LOS ANGELES — While other manufacturers have moved away from auto show reveals in recent years, Hyundai Motor Co. has embraced the big tent. That includes the Los Angeles Auto Show, where the brand has pulled the sheets off a parade of new vehicles in the last four years including the gas-powered Palisade and Santa Fe SUVs and the battery-drawn Seven concept, Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6.

Hyundai continued the Tinseltown trend this year by introducing the electric, three-row 2025 Ioniq 9 family SUV.

Based on the three-row Seven concept that debuted in 2021, Ioniq 9 is the biggest vehicle the Korean automaker makes, along with the three-row Palisade. It will also likely be the most expensive, continuing the run of pricey EVs aimed at premium buyers willing to pay $10,000-$20,000 north of petrol-powered peers.

If the 2025 Palisade models run from $38K-$55K, expect Ioniq 9 models to sticker at $55K-$80K when they go on sale by mid-2025. Unlike the Korea-made, gas-powered Palisade, Ioniq 9 will be assembled in Georgia and eligible for the $7,500 federal EV subsidy at purchase (which the incoming Trump administration has talked about canceling).

Hyundai is keen to sell the Ioniq in California, which is home to plenty of high-income earners with a sweet tooth for electrons. Some 27% of new vehicle sales this year have been EVs, the majority of them Teslas. Fittingly, the Ioniq 9 was introduced Wednesday night at the famed Goldstein Mansion near Beverly Hills.

The multimillion-dollar mansion’s modern design has been the backdrop for numerous movies including the “Big Lebowski” and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” and the Ioniq 9 is a rolling living room on wheels.

Taking its cues from the roomy, ‘21 Seven concept, the Hyundai brings homey touches into the auto cabin. It includes a lovely, hoodless, 24-inch curved jumbotron housing the instrument and infotainment displays. The front row console can slide up to 7.5-inches backwards into the second row like a table — its armrest door hinged so passengers in either row can use it for storage as well as a lower drawer. All three rows feature USB-C charging ports for electronic devices, and the second and third rows fold flat for enhanced storage space — or vacuuming, as the case may be.

The signature living room feature, though, is the middle-row seats that swivel (when the vehicles is stationary) so passengers can face third-row occupants and converse or play games. The feature will not be available in North America at launch because it does not pass regulatory muster here.

The swiveling seats are a recognition of electric vehicles’ biggest drawback compared to their gas peers: charging. Ioniq 9 aims to make charging less of a burden with creature comforts for drivers to pass the time at long charging stops (the so-called Relaxation Seats also recline and offer massages) and technology to make the stops shorter. The Hyundai is built on the brand’s 800-volt, so-called Electric-Global Modular Platform platform that promises a recharge from 10-80% in 24 minutes. Fully charged, the 9 can travel up to 338 miles.

That pales in comparison to the gas Palisade, which can be fueled in two minutes to its 451-mile range, but Ioniq 9 is aimed at an affluent, green demographic. Such buyers (Tesla makes up 55% of the EV market in California) are familiar with the drill of making multiple, 15-30 minute stops on long trips (while charging at home for daily use) while the rugrats stretch their legs, grab a bite to eat or visit the restroom. If it’s raining, the family can swivel the Hyundai seats for a card game.

Ioniq 9 sits atop the Ioniq 5 SUV and Ioniq 6 sedan in Hyundai’s EV lineup (thus the Seven concept, but Hyundai clearly saw room for more nameplates between the 5 and 9 as it promises 23 EV models by 2030). It is aimed at Ioniq 5 (or Tesla Model Y) owners who need more interior room. The Hyundai is one of the first three-row electric SUVs in the market, joining the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and Kia EV9.

The electric SUV shows off the Ioniq model line’s premium aspirations as it is competitively priced against luxury, three-row EV entries like the $78K Cadillac Vistiq, $77K Rivian R1S, $81K Volvo EX90 and $82K Tesla Model X while offering similar amenities like 300-plus mile range and big screens. Ioniq 9 occupants can get in touch with nature thanks to a panoramic roof and premium interior materials including eco-leather, recycled fabric, and bio-suede fabric.

The Hyundai even sports goodies that competitors like the Vistiq don’t offer: a front truck, for example. The rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 9’s “frunk” measures 3.1 cubic feet (the all-wheel-drive model nearly two feet). That beats the Volvo EX90’s 1.2-cubic feet though it’s well shy of segment pioneer Model X’s 6.5 cubic feet.

The Hyundai promises a smooth, electric carpet ride while packing a large, 110-kWh battery under the flooboards. Don’t expect the explosive, sub-4 second 0-60 mph acceleration of a Vistiq or Model X, however. Hyundai says the quickest, AWD Ioniq 9 will reach 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.

Hyundai has pursued an innovative styling direction, eschewing “Russian doll” design. The Santa Fe, Sonata and Ioniq models all sport unique looks. Ioniq 9 is no different.

The interior is wrapped in a distinctive wardrobe that combines elements of its Ioniq stablemates as well as gas models. The front end bears the thin, mask-like LED lighting of the Sonata sedan while the chunky rear fenders echo the Tucson SUV.

The profile is both boxy (befitting a large, three-row SUV) and aerodynamically clean (behold the flush door handles and hinges) to extract a low, 0.28 drag coefficient for longer battery range. You’ll know the 9 by its unique boat tail and signature Ioniq cubed lights.

It will roll on 19, 20 and 21-inch wheels — with a special 21-inch saucer for the top-drawer Calligraphy model.

"Ioniq 9 embodies Hyundai Motor's unwavering commitment and confidence in electrification,” said CEO Jaehoon Chang. “Based on Hyundai’s acclaimed E-GMP platform, Ioniq 9 offers outstanding interior space, providing customers with unique value while solidifying our leadership in the global EV market.”

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