins if they’re not careful when opening it.

Behind the third row, the Ioniq 9 offers 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space, which expands to 46.7 and 86.9 cubic feet when the third and second rows are folded, respectively. This is as much as you can hope to expect in a unibody crossover, but don’t expect to squeeze much into the small front trunk. That space is best utilized as storage for the charging cable and CCS adapter.

Hyundai has installed a familiar infotainment interface in the Ioniq 9. Made up of dual, curved, 12.3-inch displays, it’s the same setup that you’ll find in higher-level Hyundai Tucsons and the Hyundai Santa Fe. The screens look good and work well, although they collect fingerprints easily and can reflect a pretty significant amount of glare when the sun is positioned just so.

SiriusXM Satellite Radio, over-the-air (OTA) updates, and a Wi-Fi hotspot are all included as standard fare in the Ioniq 9, as is wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay. A wireless charging pad comes standard as well, but we found that it couldn’t keep up with our Google Pixel 9 phone’s battery demands while projecting Android Auto. The charging pad also isn’t ventilated, and as a result our phone got awfully toasty while driving on a hot Georgia day.

However, don’t worry about devices running out of juice when you’re in an Ioniq 9. Every trim comes standard with six USB-C ports capable of pumping out 100 watts of power–enough to charge a laptop, given the proper cable.

Our test car came with a 14-speaker Bose audio system (standard on the Limited and Calligraphy) which provided an unexpectedly crisp soundstage with such balanced tones that we could pick out individual instruments in a variety of music. Bose stereos don’t always get the same level of appreciation that Harmon Kardon or McIntosh systems do–let alone high-end stereos from Bang and Olufson or Burmester–but we found the optional system in the Ioniq 9 very impressive.

Crash-test ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) have not yet been compiled.

Hyundai does include an impressive array of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) as standard equipment. In addition to collision avoidance and lane-guidance technologies now standard on most new vehicles, the Ioniq 9 includes a driver attention warning, safe-exist assist, and the company’s Highway Driving Assist 2 on every trim level. HDA 2 essentially pairs lane-keeping assist with adaptive cruise control to provide supervised hands-free driving. It’s not as sophisticated as Ford’s BlueCruise or GM’s SuperCruise, but it doesn’t require a subscription, either.

The SEL trim and above receive a helpful surround-view monitor and parking aids, plus the terrific blind-spot view monitor that shows a camera feed of the vehicle’s blind spots when you flick the corresponding turn signal. This feature used to be reserved for top trims, so we’re happy to see it on the mid-level SEL.

At $60,555 (including a $1,560 destination fee) for the base S trim with RWD, the Ioniq 9’s starting MSRP sits a bit higher than the Kia EV9’s. However, the Ioniq 9 S offers significantly more driving range.

Prices rise to $64,325 for the SE, $67,880 for the SEL, and $72,810 for the Limited. The Calligraphy trim level crests the $75K mark at $76,550, and the most expensive model–the Calligraphy Design–has a starting MSRP of $78,050.

These prices make the 2026 Ioniq 9 the most expensive Hyundai ever produced, at least for North America, yet they align with current pricing in the three-row crossover EV market. A Rivian R1S, for example, opens at $78,450. A Model X starts at $86,630, and a Cadillac Escalade IQ–admittedly a much larger and more luxurious vehicle–has a starting price north of $130,000. Further, the Ioniq 9 is built outside Savannah Georgia and will qualify for the $7,500 federal EV tax credit.

Truthfully, the only vehicle in the Ioniq 9’s ballpark is the Kia EV9, and the top-level GT-Line trim of that car costs only a few thousand dollars less than the Ioniq 9 Calligraphy Design.

Given the Ioniq 9’s impressive battery capacity, energy efficiency, advanced tech, and comfortable interior, we view it as an impressive value in the continuously evolving three-row EV space. Particularly if you’re shopping with a family in mind, it’s worth a test drive.