The Made-In-America Ioniq 9 Is The Most Expensive Hyundai Ever
Hyundai has really come into its own over the past decade or so, with the brand that was once known to produce uninspiring yet affordable cars putting in the work to shed the image of simply being the cheaper choice. Its offerings still generally ring in at lower prices than their market competition, but Hyundai has refined its products to the point that they offer much more than just a low price tag. The brand's bold styling, luxury car features and great deals have won over hundreds of thousands of buyers.
Today, Hyundai announced the pricing for its new Ioniq 9 electric three-row crossover, and while its starting price is pretty reasonable, it tops out higher than any Hyundai vehicle before it at nearly $80,000. Its Kia cousin, the EV9, is $4,160 less than the Ioniq 9 to start and about $2,700 less expensive in its top trim and has been in big demand, so we're eager to see if Hyundai's longer-range Ioniq 9 can do the same despite being the most expensive Hyundai-branded vehicle ever.
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Don't worry though, buyers whose budget doesn't extend to the $80,000 mark actually get rewarded with higher EPA range estimates. The cheapest Hyundai Ioniq 9 is the rear-wheel-drive S trim, which starts at $60,555 (including the $1,600 destination charge). The S has a single rear-mounted motor that produces 215 horsepower and offers the highest range estimate at 335 miles. All other trims of the Ioniq 9 are all-wheel drive, with two different power levels available. The $64,365 SE and $67,920 SEL models have a pair of motors putting out 303 hp and a maximum range of 320 miles, while the top three Performance trims have 422 hp and a range of 311 miles; the drop in range is likely due to larger 21-inch wheels. The Performance Limited starts at $72,850, and upgrading to the fancy Performance Calligraphy trim bumps the starting price up to $76,590. Finally, there's the top Performance Calligraphy Design trim, which starts at $78,090 and gets matte paint and special wheels.
Though the Ioniq 9 is more expensive than the Kia EV9, its more aerodynamic styling and larger 110-kWh battery pack gives it better range figures — the longest-range EV9 you can buy is rated at 304 miles, with other trims rated between 230 and 280 miles. Hyundai says Ioniq 9s are capable of recharging from 10% to 80% in as little as 24 minutes on a 350-kW DC fast charger, which is impressive. Three-row EV competition is slim, but the Volkswagen ID Buzz's 91-kWh battery is only capable of 200 kW maximum charge speeds, so it takes about 26 minutes to charge from 10-to-80% and can't travel as far as the Ioniq 9.
Every Ioniq 9 sold in the United States will be built at Hyundai's new Metaplant in Bryan County, Georgia, which means it's eligible for the full $7,500 federal tax credit. That may change given Trump's various vendettas against non-Tesla electric vehicles, but for now Hyundai's handsome three-row EV is eligible.
All Ioniq 9s will be sold with NACS charge ports, which allows them direct access to compatible Tesla-branded Superchargers, and they're sold with CCS adaptors to allow owners to access all types of public charging stations. Hyundai says Ioniq 9 buyers will receive either a free Level 2 ChargePoint home charger or a $400 charging credit.
Set to arrive in dealerships early this month, all 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9s should be safe from President Donald Trump's economy-demolishing import tariffs if he ever makes up his mind on how badly he wants to bankrupt the 99% of us who don't have seven-figure bank accounts.
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