2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 First Drive Review: This EV Does Exactly What It Needs to Do
The Ioniq 9 is closely related to the Kia EV9, a vehicle we've driven extensively in our One-Year Road Test program. To put it plainly: We love the EV9. It's a two-time Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV winner, after all.
The Ioniq 9 mirrors some of the Kia's best attributes, including solid EV range and impressive charging speeds. There are multiple powertrain setups to choose from, starting with the rear-wheel-drive S trim, which uses a single motor to produce 215 horsepower and has an EPA-estimated range of 335 miles. Next up are the all-wheel-drive SE and SEL models, both of which make a more robust 303 hp and get 320 miles. Finally, the Limited and Calligraphy trims also have all-wheel drive but upgrade power to 422 hp and drop the range to 311 miles. As is often the case with Hyundai, the best mix of value and performance is probably in the middle of the lineup with the SEL.
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Motor 1
2 hours ago
- Motor 1
'Third Time's the Charm:' Woman Notices 4 Chunks of Paint Missing From Her White Palisade. Then She Takes It to Hyundai
A woman found four mysterious chunks of white paint missing from her 2022 Hyundai Palisade. That discovery launched a lengthy saga involving dealerships, warranties, and rental cars. TikTok user Sam (@samunderbrink) posted a video about her situation on Aug. 1. In the video, she says she needs advice or help from Hyundai to address her problem. Sam explains that she drives her Palisade for work and puts approximately 25,000 to 30,000 miles on it every year. Several months ago, Sam's husband was inspecting the car and came across four 'golf-ball-sized' missing paint chips on the hood. Taking the Palisade Into Hyundai for Inspection Sam says she and her husband contacted Hyundai about the vehicle, and the dealership told them to bring it in so one of the technicians could take photos of the paint damage. Sam acknowledges that the Hyundai dealership acted in 'good faith' on this since the vehicle was technically no longer under warranty. About a month after getting the photos taken, the couple followed up with Hyundai to see when the vehicle could go in for repair. That's when they learned the dealership apparently misplaced the first set of photos and needed to see the vehicle for another round of photos. Unbelievably, this happened a second time. Finally, the dealership calls and tells Sam it's time to fix her car. 'We take the car in,' Sam says. 'They give me a rental. I had the rental car for over a month. I get my car back.' Sam says when she got back home with her new car, she received a notice in the mail about an extended warranty for white paint chips, but figured it was 'too late.' The Paint Chip Mishaps Continue Fast forward a few months to the same day that she and her husband are discussing whether to trade in the Palisade for a new vehicle. Sam says, 'We walk outside, and my car has a paint spot missing the size of my head on the roof of my car.' The couple heads to the Hyundai dealership and talks to the maintenance crew about getting it fixed. 'And they're like, 'Yeah, we can totally fix that. Let's get you on the list to take pictures,'' Sam recalls. 'I'm like, ew, the picture-taking process—that was terrible last time, but maybe they've streamlined it.' Unfortunately, the soonest the maintenance crew could fit the Hyundai in for photos was March. It was July at the time. She figured she'd talk to the sales department, as this was just one more reason to trade in the car. That's when Sam finds out she will lose about a few thousand dollars in trade-in value on her Palisade due to the paint chips. Sam says the sales department told her she should fix the paint chips before trading in the car. 'So my options are: Have a couple thousand knocked off the trade-in value and trade it in now, without being fixed,' Sam says. 'Or wait six months to a year, get it fixed, and then trade it in, when, again, there'll be a couple thousand taken off of the trade-in value because it'll be older with more miles on it. What am I supposed to do?' Hyundai's Extended Warranty on White Paint The extended warranty that Sam mentions is extension Z05 , or the 'white paint' extension, which is Hyundai's extended warranty coverage for certain white paint colors that exhibit 'excessive' paint peeling or bubbling on the exterior panels. It covers several different models, including 2020-2023 Palisade vehicles. Atlanta's WSB-TV Channel 2 reported that Hyundai extended the warranties after it investigated complaints from local residents and a Facebook group about the brand's white paint inexplicably peeling off in chunks. The story even made it to international headlines . Motor1 reached out to Hyundai via email for comment. It also contacted Sam via TikTok comment and direct message. Now Trending Mercedes Driver Says It Costs Hundreds for a Dealership Oil Change. Then He Goes to Walmart and Does It For $61 'Mazda Is the New Secret IYKYK:' North Carolina Man Says Stop Recommending Hondas and Toyotas. Then He Explains Why Stay informed with our newsletter every weekday back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Miami Herald
7 hours ago
- Miami Herald
Electric vehicle sales surge as end of tax credits nears
Michael MacGillivray had planned for months to replace his gas-powered Ford Bronco with an electric vehicle. As a certified public accountant, he followed congressional debate over President Donald Trump's sprawling spending and tax legislation, which would end $7,500 tax credits for some first-time EV buyers. When Trump signed the legislation into law July 4, MacGillivray knew he needed to act. "I was leaning toward the EV regardless, but the tax credit pushed me over the edge," MacGillivray told The Detroit News while driving his new Tesla Model Y back from a road trip to Toronto. The 25-year-old Ann Arbor resident is among a surge of what analysts call "fence sitters" buying EVs in the final weeks before the tax credit expires Sept. 30. And automakers are taking advantage of the short-term boost to clear inventory in anticipation of at least a temporary drop in interest once the credits end. Hyundai's electrified sales jumped 50% compared to July 2024. Combined sales of electrified Toyota and Lexus models rose 6.7% to 90,426. July was General Motors Co.'s best-ever month for its electrified fleet, according to the company, which said it sold more than 19,000 EVs, a 115% increase from July 2024. "Everybody wants them right now before the tax credits go away," said Walter Tutak, dealer trade inventory manager at Champion-Hargreaves Chevrolet dealership in Royal Oak. Honda Motor Co. reaped a record July in electrified sales, in part because "the impending expiration of EV tax credits led some buyers to pull ahead across the industry," Jessika Laudermilk, assistant vice president of U.S. sales at Honda, said in an email. The automaker's Prologue EV recorded 6,318 sales in July, up 82.7% year over year. "We expect to see this continuing in August and September," Laudermilk said. Automakers are not required to report monthly sales, and Tesla Inc. did not disclose data in response to a Detroit News inquiry. Stellantis NV, which also did not report July sales data, is one of many automakers offering aggressive incentives on both EVs and plug-in hybrids, along with prominent language on its brand sites trying to spur customers into action: "Get your EV incentive while you can!" Jeep says on its website in a promotion for the all-electric Wagoneer S. "Brands are going crazy with incentives, and it's good for consumers," said Lauren Fix, CEO of the consulting firm Automotive Aspects. Auto reviewer Anton Wahlman, a former technology analyst, said the next few weeks will be "an inventory cleaning event." Sam Fiorani, industry analyst at AutoForecast Solutions, said manufacturers will compensate for the loss of the EV tax credit with their own incentives to keep prices stable: "It's unlikely that you'll see the prices drop, but you will see leasing deals or customer rebates." Analysts expect manufacturers to further scale back production of EVs to match limited interest among buyers, especially as Trump works to remove federal emissions requirements that pressured companies to make those models regardless of market demand. Stellantis has already started dialing back production of its electrified offerings, with dealers prevented from ordering several models. "In line with our retail priorities and the plans shared with our dealer network, we are working to ensure our production plan is in line with consumer demand," according to a statement from the company. After the industry more broadly scales down production over the course of several years, "they're only going to sell some of them if they can make money on them," Wahlman said. "So there will be far fewer models and they will be priced much higher," he said. "In the midterm, you're going to see EVs disappearing from the marketplace," Fiorani added. "Currently, they're encouraged by emissions (regulations) and by the federal incentives, but once those two things go away, then there's no real incentive for a manufacturer to add a new model to the lineup in a market that's already crowded with EVs." More: Jeep will bring back Hemi V-8 in more models, brand's CEO says Automakers say they remain committed to EVs in the long run, although many are shifting investments toward hybrids and gas-powered, money-making trucks and SUVs. "Toyota's commitment to vehicle electrification is just one important element of its effort to help the world build a zero-carbon future," Toyota Motor North America spokesperson Derrick Justin Brown said in an email. "Through the current industry shifts, including those around EV tax credits, that commitment remains strong, and there are no current plans to alter our approach." Laudermilk said Honda views electrification as "a marathon, not a sprint." "We remain focused on expanding our electrified lineup, utilizing our flexible manufacturing to produce ICE, hybrid-electric and battery electric models on the same production lines to meet the needs of our customers," Laudermilk said. GM executives have said the company will continue to pursue EV innovations, even as it beefs up its gas-powered fleet with investments at Orion Assembly in Michigan, Tonawanda Propulsion in New York and Toledo Propulsion Systems in Ohio. Ford Motor Co. last year canceled plans to produce a three-row, battery-powered SUV at its Oakville Assembly Complex in Ontario, planning instead to build gas-powered Super Duty pickups there starting next year. And the Dearborn automaker this month delayed the launch of its next-generation electric van and electric full-size pickup, though it also said it would invest $2 billion to build a midsize electric pickup at Louisville Assembly. Stellantis this summer announced plans to bring back 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 engines in Jeep SUVs and Ram light-duty pickups as Trump and a GOP-controlled Congress slashed emission and fuel economy standards that had forced the engine's slow demise in the first place. Despite the more favorable regulatory environment for gas engines, Fiorani said automakers neglect electrification at their peril. "A good manufacturer will see that this is the wave of the future and will invest in it," he said. "A short-term manufacturer will go back to building just ICE vehicles and ignore the future of EV." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
New image reveals Kia could soon launch transforming EV: 'Something I want to see more of'
Kia's futuristic electric van may soon hit American roads, according to The Korean Car Blog. The Kia PV5 prototype was recently spotted by Instagram user Chris Higa (@chrisediting) undergoing testing in Arizona, a sign that the automaker could be preparing the multipurpose electric vehicle for a U.S. release. The PV5 isn't your average electric van. It's the first major launch in Kia's Platform Beyond Vehicle initiative, which is centered on flexibility. Thanks to its modular upper body design, the PV5 can morph from a passenger shuttle to a cargo van, delivery vehicle, or even robotaxi. It's essentially one vehicle with many uses, making it a cost-effective and eco-friendly option for fleet operators, small businesses, and rideshare companies. Kia's desert test run is a big deal. Arizona's extreme heat pushes EV battery systems to their limits, and testing there is usually a sign that a vehicle is being prepared for the North American market. If the PV5 makes it stateside, it'll join a growing list of EV options available to U.S. drivers. EVs come with benefits such as lower fuel costs, minimal maintenance, and zero tailpipe pollution — plus, they're quieter and offer smoother drives than their gas-powered cousins. While some critics worry about the pollution tied to EV battery production, data shows the bigger picture favors EVs over internal combustion engine vehicles. ICE vehicles release about 350 grams of carbon per mile over their lifetimes, compared to just 200 for EVs running on the average U.S. grid. Plus, EV battery materials can be recycled, unlike fossil fuels, which are burned and lost forever. EV ownership can be even cheaper for drivers who install solar panels at home. Charging with solar power can lower monthly costs when compared to using public stations or relying on the grid. For anyone interested in exploring this option, EnergySage offers vetted quotes from local solar providers and can help homeowners save up to $10,000 on installations. Social media users have already taken notice of the PV5's flexible design and sleek test images. "That van is something I want to see more of. Hope it becomes available in U.S.," one Instagrammer commented. Another added: "It would be interesting to see! If sold in the U.S. to compete with the VW ID Buzz, it could make vans/minivans popular again." A third chimed in, saying, "I'd drive it." Would you be more likely to drive an EV if you could charge it in 5 minutes? Yes Depends on the cost No way I already have an EV Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
