Hyundai Introduces Three-Row Ioniq 9 EV

With a raft of success in its all-electric Ioniq line and a three-row option from its brother at Kia, you knew this model from Hyundai would be along eventually.

Well, it’s here – and it incorporates much of what has made the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 so well received by critics and shoppers alike. Described by the company as its flagship all-electric SUV, the Ioniq 9 quite literally takes the so-called Parametric Pixel lamps to new heights; seriously, check out that strip of the things hooping their way over the rear hatch.

This is a large, three-row SUV with numerous design elements guaranteed to make the thing stand out in a parking lot and on the road. Its nose incorporates the pixels found across other Ioniq models while the silhouette cuts a curved roofline to create a 0.259 drag coefficient. To this jaundiced eye, its best angle is the rear three-quarter which shows off an expensive and attractive set of taillamps which reach for the sky in all their pixelated splendor. Its wheelbase, at 123.2 inches, is said to be the longest of any mass-produced Hyundai. Total length is a shade under 200.0 inches which puts it in league with the Palisade despite having a wheelbase which is nearly a foot longer.

Those measures pay dividends in the cabin, a space which looks inviting – particularly the middle row which is shown with fully reclining airline-style seats featuring deployable footrests. The naturally flat floor of an EV helps allow this feature. Massaging functions are on tap, though may be initially restricted to the Korean market, as is the capability to swivel and face third row occupants though that feature is only available in selected markets and when the Ioniq 9 is not moving (thanks, Ralph Nader). Cargo space is vast and there is a small frunk.

Battery capacity is pegged at 110 kWh, with a projected maximum driving range of roughly 335 miles depending on option mix and tire size, the latter of which can span up to 21 inches. The headline range of 335 miles is for a long-range rear-wheel drive model wearing 19s. Using an appropriately robust DC fast charger, the Ioniq 9 should be able to juice itself from 10–80 percent in about 25 minutes. Like other members of the Ioniq family, the model will eventually  be offered in rear- or all-wheel drive, with some versions of the latter able to scarper from 0–60 mph in less than five seconds.