2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a Pricey — but Promising — Proposition

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 won’t be cheap when it goes on sale this summer, with pricing that quickly pushes past its corporate cousin — the Kia EV9 — at the top of the lineup.

In fairness, the three-row Ioniq 9 has a 110.3-kWh battery no matter the trim, while the similarly sized EV9 is only offered with the choice of a 76.1- or a 99.8-kWh pack. In spite of that, their starting prices are similar, with Hyundai’s newest electric vehicle (EV) kicking off at $62,049 before tax compared to $62,145 for the 2026 EV9 (all prices include non-negotiable freight charges).

The same is true of the Ioniq 9’s Preferred AWD and Preferred AWD+ trims that, as their names suggest, get four wheel traction unlike the base version that’s rear-wheel drive. Prices for both start at $67,049, while a similarly equipped EV9 — big battery, all-wheel drive — rings in at $67,145.

Where the Ioniq 9 starts to creep past the EV9 and into Volkswagen ID. Buzz territory is higher in the lineup. Adding the Luxury package to the Preferred AWD trim amounts to a price of $78,549 before tax. Meanwhile, the top-of-the-line Preferred AWD+ with the Ultimate Calligraphy pack is a whopping $83,549 — not far from the ID. Buzz’s top trim. The top-of-the-line EV9 Land AWD with the available GT-Line package is $81,645 before the government’s share.

Of course, the pricing strategy that includes packages instead of trims means the Ioniq 9 qualifies for government rebates where they’re available, although those are fewer and farther between these days, with British Columbia the latest province to suspend its incentive program. The federal government did the same earlier this year.

Looking past the pricing, the Ioniq 9 is intriguing if only for its packaging as a properly proportioned three-row EV, and one that’s rated to travel at least 500 km on a full charge. That’s for the range-topping version that tips the scales at 2,729 kg (6,016 lb) — 31 kg (68 lb) more than the next heaviest trim — and rides on massive 21-inch wheels. The base rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 9 Essential is expected to travel 539 km with a fully juiced battery.

Like other Hyundai and Kia EVs, this one uses an 800-volt architecture that allows it to be hooked up to 350-kW DC fast-charging stations. In those circumstances — and, of course, in ideal conditions — Hyundai claims it can do the benchmark 10-to-80 per cent charge in 40 minutes.

The Ioniq 9 is also the first of the brand’s products to come equipped with a North American Charging System (NACS) port that allows it to be plugged into Tesla’s so-called Superchargers. According to Hyundai, Canadian customers will get a free Combined Charging System (CCS) adapter to hook up to non-Tesla fast-charging stations, too.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is set to go on sale at dealerships across Canada this summer.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Pricing:

Essential RWD: $59,999
Preferred AWD: $64,999
Preferred AWD+: $64,999
Preferred AWD w/Luxury package: $74,499
Preferred AWD+ w/Ultimate Calligraphy package: $81,499
*Freight: $2,050