How big, how many, how much?
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 trim levels and prices
$7.6 billion invested and thousands of jobs created, without tariffs
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 competitors
'Here, Spot. Good robot.'
Hyundai Ioniq 9 top features
Driving impressions
What should be better?
Why buy a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9?
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 at a glance

How big, how many, how much?, 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 trim levels and prices, .6 billion invested and thousands of jobs created, without tariffs, 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 competitors, 'Here, Spot. Good robot.', Hyundai Ioniq 9 top features, Driving impressions, What should be better?, Why buy a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9?, 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 at a glance

SAVANNAH, Georgia — The 2026 Ioniq 9 three-row electric SUV is a dual-threat, with style and features to compete with premium brands like Acura, Audi, Buick, Lincoln and Tesla, but priced to take on upcoming three-row EVs from the likes of Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, and Toyota.

The six- or seven-seat SUV has room for families, youth soccer and the like, but feels a step above once you log a few miles. The Ioniq 9 is on sale now. Prices start at $58,955 ― about $3,000 more than the top models of gasoline mainstream brands like the Ford Explorer, GMC Acadia and Toyota Grand Highlander.

How big, how many, how much?

The Ioniq 9 seats six or seven, depending on whether the middle row is a bench or captain's seats.

The SUV’s wheelbase and overall length ― 123.2 and 199.3 inches, respectively ― are nearly identical to Hyundai’s Palisade internal combustion SUV, but the Ioniq looks tidier, lower and sportier, thanks to clever proportions and an elegant design that leans into elliptical shapes and body lines inspired by traditional Korean dress. A descending roofline and tapered “boattail” rear end contribute to a sleek and upscale appearance.

Elliptical shapes and creases influenced by traditional Korean dress influenced the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9's design.

The base rear-drive model has a single motor that generates 215 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque rated 335 miles on a charge in EPA tests. Midlevel all-wheel-drive models have a motor on each axle, 333 hp, 446 pound-feet and 320 miles range. The top three trims also have AWD and are rated at 422 hp, 516 pound-feet and 311 miles.

A big 110.2 kWh battery can accept DC fast charging up to 350 kW and charge from 10%-80% in 24 minutes at a CCS charger. The same charge at less powerful Tesla NACS chargers takes 41 minutes, still pretty good.

Most owners generally charge overnight at home at 240v. That takes nine hours, 40 minutes for 10%-80%, enough to ensure starting most days with a full battery.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 electric SUV has a small front trunk.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 trim levels and prices

Ioniq 9 RWD S: $58,995
Ioniq 9 AWD SE: $62,765
Ioniq 9 AWD SEL: $66,320
Ioniq 9 AWD Performance Limited: $71,250
Ioniq 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy: $74,990
Ioniq 9 AWD Performance Calligraphy Design: $76,490

Source: Hyundai

Prices exclude new import tariffs and $1,600 destination charge.

$7.6 billion invested and thousands of jobs created, without tariffs

Say what you will about Joe Biden ― and we all have ― the former president knew how to create manufacturing jobs and reduce prices. Hyundai built its “Metaplant America,” a $7.6 billion assembly and battery complex in response to incentives in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, which encouraged U.S. manufacturing by offering tax credits on vehicles, batteries and materials sourced domestically.

Before the IRA, Hyundai planned to supply the U.S. with EVs and batteries built in South Korea for years before building any here.

Motivated by thousands of dollars per vehicle, the Metaplant plant shot up like a weed, building its first vehicle ― the smaller Ioniq 5 EV ― less than two years after groundbreaking. It's building 9s now, too, and will add other EVs or hybrids at a later date. The plant will eventually be able to build 500,000 vehicles annually.

A battery plant on the formerly wooded 2,906-acre site in Bryan County near Savannah will bring employment to 8,500 jobs paying 25% more than the county average, according to Hyundai.

Hyundai’s also building a second joint-venture battery plant in Georgia, raising total investment in the state to $12.6 billion, thanks to incentives passed into law years before the current flurry of tariffs. The current administration has threatened to eliminate the incentives.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 electric SUV front seat.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 competitors

Buick Enclave
Ford Explorer
Jeep Grand Cherokee L
Kia EV9
Lincoln Aviator
Rivian R1S
Tesla X
Volkswagen ID Buzz
Volvo EX90

'Here, Spot. Good robot.'

The Metaplant’s workforce includes two eerie but likable dog-like Boston Dynamics robots — both called “Spot" — that inspect vehicle bodies with bright, digital eyes.

Management emphatically shot down social-media rumors they plan to replace humans with an all-robot workforce. Employment is rising, not falling, as demonstrated from a training center under construction and a welcome center that will include wings for Hyundai, Kia and Genesis, all of which are slated to build vehicles there.

A pair of dog-like robots called Spot inspect an Ioniq 5 in Hyundai's $7.6-billion Georgia Metaplant complex.

Automatically guided vehicles that look a bit like self-driving card tables carry parts and vehicles through much of the plant, raising or lowering them as needed at each assembly station. Other automated equipment welds and positions heavy parts.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 electric SUVs await shipment from the automaker's Georgia "Metaplant."

Hyundai Ioniq 9 top features

Up to 335-mile range
Rear- or all-wheel drive
Charges at up to 350 kW
NACS charging port and CCS adapter

Driving impressions

I drove a loaded AWD Ioniq 9 Performance Calligraphy from the narrow cobblestoned streets of old Savannah over modern highways to its assembly plant, then on the winding, oak and marsh-lined country roads of the atmospheric Low Country.

It’s surprisingly maneuverable for a vehicle the same length as Hyundai’s hulking Palisade. The steering is responsive and direct. The suspension kept the SUV stable and level when accelerating, stopping and rounding curves quickly.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 electric SUV's lights reflect the brand's pixel design theme.

The Ioniq 9 is exceptionally quiet, thanks to active road noise cancellation, acoustic windshield and first- and second-row windows.

The seats are comfortable and accommodating, include a roomy second row and usable rear set. Cargo space is good. A small front trunk has room for charging cables or a little gym bag, but not much more

The displays are big and clear. Physical dials and buttons control temperature, volume, tuning and a handful of other features. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is wireless charging.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 electric SUV's display and controls.

What should be better?

The Ioniq 9 has few shortcomings. I wouldn’t mind a few more buttons in lieu of flat-panel touch points for climate control.

The base model’s power output ― 215 hp, 258 pound-feet of torque ― is unimpressive for a vehicle whose lightest model tips the scales at 5,507 pounds. Even peak output ― 422 hp, 516 pound-feet ― is mild compared with many EVs with flashy max-output settings.

The Performance Calligraphy I drove was more than capable in the kind of urban and highway driving most owners will do ― and I suspect few owners will use the other EVs' cutely named but range-sapping overdrive settings

Why buy a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9?

A flood of appealing EVs has hit the market in the last year, but few SUVs with three rows of seats. That’s a surprise, given how popular those family haulers are with the public. The electric competition is limited to the Kia EV9, Rivian R1S, Tesla X, Volkswagen ID Buzz and Volvo EX90.

The Ioniq 9’s looks, comfort and advanced features should make it a leader in that class.