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2026 Ford Escape ReviewKia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq 7 Preview
Previewing an electric future, the Hyundai Ioniq 7 & Kia EV9 SUV concepts ooze futuristic good looks and a new way of automotive thinking.
New EVs From Hyundai and Kia
Across the board, automakers are putting the pedal to the electric-powered metal in a mad rush to electrify their respective lineups. Hyundai, and brand-brother Kia, are part of this push with a host of new EV’s from both companies. There was a time when automotive badge engineering was a ludicrously poor showing of literally swapping badges. Looking at you Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable. Fortunately, the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 7 and Kia EV9, which share a platform and general size, do not take this approach.
The Hyundai Ioniq 7
Hyundai’s Ioniq 7 is the second act in the Korean automakers’ rebirth of their Ioniq brand. Initially launched in 2017, the Ioniq sedan offering hybrid, plug-in, or full EV powertrains. You can read a comparison featuring the current Ioniq here, but henceforth this name will denote a dedicated line of all-electric vehicles. Ioniq 5, a mid-size SUV with hatchback styling, debuted in 2019. Ioniq 6 will be a sedan and then the Ioniq 7, a full-size SUV, will fill out Hyundai’s plan for three new Ioniq EVs by 2024.
As part of their commitment to carbon neutrality by 2045, the Ioniq 7 has little room for error. If it turns out anything like the concept unveiled in November 2021, that should not be an issue. Looking like a shooting brake on stilts, the show car features analog-meets-digital Parametric Pixel lights up front, “pillarless coach doors” and a big slab of flat rear glass.
Roughly the size of a Hyundai Palisade, the Ioniq 7 benefits from a stretched 10 ½ foot-long wheelbase. It pushes all four wheels tight into the corners, a styling benefit offered by the electric architecture. It is a striking design, and if the Ioniq 5 is any indication, a lot of this conceptual style will make it to the production version.
Kia EV9 and E-GMP
Following the EV6, which we dive into here, the Kia EV9 concept goes rugged with an upright windscreen and sharply defined boxed fenders that make the SUV look ready to go off-roading. Using the same three-row SUV size and Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) on both concepts, Hyundai and Kia are no longer dipping a toe in the electrified water. This is a dedicated EV-architecture they will use to expand their battery-powered lineups. Hyundai calls it their “smart mobility vision”, while Kia aims to be a “sustainable mobility solutions provider”. Similar taglines beget the same result – they are going all in on electric vehicles.
With the size of a three-row SUV and flat floor accommodated by its electric architecture, the Ioniq 7 showcases a “premium lounge experience” inside. Second row thrones can swivel or lean back into chaise lounges and the wayback has a sort of wraparound couch. The driver’s seat offers plenty of room thanks to a retractable control stick in place of an old-school steering wheel and a panoramic OLED screen, integrated into the roof, can stream content, or set the cabin ambience. Granted, much of this will not make it to production, but the focus on sustainable materials has a good shot.
This includes wool upholstery, bamboo wood trim and carpeting, mineral plaster, and paints made from renewable sources. In a nod towards our current climate of cleanliness, integrated UVC lights perform an interior sanitization protocol once all occupants have vacated. Kia’s EV9 has a similar focus on environmentally friendly interior materials with vegan leather upholstery, recycled fishnets for the flooring, and fabrics made out of plastic bottles recovered from the sea.
Kia also features disappearing controls in the EV9, with a pop-up steering wheel. The three rows of seating are more traditional than the Ioniq 7 and offer three modes. Active mode is used for driving, Pause mode spins the front seats around to lounge and face back seaters, while choosing Enjoy turns all three rows 180° and opens the tailgate to stare at the horizon. There is also an ultra-wide, 27” display facing the driver that handles all media, climate, and vehicle functions.
Electric Advancements to Note
Details on powertrain specifications are slim, but both the Hyundai and Kia EVs will feature 350-kW fast charging capability that will move the batteries from 10% to 80% capacity in around 20 minutes. A range of up to 300 miles is expected in both cases, though that is likely to vary based on trim level. A trick energy-minded feature on the Ioniq 7 are wheels with Active Air Flaps that deploy for brake cooling and retract to improve aerodynamics. On the Kia, there are solar panels embedded in the hood to bolster energy reserves. Finding this tech on the production versions seems a stretch, but they are interesting possibilities.
Hyundai and Kia used to look to the competition when designing their vehicles. The tables have turned as both automakers continue to produce gas-powered cars and SUVs with envy-inducing looks, some of which you’ll find on this list. Based on the awesome looks of the Ioniq 7 and EV9 concepts, it appears those tables will remain right where they are in the all-electric landscape. With just some of that style and a robust electric architecture, the production versions due in 2024 are likely to put the competition on notice.
