Like a Chic Hotel On Wheels, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 3 Row EV SUV Flatters All the Senses
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Limited is a triple threat: it's your butler, your luxury hotel, and your best friend all in one.
What’s your favorite part of staying at a bougie hotel? Maybe it’s all the fun restaurants? Your room? What about the lounge’s atmosphere? A lounge that has it all—cozy, luxurious seating, gorgeous, colorful lighting, and relaxing vibes—is often the goal. And that’s the experience the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, the Korean automaker’s first-ever electric 3 row SUV.
Hyundai went all-out on carrying the idea of a living room on wheels, with furniture-inspired details and calming colors, to the showroom floor.
Recently I got behind the wheel of a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy in Cyber Gray (starting MSRP of $74,990, $77,540 as-tested) to give me some respite on the roads around my home in Virginia’s New River Valley.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
How Much is the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, an Electric 3 Row SUV?
As the automaker’s first all-electric 3 row SUV, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a premium hotel lounge experience on four wheels, and the Calligraphy edition is packed with endless amenities. Here’s what you can expect to pay to have this man of the woods in your garage before the $1,600 destination fee:
- S: $58,955, includes 19” alloy wheels, LED lighting all around, heated mirrors, flush automatic door handles, solar windshield and front-door glass, power liftgate with auto-open, cloth seating, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats, second-row bench, seating for seven, manual-folding third-row seat backs, 12.3” digital instrument cluster, 12.3” touchscreen, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth, satellite radio, cloth headliner, seven USB-C ports, rear backup camera, eight-speaker stereo, wireless device charging, leather-wrapped steering wheel, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, blind-spot collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, forward collision avoidance with car/pedestrian/cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, rain-sensing windshield wipers, driver attention warning, automatic high beams, highway-driving assist, and Hyundai Bluelink+
- SE: $62,765, adds an 8-way power-adjustable passenger seat to the list of standard features on the S trim
- SEL: $66,320, brings a full set of 20” alloy wheels together with power-folding mirrors, synthetic leather seating, ambient lighting, ventilated front seats, door sill plates, surround-view monitor, blind-spot view monitor, side parking distance warning, and reverse parking collision warning
- Limited: $71,250, combines a set of 21” alloy wheels with a panoramic sunroof, seating for six, second-row captain’s chairs with four-way power adjustment and leg rests, ventilated second-row seats, a sliding center console armrest, power-folding third-row seat backs,power-adjustable steering column, 14-speaker Bose Premium Audio system, vehicle-to-load (V2L) two-way on-board charging, and Hyundai Digital Key 2 Premium
- Calligraphy: $74,990, $77,540 as-tested, comes with a microfiber suede headliner, a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel, head-up display, and a digital rearview mirror
- Calligraphy Design: $76,490, offers everything from the Calligraphy trim level in two trim-exclusive colors (Gravity Gold Matte and Sage Silver Matte) with trim-exclusive 21” turbine design alloy wheels
What Cars Compare to the Hyundai Ioniq 9?
There isn’t a lot of competition against the all-new Ioniq 9, but what competition there is is ready for this new entry into the Hyundai Ioniq lineup. The Jeep Wagoneer S ($65,200) is the off-road specialist’s own first-ever EV offering, bringing luxury and off-road capabilities to the grid—but it doesn’t have three rows. The Kia EV9 ($54,900) starts off around $4,000 less than the base Ioniq 9, though its styling is more boxy and rugged than the elegant, futuristic vibes of the Hyundai. The Volvo EX90 ($81,290) competes more closely with the top of the line Ioniq 9 Calligraphy in terms of its 402 HP, 310 miles of range, and modern lounge feel. And last but not least, the Rivian R1S ($76,900) brings classic SUV looks plus 410 miles of range with two electric motors and its largest battery available.
Welcome to the Ioniq 9 Luxury Lounge
Though you’re not going to find the lounge-style seating, mini-fridge and shoe-care compartment from the Seven Concept inside the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9, you will find something quite close for up to seven lucky occupants. The S through SEL trims allow the whole family to enjoy the many amenities this 3 row EV SUV offers (though the SEL trim is where you can have cool ambient lighting like what you see in the video above), while those seeking a more intimate experience with even more luxury can choose the Premium through Calligraphy Design trims with their second-row captain’s chairs with leg rests for true comfort over the long road.
Alas, as always with 3 row SUVs of any stripe, the Ioniq 9’s third row, with 32 inches of rear legroom, is suitable for only the shortest of humans or your pets. Otherwise, the available panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate controls for the front and second-row occupants, and available synthetic leather complete the luxury lounge vibes.
Do You Even Have Enough Stuff to Fill Up This Hyundai?
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 can also carry quite a lot when you’re not painting the town in neon lights. With all three rows of seating available for friends and family, there’s 22 cubic feet of room behind the third row for the weekly grocery run. Drop the third-row seat backs (which I was able to do with a push of a few buttons in the rear cargo area on the Calligraphy trim; that feature is available on the Limited trim on up, by the way), and that space more than doubles to 47 cubic feet.
Finally, should the need arise to bring home a tall Christmas tree or a 100” flat-panel 8K TV (or, in my case, more of what once belonged to my late grandmother on my mom’s side), the two rear rows of seating fall away to open up a grand total of 87 cubic feet of cargo space.
And if, somehow, that’s still not enough, a set of available roof cross bars can be added to accommodate a cargo pod. When properly equipped, the rear-drive, single-motor S trim can tow up to 3,500 pounds. All of the remaining Ioniq 9 trim levels, motivated via a dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration, pull up to 5,000 pounds. Within the 2026 Hyundai lineup, only the Santa Fe and the all-new Palisade are a match for this luxury electric 3 row SUV.
The Ioniq 9 is Packed to the Gills with Technology
If there’s anything the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 doesn’t lack, it’s technology. From the base trim alone, a wide range of amenities are standard, beginning with the pair of 12.3” digital screens housed within a single curved pane of glass. The center screen contains wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, AM/FM/HD/satellite radio, Hyundai Bluelink+ and onboard navigation.
From there, wireless device charging, seven USB-C ports, and a standard eight-speaker stereo system round out what comes out of the factory. Available features include a 14-speaker Bose Premium Audio system to really bring out the color of whatever modern trip-hop jazz fusion you wish to spin as the Ioniq 9’s in-house lounge DJ.
Behind the wheel of the increasingly iconic Ioniq family dashboard (spreading out to nearly every Hyundai model with every update), the electric 3 row SUV continues to be the total package out of the gate. Standard driving and safety features include adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, blind-spot collision avoidance, front and rear parking distance warning, forward collision assist, safe exit assist, and Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist 2.
Not much is left on the table for the upper trims to pick up, with the Calligraphy sweeping up what remains thereafter, including a head-up display, digital rearview mirror, forward and side parking collision avoidance assist, and remote smart parking assist.
Move in the Luxury of Silence
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 doesn’t lack in performance, either. The base S trim alone comes with a single-motor delivering 215 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque to the rear pair of 19” alloy wheels wrapped in PHEV/EV-specialist tires (designed for greater durability, enhanced rolling resistance, and greater grip than what standard tires offer).
Move up to the SE or SEL, and a second motor links up with the 110.3-kWh lithium-ion battery to bring a combined 303 horses and 446 pound-feet of torque to the high streets. The highest trims turn the performance up to 11 via Hyundai’s AWD Performance setup, where 422 electric stallions and their combined 516 pound-feet of torque gently get you up to highway speeds in a hurry.
When it comes to charging up this rolling hotel lounge, the Ioniq 9 is among the first non-Tesla EVs to use the North American Charging Standard (a.k.a., Tesla-style) charging port. If you’re so inclined, you can pull up to any of the 20,000+ Tesla Supercharger stations across the United States and Canada to spend around 40 minutes to charge the Hyundai from 10% to 80% (so long as the Supercharger in question knows your EV exists, anyway).
Charging is Easy, And the Range is Fair for Its Size
There were plenty of Tesla Superchargers in my region, but I ended up taking it to my local EVgo station to charge up via the included CCS-to-NACS adapter. Alas, as those charging stations weren’t the 350-kW type (which can charge from 10% to 80% in just 24 minutes), but the 50-kW kind, my time spent charging things up from 45% to 100% took 90 minutes.
Once fully charged, the S trim offers the most range of the 2026 Ioniq 9 lineup at 335 miles. The SE and SEL dual-motor trims take a little hit, but still deliver a respectable 320 miles between charges. The most powerful trims take third on the podium with 311 miles. Still, not too bad.
On the MPGe front, EPA estimates come to 92 MPGe combined (103 city, 81 highway) on the S trim, 88 MPGe combined (98 city/78 highway) in the middle trims, and 85 MPGe (91 city/79 highway) on the top three high-performance trims. My Calligraphy delivered 2.7 miles per kWh over 163 miles of driving (most, of course, occurring on the streets of my small town). That came out to 37 kWh per 100 miles travelled, or 91 MPGe. Quite impressive.
Should You Check Into This Electric Hotel?
The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 may not have a future reservation at my house (for the same reasons no EV does at this time, if ever: no place to charge at home), but this rolling luxury hotel lounge is definitely worth checking you and yours into. The contemporary looks, the comfy vibes inside, the outstanding list of standard features on the base trim alone, the Ioniq 9 appears to be a home run for Hyundai and the Ioniq lineup. There really is nothing like it on the road today.
My only real complaint is that, for the money you’re spending (especially if you opt for the top-tier Calligraphy Design trim), you deserve to have more exterior color options. Imagine this electric 3 row SUV in a fun purple or a stunning orange, for example. More interior color options would be great, too; until then, the available ambient lighting will have to do for that part.
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