The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9: The Three Row Electric SUV That Undercuts a Tesla Model X by Tens of Thousands
For years, buying an electric SUV with three genuinely usable rows of seats meant one thing: spending a fortune. The only options were expensive luxury models like the Tesla Model X or the Rivian R1S, which put electric family hauling out of reach for most people. If you needed to carry seven people and wanted to go electric, you either paid up or gave up. The Hyundai Ioniq 9 exists specifically to end that compromise, and it does so convincingly.
The Ioniq 9 is Hyundai’s first three row electric SUV, and it’s aimed squarely at the heart of the American family car market. Think of it as the spiritual electric successor to the Palisade, Hyundai’s excellent and hugely popular gas powered three row SUV, reimagined for the electric era. It seats up to seven, delivers genuine range, charges quickly, and starts at a price that undercuts its luxury rivals by tens of thousands of dollars while feeling, in its upper trims, nearly as premium. It’s one of the most sensible electric vehicles Hyundai has ever built.
The Practical Case Is Overwhelming
Let’s start with what actually matters to a family, which is space, and the Ioniq 9 delivers it in abundance. This is a genuinely roomy three row SUV with adult friendly space in every row, not just the token third row that so many vehicles offer where the back seats are really only fit for small children or luggage. Reviewers consistently praise how usable all three rows are, and how generous the cargo space is, with nearly 22 cubic feet behind the third row and a cavernous total when you fold everything down.
Depending on the configuration, it seats either seven with a second row bench or six with captain’s chairs, and the flat floor that the dedicated electric platform allows makes the whole cabin feel open and airy. The interior is well built, well equipped, and in the higher trims genuinely upscale, to the point where reviewers note it feels closer to a luxury Genesis than a mainstream Hyundai. One outlet called it quieter and more refined than any three row EV they’d driven, which is high praise in a growing segment.
The Range and Charging Answer the Big Questions
The two biggest worries about an electric family SUV are range and charging, and the Ioniq 9 addresses both convincingly. Every single trim, regardless of motor configuration, delivers over 300 miles of range, topping out at up to 335 miles. That consistency matters, because it means you don’t have to buy a specific expensive trim to get genuine road trip capability. Even the base model goes the distance.
That range comes from a large 110 kWh battery, and thanks to the 800 volt architecture, charging is genuinely fast. On a capable 350 kW DC fast charger, the Ioniq 9 can go from 10 to 80 percent in around 24 minutes, which is quick enough to make long family road trips entirely practical. It also has a native NACS port for direct access to the Tesla Supercharger network, removing one of the last real inconveniences of electric road tripping.
The Powertrains and Pricing
The Ioniq 9 offers three powertrain choices across its six trims. The base S uses a single rear motor with 215 horsepower and rear wheel drive. The mid level trims add a front motor for all wheel drive and 303 horsepower. And the top trims deliver a genuinely potent 422 horsepower, enough for a sub five second zero to 60 time in a full size family SUV, which is quicker than any three row family hauler really needs to be but is welcome nonetheless.
Pricing starts at around $58,955 to $60,555 depending on how you count destination, and climbs to about $76,490 for the range topping Calligraphy Design. That entry price is the whole story, because it makes the Ioniq 9 dramatically more affordable than the luxury electric three row SUVs it competes with, while offering comparable space and superior range to many of them. Reviewers point to the lower S and SE trims as the best value, since they’re already well equipped and deliver the same excellent range as the pricier versions.
How It Compares
The Ioniq 9’s most direct relative is the Kia EV9, with which it shares its underlying platform. The Ioniq 9 uses a roughly 10 percent larger battery than the Kia, which makes it a little more expensive but gives it up to 30 miles more range and a more refined, upscale character. Against the luxury players like the Tesla Model X and Rivian R1S, the Ioniq 9’s argument is simple and powerful: it offers genuine three row practicality and real road trip range at a price that badly undercuts them, especially for families who actually plan to use all three rows regularly.
It won U.S. News’ Best Midsize Electric SUV for Families award, which tells you the broader automotive press sees it the same way. This is a vehicle that gets the fundamentals right for its target buyer.
The Considerations
A few notes. The styling is genuinely polarizing, with distinctive lighting and an unconventional shape that reviewers describe as anything but shy. Some people love the futuristic look, while others find it an acquired taste, so it’s worth seeing one in person before deciding. The upper trims climb into fairly serious money, approaching $80,000 loaded, which starts to erode the value argument that makes the lower trims so compelling. And a few reviewers noted some odd interior material choices here and there, though nothing that undermines the overall quality.
None of these are dealbreakers, and most are matters of taste rather than genuine flaws.
Where I Land
The Ioniq 9 is the electric three row SUV that finally makes electric family hauling attainable, and that’s a genuinely significant thing. For years the segment was the exclusive territory of expensive luxury models, and the Ioniq 9 breaks that open by offering comparable space, superior range, and genuine refinement at a price that ordinary families can actually consider. It’s the electric Palisade that a lot of people have been waiting for without quite realizing it.
In my opinion, the Ioniq 9 is one of the smartest electric vehicles on the market for its intended buyer, the family that needs three rows, wants to go electric, and doesn’t want to spend six figures to do it. It’s spacious, refined, long legged, and quick to charge, and it delivers all of that at a price that makes the luxury competition look overpriced by comparison. If you’ve been waiting for an electric three row SUV that treats the third row and the price tag with equal seriousness, the Ioniq 9 is the one that finally gets both right. It’s proof that going electric doesn’t have to mean giving up space, and it doesn’t have to break the bank either.
*EV Rob writes about electric vehicles, automotive technology, and the future of transportation at The Wonderful World of EVs.*
