Hyundai Ioniq 9 Named South Korea’s Car of the Year 2026
Creatrip Team
2 months ago
Hyundai’s large electric SUV Ioniq 9 was selected as the 2026 “Car of the Year” by the Korea Automobile 전문기자협회 (Korean Automobile Specialist Journalists Association). The Ioniq 9 scored 6,611.4 points, beating Hyundai’s Ioniq 6N and Kia PV5, and also won the “Electric SUV” category. Launched domestically in February, the Ioniq 9 is a 3-row (6–7 passenger) electric SUV built on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform with a 110.3 kWh battery and a claimed range over 500 km per charge. This continues Hyundai Motor Group’s streak of EV recognition following wins for other group models since 2022. The association judged vehicles across 22 criteria during a live test with 30 full members, and announced winners in 16 categories; other notable awards included Ioniq 6N for Performance and joint recognition in a new Soft Tech category for systems like Tesla FSD and GM Super Cruise. A formal awards ceremony will be held next month in Seoul.
