Range Tested: This 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 SEL AWD is the First Ioniq 9 to Crest 300 Miles

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 lineup spans six trim levels, with a wide variety of pricing and creature comforts. But if your goal is to rack up as many road-trip miles as possible between charging stops, then the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 AWD SEL should be at the top of your list.

After running three Ioniq 9 trims through the MotorTrend Road-Trip Range test to date, the midgrade Ioniq 9 AWD SEL topped them all by a significant margin, completing 302 miles, making it the only Ioniq 9 to crest the 300-mile mark. The base model Ioniq 9 S, for example, returned 262 miles, while the top-spec Ioniq 9 Calligraphy managed 269 miles.

When comparing these results to the EPA’s official range figures, the 2026 Ioniq 9 AWD SEL is somewhat of an outlier, mostly because of how well it did. Because the EPA’s test combines both city and highway driving, our Road-Trip Range results are almost always lower by an average of about 15 percent, due in large part to its focus on highway driving, where EVs are less efficient. With that in mind, the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL’s MotorTrend Road-Trip Range is 6 percent lower than the EPA’s rating of 320 miles. Meanwhile, the Ioniq 9 S is whopping 22 percent below the EPA range of 335 miles, and the Ioniq 9 Calligraphy comes in at 14 percent under the EPA rating of 311 miles. All Ioniq 9 models are powered by a 110.3-kWh battery pack.

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Competitors and Charging

There aren’t many three-row EVs that directly compete with the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL, but the Kia EV9 Land AWD is chief among them. The Hyundai handily beat the EV9’s 270-mile MT range number, as well, though it’s worth noting that the Kia’s battery capacity is lower by a little more than 10 kWh.

The 2026 Cadillac Vistiq Sport is a slightly more upscale competitor to the Ioniq 9, and like the Kia, it has a smaller battery pack (102 kWh) that returned 265 miles in our range test. Furthermore, the Cadillac will likely result in a significantly subpar charging experience on road trips that rely on DC fast charging. In our testing, the Vistiq Sport added just 70 miles of range after being plugged into a DC charger for 15 minutes. The Hyundai adds more than double that amount in the same time (149 miles), while the Kia isn’t too far off the Hyundai at 134 miles.

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Is the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL One to Get?

With 303 horsepower on tap from its dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup, the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL sits right in the middle of the model’s three powertrain choices. The 215-hp Ioniq 9 S has one motor powering the rear wheels, while the Ioniq 9 Calligraphy has an uprated dual-motor powertrain churning out 422 hp. Some staffers were concerned that the base Ioniq 9 was a tad underpowered for a three-row crossover, but the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL should be more than adequate for family-hauling duties, with great pickup off the line and decent passing power.

With a starting price of $67,920, the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL is about $6,900 more than the base Ioniq 9 S, but it’s a whopping $11,170 cheaper than a top-spec Ioniq 9 Calligraphy Design. And while the comfy confines of the Calligraphy Design are tempting, the Ioniq 9 AWD SEL is far from a stripper, thanks to amenities like its power-adjustable front seats, heated seats (for the first and second rows), and an extensive driver assistance system that all make for a strong value for the price. Now, it can add outstanding road-trip performance to that list.