The North American EV panorama may be unfolding at an exciting speed, yet a glaring vacuum exists for a missing star. Electric options may be many, yet the prized segment for three-row SUVs is tragically vacant. The last thing anybody needs is an affordable family hauler; your choice is limited to the two uber-luxury giants-the Rivian R1S or the Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV-where the mainstream electric SUV should come in.
Forget reasonable shoes; IONIQ 9 by Hyundai comes to blend the American SUV scene with electricity, trailing dangerously close to its sibling, the Kia EV9. While this vehicle may carry the normal family hauler tag, consider a gargantuan amount of sharp-edged design and heart-pounding performance all stamped “Made in America” from just outside Savannah, Georgia. Driving on intoxicating sunlit country roads for one day strips the $58,955 entry fee away from the price tag and turns it into an invitation for an electrifying adventure.
Economy-Sized
Tim Stevens for Engadget
Forget about compact-Ioniq has arrived with a CHARGE! A gigantic 199 inches in length, this is one serious big machine even overshadowing the Palisade, the once-so-great Hyundai king of spaciousness. But don’t let these numbers deceive you; it is sculpture wrapped in sleekness and elegance from the hands of Hyundai stylists!
Most SUVs that boast such an immense cabin usually end up resembling, in fact, moving warehouses. Not so the Ioniq 9; it seeks to marry spaciousness with sleekness in what can only be called an almost deceptive profile. While the curves of the front end leave me cold, the rear end is brilliant. That slight taper isn’t just for beauty; it actually cheats wind down to a ridiculously low drag coefficient of around 0.269 while visually shrinking the car. Now here’s a great big SUV that just doesn’tfeelbig.
Forget hulking SUVs. The Ioniq 9 defies conventions, with a silhouette more akin to a sleek Volvo wagon than a behemoth family hauler. Until you decide to step in. Access to the third row is an event in itself, with power-sliding second-row seats moving slowly in a sort of ballet. But wow, is it worth it! A large space just surprised you. Get ready for the shock: headroom is a lavish luxury; even legroom is more than just tolerable, at least for adults.
Now, that’s a magic touch! Even the very last row is fitted with 100-watt USB-C charging ports! No matter where you chose to sit, bid goodbye to any worry concerning a fading battery. These power-hungry outlets will basically charge everything-there, exceptions being dedicated gaming laptops. Select either Limited or Calligraphy trim with its six-seat layout, and the whole experience of row two changes into first class. Sink into heated and ventilated captain’s chairs-a far cry from the usual bench (a seven-seat configuration is also available).
The seats come with an orchestra of comfort: heated, ventilated, with the driver receiving a massage. With power-extended legrests, it can be turned into a first-class cabin for a quick nap at a charging stop. But don’t get too comfortable-juice doesn’t flow forever.
Power and Charging
Tim Stevens for Engadget
Sharing DNA with electric trailblazers like the Ioniq 5 and 6, the forthcoming Ioniq 9 runs on Hyundai’s state-of-the-art E-GMP platform. Think lightning-fast charge thanks to the 800-volt architecture-10 to 80 percent charge in maybe 24 minutes, if only you can get to a 350 kW charger willing to throw its full power at you.
No need for all that adapter acrobatics! Here is an NACS port in the Tesla style-this means it can hook up with the Supercharger network. The catch? Present Superchargers simply aren’t built to pour at its fullest rate. The fastest topping speed lasts only with the CCS adapter provided inside.
Enclosed beneath the floor, a gigantic 110.3-kWh energy reservoir exists, with roughly 104 kWh available for consumption. The real magic? Range. The base Trim, with the rear-wheel drive version, steers itself to an excellent 335 miles. Hunting for adrenaline? The Performance Trim with AWD gets you 311 back in range. Stay calm, speed freak: That AWD treatment is unleashing power that either makes you laugh at 303 or breaks into a thrill of 422 horses, depending on which dual-motor setting you prefer. Oh, and don’t discount the single-motor setup, either, with a healthy 215 hp to throw around.
The one-motor Ioniq 9 continues to be an outright tease, but the Performance Calligraphy Design perhaps does not feel like a slouch. Even in Eco mode, the most tactfully said of its digital personalities, the giant held lingered with a ghostly urgency. Crossing the car ahead against traffic with an impish smile became a mischievous delight, and rewarding that lust for speed was no circus act. Beyond around the edge of the asphalt? The Ioniq 9 comes with terrain modes, though it chirps for blacktop all over. It goes down gravel roads and tame trails without any complaint, but taking this land yacht down anything serious is like setting a ballerina to mud wrestling.
Behind the Wheel
Tim Stevens for Engadget
There was a time when the Ioniq 9 and I shared some intimate moments together through everyday existence: choked city streets, wandering aimlessly in the suburbs, and then a few jolts over forgotten country roads. A car would have endless incantations if it were to complain about a humdrum existence. But somehow, the Ioniq 9, in its gigantic aloneness, changed ordinary into something about pleasant. The fury of urban driving would otherwise have run them mad without this medium of tranquillity.
At lower speeds, the ride barely seemed numb with those enormous 21-inch Calligraphy wheels. Past 30 mph, it became a smooth flow, a hush-hush sanctuary on wheels. Thanks to the sound-isolating laminated glass which alone provides an ultra-quiet ride experience to front and second-row passengers. And active noise cancellation? Now, imagine noise-canceling headphones made for an entire SUV; it is all but amazing in making the outside world go away.
At lower speeds, the ride was somewhat numb, thanks to the enormous 21-inch Calligraphy wheels. Beyond 30 mph, it turned into a smooth glide, a hush-hush sanctuary on wheels. On the credit side, the sound-isolating laminated glass offers an ultra-quiet ride experience for the front as well as the second-row passengers: active noise cancellation, much like noise-canceling headphones for an entire SUV, went an extra mile in muting the outside world.
Taking the next row: that’s where the road whispers to you through the wind. Upfront, it is almost a deafeningly silent sanctuary while an ounce of wind and that weak electric song of the rear motor creep in. Yet a soft symphony sort of fare for the roar of an exhaust through any average gas machine.
Behind the rear seats, tucked away, lies a surprisingly ample 21.9 cubic feet of cargo space. Do require more room? Fold down both rows and yield an enormous space of 86.9 cubic feet. And yes, there is a front trunk; think of it as a tech closet because it’ll be stuffed with your charging cable, CCS adapter, and that flat tire kit.
All the Tech
Tim Stevens for Engadget
Of key interior features are two blazing-hot 100-watt USB-C ports, designed to charge your devices super-fast. Hyundai’s familiar infotainment system, with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, takes center stage on twin 12.3-inch displays. These displays flow into one another, extending panoramically from the driver to the mid-dash. While this setup was mesmerizing in the Ioniq 5 and 6, its effect diminishes within the voluminous cabin of the Ioniq 9, almost feeling unnecessarily puny against everything else.
Where luxury is whispered, quotidian elegance reigns with an infusion of delicately placed RGB LED mood lighting and pleasing tactile surrounds. From here, the beautiful spell shatters, for hard, unforgiving plastics suddenly begin to clothe the lower reaches of the cabin-a jarring juxtaposition with an otherwise luxurious automobile.
The Ioniq 9 does not merely break the bank; it politely asks for a significant donation. For instance, the single-motor version starts off at a sensibly PL price of $58,955 and then, it serenades your accountant. Well, here comes Uncle Sam to the rescue with a $7,500 credit-while it lasts. But beware: six tantalizing trims may lure you off from your path. Feast your eyes on the Performance Calligraphy Design AWD, the automotive equivalent of a triple-scoop sundae with every topping, which you can set your eyes on here at $79,540 (it includes destination charge, for even dreams are not free to deliver).
A little more able and definitely able to climb harder terrains shall not guarantee that you get pampered. The Ioniq 9 trades brute force for blissful space and everyday comfort. Less mountain goat, more comfortable family haven.
The Kia EV9 may offer some compelling savings; however, the undeniable charisma and features presented by Hyundai may just steal your heart. So therefore, whichever choice you make is a win, and that represents a time when everything is good for EV- and the good times only accelerate.
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