- Hyundai’s biggest EV to date will premiere next month.
- Previously called the Ioniq 7, it will be sold as the Ioniq 9.
- It will be Hyundai’s equivalent of the Kia EV9.
Hyundai first hinted at a large electric SUV with the Seven Concept introduced at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show. We’ll see a production version of the fullsize EV next month. The zero-emission family hauler has gone through a name change since it won’t be called Ioniq 7. Instead, it’s been promoted to the Ioniq 9 moniker. That allows the Korean brand to squeeze in additional EVs between the Ioniq 6 and 9.
The first batch of teaser images shows the Ioniq 9’s boxy shape ahead of its big debut in November, with more previews to follow in the coming weeks. The concept’s suicide doors are gone, as the road-going model will adopt conventional doors with B-pillars. The pixel theme of the lights seen on the smaller Ioniq 5 crossover and the Ioniq 6 sedan will continue.
4
The Seven Concept had an unusual rear end with a massive glass tailgate that’s unlikely to be adopted by the production version. The wraparound taillights seen on the showcar will seemingly be implemented on the Ioniq 9. At the front, the so-called “Parametric Pixels” include a light bar likely stretching from one side to the other. Looking at the profile, pop-out door handles have been added compared to the three-year-old showcar from L.A.
Essentially Hyundai’s version of the Kia EV9, the Ioniq 9 will ride on the same E-GMP architecture. It might be even bigger than its platform-sharing sibling. The Seven Concept had a massive 126-inch wheelbase whereas the EV9’s is about three inches shorter. We’ll remind you the Kia has an overall length of a little over 197 inches, so the equivalent Hyundai could approach the 200-inch mark.
The base battery of the EV9 has a 76.1-kWh capacity good for 230 miles of range while the larger 99.8-kWh pack has enough juice for 304 miles per EPA. Depending on configuration, power varies from 215 to 379 hp. However, Kia is working on a high-performance EV9 GT with “enormous power” to follow the 576-hp EV6 GT. It would make sense for Hyundai to launch a beefier derivative as well.
We’ll have all the details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, here’s a reminder of how the striking 2021 Seven concept looks to get an idea of the forthcoming production model.
24