Hyundai's Flagship is Electric

The loniq 9 is Hyundai's biggest car to date and expands the Ioniq nameplate to a third, range-topping model. Yogendra Pratap was at hand to witness its global premiere at a select event in Los Angeles just before its first public appearance

It would have been hard to imagine even a few years back that Hyundai's flagship model would be electric but such is the flexibility of E-GMP that it underpins all-new Ioniq models and though there was talk that this would be the Ioniq 7, the size and final positioning of the vehicle meant that it had to be the 9 as it is difficult to see a vehicle that would top this one in terms of size.

Given current trends it was a no-brainer that this would be an SUV but with aerodynamics playing a great role in the shape of all-electric vehicles that is what dictated the final look and feel of the Ioniq 9. With a coefficient of drag of less than 0.26 (better than that of even the Mercedes EQS SUV), albeit with cameras for external rear view mirrors, the Ioniq 9 incorporates Hyundai's new aerosthetic design language where aerodynamics play an over-riding role, combined with parametric pixels (in the headlamps and front fascia) and other modern design cues, flat and flush surfaces and a streamlined roof where even the external antenna has been removed and incorporated in to the rear glass for the infotainment, the front windscreen for satellite connectivity and the instrument panel for connected car features.