Review: 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9
Note: We’ve been stockpiling reviews in anticipation of a new review tool we developed. It’s on hold while we scrounge up some cash, so we’re going to start posting these in the meantime.
This is one of those cars that may as well not exist away from the coasts. I don’t think I’d ever seen one in person until this test car arrived in my driveway. And that’s a bummer, because the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is close to the perfect car for a lot of families.
In pictures, it looks kind of like a huge 2002 Volvo V70. In person it’s weirder than, that and much more MPV than SUV. These are all compliments. It’s taller than a Hyundai Palisade, but the styling hides that for the most part until you get inside the pleasantly airy cabin. The packaging is very minivan, too; pure utility but with Hyundai’s “too nice for the segment” approach to materials and finishes. There’s a lot of useful storage and an inductive charger that actually works with current phones.
Acceleration is about what you’d expect for an EV this size, which is to say it’s very quick to get up to highway speeds but falls off shortly thereafter. The ride is comfortable but totally composed and coherent. It does want you to drift it on slippery surfaces, but the traction control will not let you. As far as I can tell you can’t turn it off, which is too bad.
Most days, the totality of my driving is school drop off and a run to the gym; all told, maybe 5 miles in the car. I do occasionally have more than a family of four to transport, plus skis, bikes or whatever else. If I was being totally realistic about my vehicle needs and ignoring the weird edge cases like off-roading or towing a race car, the Ioniq 9 would be more than enough to be my only car. It charges quickly enough and delivers enough range that I can get to my more frequent day trip destinations comfortably with a single charging stop.
There are a lot of reasons why every other parent in the drop-off line isn’t driving an Ioniq 9, but none of them have to do with the car itself. If gas prices continue to do what they’re currently doing, it’s well worth a look.
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