2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 First Drive Review + Video

It’s a little more than 200 km to get from Ucluelet, B.C., to Ladysmith on the opposite side of Vancouver Island.

That’s not a particularly daunting distance, although the winding route that connects the two coasts is made of more ups and downs than a TV drama, reaching its highest point — affectionately known as The Hump — at 411 metres (1,348 ft) above sea level. It’s enough to make this drive an interesting one, and not just for the stunning natural beauty that envelops the road in a uniquely British Columbian embrace.

Slicing across the island and over The Hump not once but twice isn’t just for fun — it’s to find out how far the all-electric 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 will go on a fully charged battery. OK, it’s a happy coincidence that a highly rated pizza joint is nestled in the quaint core of Ladysmith, making an idyllic — and appetizing — halfway point on this out-and-back adventure, and all without too much anxiety.

After all, every version of Hyundai’s all-new electric vehicle (EV) is supposed to provide at least 500 km before being plugged in, which should be more than enough for this island-wide pizza run — er, range test. But then hills and highways can wreak havoc on this sort of power source, which is better suited to stop-and-go traffic in the city, where regenerative braking can help to maximize the battery’s potential.

On the other hand, since what goes up must come down, The Hump has a chance to help as much as hinder the cause on this coast-to-coast journey. That’s the hope, at least.

Unique Aesthetics

But first, a little about the Ioniq 9’s essentials, including its looks. It follows a polarizing design pattern for the brand, with parametric pixels tying it together with the likes of the sleek Ioniq 6 sedan, although that’s about where the similarities end. Hyundai has a history of eschewing the sort of familial styling that’s common in the industry and this EV is no exception, with a bulbous nose and boattail back end — unique both in the brand’s own lineup and the business at large.

It boasts bigger dimensions than any Hyundai before it, and yet this EV isn’t especially imposing. In fact, it’s somewhat deceptively sized, with more room inside than its visual impact would otherwise suggest. For example, the pair of seats that makes up its third row can comfortably accommodate two well-proportioned adults, this in spite of a tapered roofline that looks from the outside like it might come at the cost of headroom.

Credit the flat floor throughout the cabin, which allows the seats to be bolted lower than the ones in a conventionally powered crossover this size like this brand’s own Palisade. That’s also how Hyundai’s designers managed to package what feels like an endless array of cubbies and shelves inside, including a slick centre console that has a drawer underneath, as well as the ability for the entire unit to slide forward or back 190 mm (7.5 in) in the top trim.

Electrified Essentials

The dedicated EV platform the Ioniq 9 rides on is shared with the latest Hyundai Motor Group models powered this way, including its corporate cousin, the Kia EV9. However, unlike that award-winning SUV, which is offered with the choice of 76.1- or 99.8-kWh batteries, this one comes with the same 110.3-kWh unit across its entire lineup.

That pays dividends when it comes to driving distance, with the Ioniq 9 capable of anywhere from 500 to 539 km of estimated range. The EV9, on the other hand, is good for 451 to 491 km with its big battery onboard, and just 371 km with the small pack. Meanwhile, the retro-inspired Volkswagen ID. Buzz can travel 372 or 377 km, depending on drive configuration.

Incrementally recharging the battery on the fly can be done via four levels of regenerative braking, including a well-measured one-pedal mode that can comfortably haul this Hyundai down to a stop through careful modulation of the accelerator pedal. Doing so recovers kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost using the mechanical brakes — a helpful bonus no matter how far an EV like this can travel on a full charge.

The Ioniq 9 is also the brand’s first model to boast a built-in North American Charging System (NACS) port. The Tesla-style hookup allows this crossover to be plugged into the newest Superchargers in that automaker’s vast network for straightforward plug-and-charge capability; simply connect the cable and the computer does the rest, billing a companion credit card rather than requiring myriad third-party apps and accounts.

In addition to Tesla stations, the Ioniq 9 is capable of connecting to 350-kW DC fast-chargers thanks to its 800-volt architecture. Those ones mean it can make the benchmark 10-to-80 per cent boost in 24 minutes in ideal conditions, according to Hyundai, while 50-kW stations should do the job in 109 minutes. Meanwhile, 240-volt Level 2 chargers — the kind commonly installed at home or the office — need nine hours and 40 minutes for a full charge.

Upmarket Experience

All that stuff is important, but so is the way this crossover performs on the move. And with this tester’s powertrain routing electrons to a pair of motors, one mounted at each axle, the Ioniq 9 delivers a refined drive that skews more upmarket than the leaders at some premium automakers would probably care to acknowledge.

A clear emphasis has been placed on smoothness, with a comfortable composure that underlies the entire on-road experience. Yes, the powertrain promises impressive numbers — 422 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque in Preferred AWD+ guise — but instead of sheer brute force there’s a dignified swiftness to the way the Ioniq 9 accelerates that pairs perfectly with the supple suspension.

Granted, Vancouver Island’s roads aren’t bruised and battered like the frost-heaved surfaces found elsewhere in the country, but it wouldn’t be right to describe them as perfect, either. And no matter what was encountered during this day-long journey, ride quality remained this EV’s most impressive attribute, consistently smoothing out imperfections in spite of the absence of fancy adaptive dampers or air springs.

While the massive wheelbase no doubt helps here — at 3,130 mm (123.2 in) it dwarfs the Palisade’s by 229 mm (9.0 in) — it’s a credit to how far Hyundai’s engineers have come with their development of the modular platform that underpins the Ioniq 9 and its kin. There’s barely a hint of the huge battery beneath the cabin, with the conventional suspension soaking up bumps while helping to hide the stiffness that can be common in EVs like this one.

Peaks and Valleys

Cruising along the island’s undulating terrain felt like a metaphor for the Ioniq 9’s pricing strategy, with well-equipped versions reaching far beyond any Hyundai before this one. The entry-level Essential trim is perhaps the lone bright spot when it comes to cost, with a pre-tax price of $62,049 (including a $2,050 freight charge). But then that’s the only version that skips all-wheel drive, with extra traction adding at least $5,000 to the bottom line.

Either way, that Hyundai has kept the starting price competitive with that of the Kia EV9 ($62,145) will no doubt lead to some internal strife within the Hyundai Motor Group, with the big battery alone giving the Ioniq 9 some serious added appeal. It also comes with a heat pump that’s missing from the cheapest EV9, as well as twin 12.3-inch displays, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, heated front seats, a full advanced safety suite, and more.

The Preferred AWD and Preferred AWD+ trims are priced at an identical $67,049, with the former making 303 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque, and the latter cranking up both figures considerably. Again, that’s about the same as a similarly equipped EV9 ($67,145), while the Preferred AWD can be had with a Luxury package for $78,549.

The more powerful Ioniq 9 Preferred AWD+ tested here is offered with Ultimate Calligraphy kit for $83,549 and it comes with all kinds of extras, including heated and ventilated front and second-row seats and a head-up display. Other touches, like the microsuede headliner and quilted seating surfaces, look and feel like they belong in a high-priced machine — although the upholstery isn’t genuine leather — but that does little to soften the financial blow they bring.

It’s as annoying to write over and again as it surely is to read, but EVs are expensive, and the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 does little to change that. It leads to something of an existential question that isn’t isolated to this crossover but needs to be asked nonetheless: how much is too much — especially for a mainstream model like this one?

The Ioniq 9 is unquestionably impressive, with its spacious cabin, comfortable and quiet ride, and effortless range providing the trappings of a true segment leader. But the cost that comes with it is hard to ignore, especially at a time when affordability feels so fleeting.

Final Thoughts

The entire purpose of this exercise wasn’t to simply cruise across the island for pizza before heading back to homebase. It wasn’t to hypermile the Ioniq 9, either. Instead, it was to find out just how far this EV can travel without overthinking it. The designated drive route included highway hauls and range-sapping ascents. The pace was pushed. The journey was enjoyed instead of inducing anxiety. And the results were impressive.

After spending some time snapping photos of this top-of-the-line test unit, the digital instrument display showed an estimated range of 512 km with a 95 per cent state of charge to start the drive — more than the 500 km this version is expected to travel on a full charge. And after a roundtrip that spanned some 418 km, there was enough juice left in the battery to (theoretically) continue the trip up the coast to Tofino, B.C.

The lunch stop was good — Roberts Street Pizza in Ladysmith, for those wondering — but the way the Ioniq 9 effortlessly and efficiently made its way across the island and back was the biggest takeaway from the trip. That’s not just because there weren’t any leftovers in the first place, either; that’s an oxymoron around these parts when it comes to pizza. But a family-sized EV that can assuage range anxiety is rare, and this Hyundai manages to be just that.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 gets so much right that it almost feels unfair to the rest of the mainstream market that now needs to catch up. But the operative word — mainstream — is the same one that has this EV feeling like it’s out of reach of where it needs to be, leaving it short of the finish line in its path to perfection.