The upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 7 full-size electric SUV has been spied in Korea, wearing heavy camouflage over what we believe to be the final production design.
Snapped in an underground carpark, Korean YouTuber Jung_Young_Teak managed to line up the Ioniq 7 prototype alongside the new Kia EV9, with which the big Hyundai EV is shares its underpinnings.
As you can see in the below video as well as the images published to KoreanCarBlog, the Ioniq 7 is essentially a reskinned version of the EV9, with very similar dimensions courtesy of the shared E-GMP dedicated electric vehicle architecture. Hyundai has indicated the Ionq 7 will feature a massive 3200mm wheelbase.
The finer design details of the Hyundai Ioniq 7 are hidden by the swathes of black sheets and false panels designed to hide the vehicle’s lines, but we know the final product should draw heavy inspiration from the 2021 Seven Concept.
We can see the upright LED light stacks on the lower ends of the front bumper have been retained, and the full-width front light bar should also carryover – even if they’ve been diluted somewhat for the production model.
Inside, we can see the seats and door trims are very similar to those already offered in the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 EVs, which focus on maximising space in the cabin through a minimalist and open plan design.
Like other vehicles in the Ioniq range, the production Ioniq 7 should also make use of recycled and sustainable materials in its production – such as the upholsteries, plastics, and paints.
Hyundai said the interior of the Seven Concept offers a “completely new dimension of space”. There are three rows of seating, and the flat floor combines with a tall, flat roof to double down on the lounge-like interior aesthetic established by the Ioniq 5.
Like the EV9, the Ioniq 7 will be a full-size three-row electric SUV, similar in size and concept to the existing Palisade.
The Seven Concept quoted “more than 480km” in driving range, though with undisclosed drivetrain specs. While Hyundai hasn’t confirmed further details, the new Kia EV9 should offer some strong clues, given the shared underpinnings.
Kia Australia hasn’t released detailed pricing and specifications for the EV9 yet, but it has confirmed it will be offered locally in either single-motor rear-wheel drive guise with a 76.1kWh battery, or dual-motor all-wheel drive with a 99.8kWh battery.
The rear-wheel drive model has a 150kW/350Nm electric motor and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 8.2 seconds, along with claimed range of 418km under the stricter WLTP test cycle. The dual-motor setup brings outputs of 283kW and 600Nm – upgradeable to 700Nm through the Kia Connect store – with a 0-100km/h time of 5.3 seconds with the uprated tune. It offers 497km of WLTP range.
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IONIQ 7 prototype -
SEVEN Concept -
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The EV9 offers 800V ultra-fast charging capability like other vehicles on the E-GMP platform, and Kia says 239km of range can be added in 15 minutes. It can also be used to power appliances thanks to a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which puts out up to 3.68kW of power.
Earlier this year, direct to consumer senior manager at Hyundai Australia, Andrew Stamatakis, told media the brand expects the as-yet-unrevealed Ioniq 7 to be on sale in Australia as soon as next year, and help to double the forecasted sales volume for Ioniq electric vehicles for this year.
Hyundai projects 6000 units of its Ioniq-branded electric vehicles for 2024, up from 3000 in 2023. The Ioniq 7 will also form part of Hyundai Australia’s plans to offer an electrified option in all of its SUV segments by the end of next year, joining the Santa Fe Hybrid in the large SUV segment.
The brand’s local division said earlier this year supply is opening up, meaning it no longer has to sell its E-GMP models in ‘drops’ as it has done with the Ioniq 5 in the past. There’s no more geofencing either, meaning anyone in Australia can now buy an Ioniq 5 or Ioniq 6 using the online sales portal, and take delivery from your preferred ‘delivery partner’.
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SEVEN Concept
Hyundai Ioniq 7 or Kia EV9? Tell us your pick in the comments below
