2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Review: A Three-Row Electric SUV Built for Canadian Families

2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Review: A Three-Row Electric SUV Built for Canadian Families

Testing the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 9 Through a Canadian Winter

Hyundai has been on a remarkable run lately, but the IONIQ 9 might be their most impressive effort yet. Yes, Kia already had a large electric SUV on the market by the time this one arrived, but Hyundai wasn't content to share a platform. We attended the official launch of the IONIQ 9 in British Columbia, but this was our first opportunity to spend quality time with the vehicle on our home turf, in the depths of winter. This season has a way of showcasing a vehicle's true capabilities. Our test car was the top-of-the-line Hyundai IONIQ 9 Preferred AWD+ with the Ultimate Calligraphy Package, assembled at Hyundai's plant in Ulsan, South Korea, and had an asking price of $84,640.

Aerosthetic Design Gives the IONIQ 9 a Distinctive Road Presence

The IONIQ 9 reimagines the traditional three-row SUV concept. Hyundai calls it an "aerosthetic" design philosophy, combining aerodynamic efficiency and clean, futuristic styling. The result is a vehicle that looks more like a concept car than a family hauler. The Calligraphy trim enhances the vehicle with body-colour side fenders, titanium chrome accents on the bumpers and quarter glass mouldings, along with exclusive 21-inch alloy wheels that provide a more confident visual presence than the lower trims. Flush auto-retracting door handles keep the bodywork uninterrupted, which does real aerodynamic work. At the front, sleek Parametric Pixel daytime running lights extend across the nose, with the main LEDs positioned low in the fascia. This high-tech light signature appears genuinely distinctive instead of gimmicky. The single sweeping roofline in profile flows cleanly from windshield to rear spoiler, giving the IONIQ 9 an unusually sleek silhouette for something this large. Around back, the taper inspired by boat tails and the full-width pixel lighting are arguably the sharpest angles on the whole car. The bottom line: this is an SUV that looks expensive without being ostentatious.

A Lounge-Like Cabin Packed With Premium Technology

Step inside the IONIQ 9, and the first thing that hits you is how little it feels like a traditional SUV cabin. Hyundai has gone full contemporary lounge here: soft shapes, clean surfaces, and an open layout that makes the interior feel considerably larger than the exterior dimensions suggest. A nearly flat floor, courtesy of the dedicated electric platform, does a lot of the heavy lifting, and the panoramic sunroof piles on by flooding the cabin with natural light. The Calligraphy trim layers in the premium details you'd expect at this price point: Nappa leather upholstery, eco-suede on the headliner and pillars, aluminum accents, illuminated door-sill plates, and a two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel. Customizable 64-colour ambient lighting lets occupants set the mood, which sounds gimmicky until you're actually using it. 

Relaxation Seats Turn the IONIQ 9 Into a Rolling Living Room

Comfort is arguably where the IONIQ 9 makes its strongest case. The six-passenger configuration gives the second row power captain's chairs with heating, ventilation, wing-style headrests, and extendable leg rests, and both the first and second rows offer Hyundai's Premium Relaxation Seats, which recline into a full-flat position that makes charging stops genuinely pleasant rather than something to endure. You also get swivelling second-row seats that allow passengers to face one another when parked, turning the cabin into something closer to a rolling living room. Up front, a curved panoramic display houses two 12.3-inch screens, one for the instrument cluster, one for infotainment, blended cleanly into the dashboard rather than bolted onto it. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and Hyundai has kept physical controls for climate and audio, which remains the right call. A head-up display, digital rearview mirror, fingerprint authentication, over-the-air updates, and a 14-speaker Bose audio system round out the tech story. 

Three Usable Rows and Family-Friendly Cargo Capacity

Practicality hasn't been sacrificed either: the Universal Island 2.0 center console slides rearward for easier second-row access, seven USB-C ports are peppered throughout the interior, the third-row seats fold electrically, and headroom and legroom in all three rows are genuinely generous. For parents, the IONIQ 9 Calligraphy makes a strong case for itself, and most of it comes down to the thoughtful details rather than the headline features. The lower LATCH anchors in both the second and third rows are exposed and clearly marked, tether points included, making car seat installation far less of an ordeal than in most three-row SUVs. The second-row seats feature one-touch walk-in functionality, and in many configurations, access to the third row remains possible even with a child seat installed, which is a real advantage over rivals where a car seat effectively seals off the back row and leaves the rearmost passengers stranded until everyone shuffles out first. Practicality runs deeper than the seating, though. The nearly flat EV floor and low load height make a meaningful difference when you're hauling a stroller, a hockey bag, or the inevitable Costco run. The cargo numbers are equally impressive: 338 litres with all three rows in use, 908 litres with the third row folded, and a van-rivalling 2,494 litres when both rear rows go flat. Power-folding seats let you reshape the space around whatever the week calls for, without committing to a full reconfiguration every time.

Performance, Winter Range and Charging Times Explained

A vehicle this big demands serious power, and the IONIQ 9 doesn't disappoint. Every trim comes equipped with the same 110.3 kWh battery pack, but output varies depending on where you land in the lineup. The entry-level Essential is the most modest of the bunch, producing 215 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque with a 0–100 km/h time of 9.4 seconds and a 3,500 lb towing capacity. Still, it compensates with the highest estimated range in the family at 539 km. It's also the only variant offered exclusively in rear-wheel drive. Step up to the Preferred and Preferred+ trims, and you gain all-wheel drive along with a meaningful jump in performance, with output ranging from 303 hp to 422 hp and torque spanning 446 to 516 lb-ft. Towing capacity rises to 5,000 lbs, and the sprint to 100 km/h drops to as little as 5.2 seconds in the most powerful configuration, which happened to be the one we tested. Our IONIQ 9 Preferred AWD+ with Ultimate Calligraphy Package carries an official range rating of 500 km, but real-world winter driving told a different story. With the vehicle garaged overnight, we averaged closer to 420 km of range at 26.2 kWh/100 km. Left outside in the cold, the battery takes a more significant hit: at around -15°C, range dropped to approximately 314 km, with consumption climbing to 35.1 kWh/100 km as the system worked harder to maintain performance. Like the IONIQ 5 and 6, the IONIQ 9 supports up to 350 kW DC fast charging, though stations capable of delivering that speed remain scarce. On one of those, an 80% charge takes roughly 24 minutes. A more commonly available 50 kW charger stretches that to around 109 minutes, and on a home Level 2 setup, expect approximately 12 hours to go from 20% to full.

Quiet, Comfortable and Confident in Snow

Out on the road, the IONIQ 9 feels composed and well-grounded. The E-GMP platform it shares with the IONIQ 5 and 6 brings the inherent benefits of a low centre of gravity and a well-sorted chassis, and this larger SUV carries those qualities forward without compromise. It impressed us on the winding roads of Vancouver Island during the launch event, and it performed just as well on familiar roads closer to home. Power delivery is strong and linear, with acceleration that continues building well past any legal speed limit before tapering off around 160 km/h. We also spent time with it during a proper snowstorm, and SNOW mode proved genuinely useful; modulating the all-wheel drive system to navigate poorly cleared roads with minimal fuss. Efficiency takes a hit in those conditions, as you'd expect, but the IONIQ 9 got the family where they needed to go without drama. The suspension is tuned firmly toward comfort, and the cabin's enhanced sound insulation keeps things impressively hushed: the loudest we heard on the worst winter days was the crunch of snow under the tires, which felt entirely appropriate.

A Compelling Electric Family Vehicle With Few Direct Rivals

Overall, the IONIQ 9 represents a thoughtful evolution for Hyundai, combining distinctive design, strong practicality, and a comfortable, tech-focused interior. Cold-weather testing revealed expected compromises in range but also demonstrated its stability and everyday usability. While it may not redefine the segment entirely, it offers a well-rounded electric alternative for families seeking space, refinement, and versatility, packaged in a form that leans closer to a modern people-mover than a traditional SUV.

Disclaimer: Hyundai has lent us the vehicle as a press loan. We have no affiliation with Hyundai Canada. The above reflects our personal opinion of the cars referred to above.