Hyundai takes everything you thought you knew about electric SUVs—and blows it past the limit! Imagine a three-row EV that seats six adults in comfort, rockets from a standstill in “booster mode,” and stretches its range beyond 360 miles. Could this be the electric SUV that finally erases range anxiety? Join John and Richard Rush as they put the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy Performance Edition to the test. Massaging seats, one-pedal driving, next-level warranties—does this all-wheel-drive powerhouse deliver more than luxury? Find out why Richard calls it his favorite drive of the year and whether it might be
All right, it’s that time of the week where we put in our car reviews. Richard, what have you driven lately? Yeah, Dad, so I actually drove, I think, my favorite car of the year so far. And that’s saying something because we’ve had some really fun cars. And this is actually an SUV. It’s a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9. This is the, let me make sure I get this right, the all-wheel drive performance calligraphy edition. Folks, this is Hyundai’s. plug-in, totally electric SUV. It’s very similar to a Kia EV9, which is a similar manufacturer, cousin, whatever you want to say. Hyundai is separate, so we’re going to review this. It’s got all of the bells and whistles that you could imagine on this vehicle. Five-year, 60,000-mile new vehicle warranty, 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, 10-year, 100,000-mile electric vehicle warranty. seven-year unlimited-mile anti-perforation, and a five-year unlimited-mile roadside assistance. And some of you are saying, Richard, why are you giving me the warranties? Well, folks, because this is one of the best-selling features of a Hyundai, and it’s not only on this vehicle, Dad. It’s on their other vehicles, too. But it is a fantastic value that you get when you buy this car. Total price on this vehicle, Dad, $77,040. Now, that’s not including some tax credits and stuff that you can get, which obviously does run out at the end of this month. And if you’re listening to this review after the fact, just keep that in mind. However, Dad. I love this vehicle, and the main reason is because it under-promised and over-delivered for me. In terms of range, I believe they say this thing can go up to 335 miles on EV. I was actually closer to like 360 miles, to be honest with you, Dad. Mind you, this is the all-wheel drive variant. It’s a three-row electric SUV, and I was able to fit… six full-size adults in this vehicle, along with cargo behind the third row, which is great. It also comes, Dad, with a… If you’ve got the level 2 or the 240-volt outlet in your home, you don’t have to go buy a new charger. It comes equipped with one. It’s got several different adapters, all different types. It kind of comes nicely conveniently tucked in the frunk, and it’s a modified frunk. It’s not a full-size as some of these other vehicles are. But, Dad, I just love this vehicle. It ran well. You can adjust the one-pedal driving to be basically full one-pedal or a lot less, depending on how you want to drive. If you want it to drive more like a traditional car to where it doesn’t break at all, you can set it that way. It’s got massaging front seats or at least front driver’s seat. It’s got heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel. I think the second row had heated and ventilated seats. It’s got… all the great sound system that you’ve come with with Hyundai. And folks, if you have not been in a Hyundai in a while, especially this model that has this calligraphy performance level or trim level, it’s just phenomenal. I don’t know how to say it. It’s one of my more favorite cars. And I will say this, it is a very unique looking car where you may have seen this car driving down the road and you’re not sure what it is. And I would encourage you to get out and see that. Again, depending on What you qualify for, Dad, as far as different tax credits, whatever it might be, the price that I mentioned earlier may not be that way for you. And I will say this. I drove this thing everywhere, and pretty much every night I was able to plug it into the level 2 charger that I’ve got at home, or that they provided, I should say, and basically charge this vehicle back up to full range. And I will say, there’s something about the EV market in that way. it’s nice to get in, Dad, and basically have a full tank of fuel. Every day. Right? And yeah, and fuel, obviously, in this case, is electricity, but you’ve got a full battery or 80%, depending on, we can get into that later, but every day, right? You don’t have to worry about stopping. But the nice thing at the same time is I didn’t feel like, I didn’t feel a ton of range anxiety because, again, you’re getting over 300 miles on a full battery. Now, That is here in the summer in Colorado, Dad, which is about as close to ideal conditions as you can get. I’m sure as it gets colder out, that’s going to go down a little bit. But it’s just something to know. Outside of that, Dad, I have no negatives on this car. It drove well. It was fun to drive. The kids, when you put them in it, we call it rocket booster mode. And honestly, you change it to sport mode. But the ultimate thing is these electric cars drive fantastic. They do. Encourage folks, head to your local Hyundai dealer, check it out. Again, Hyundai IONIQ 9. This was the calligraphy performance edition. And when you do that, let them know that John and Richard Rush from Drive Radio and Rush to Reason sent you. This is John Rush from Rush to Reason and Drive Radio. Thank you so much for listening. Check out more of our podcasts at RushToReason.com or Drive-Radio.com.
