A release date for the Hyundai Ioniq 7 electric SUV is approaching sooner than expected with an American market launch now firming for 2023, according to reports out of the United States.
The Ioniq 7 will serve as a zero tailpipe-emission battery-electric alternative to the seven/eight-seat Palisade and seven/six-seat Santa Fe large SUVs in Hyundai’s range, while joining the Ioniq 5 midsize SUV (that launched in Australia in 2021), plus this year’s Ioniq 6 sedan.
The Hyundai Ioniq 7 will make its debut in 2024 or possibly even sooner
But it will be the three-row Ioniq 7 that could be the true powerhouse in Australia, with both of Hyundai’s combustion-powered large SUVs finding favour locally. In 2021, Hyundai sold 5048 examples of the Santa Fe while delivering 3720 units of the Palisade.
Hyundai previously confirmed the Ioniq 7 would come to Australia in 2024, following the arrival of the Ioniq 5 midsize SUV in late 2021 and the Ioniq 6 sedan in 2022. The Ioniq 5 has established itself in Australia but just 172 sales were recorded last year due to strictly limited supply being available to Hyundai in Australia.
An expected price of around $90,000 is expected for the Ioniq 7, slotting in above the flagship Palisade Highlander diesel ($75,700). A dual-motor version of the Ioniq 5 is priced at $75,900.
Recent reports from the Korea Times have indicated that the much larger Ioniq 7 SUV is powering ahead of schedule and will go on sale in the North American market in 2023.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 was launched in 2021 (right), the Ioniq 6 in 2022 and the Ioniq 7 in 2024 (left)
A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia told Chasing Cars that the 2024 timeline for an Ioniq 7 release date in Australia was still accurate.
The Ioniq 7 is expected to share a common battery size with the Kia EV9 that also sits on the Hyundai-Kia-Genesis e-GMP modular electric car platform.
Both Kia’s EV9 and the Hyundai Ioniq 7 will target other large electric SUVs including the Tesla Model X and the forthcoming Rivian R1S.
The ‘Seven’ concept showed off an eye-catching coach door design
Ioniq 7 range and battery size
Hyundai gave us a solid preview of the Ioniq 7 when it showed a large electric crossover in concept form at the Los Angeles motor show in November 2021.
Dubbed the Seven, the concept declared a range target of 480km – meaning that a battery size of 80-90kWh is likely for the production Ioniq 7.
While the concept features some features which are unlikely to carry over to the production version, Jose Munoz, Hyundai global chief operating officer and president of Hyundai North America told MotorTrend the concept did carry over some elements for the Ioniq 7.
“A lot of things can make it to production,” he said. “It’s gonna be pretty close [to the Seven concept. You’ll be amazed.”
This means features like the split-opening coach doors, heavy use of recycled materials and swivelling seats may be less out of the question than once thought – though removal of the steering wheel would likely prove unpopular until fully-autonmous driving technology is developed.
The Ioniq 7 will share the bulk of its hardware with the Kia EV9 (pictured is the concept version)
Hyundai’s Seven concept showed off a flexible interior layout but the production version is likely to integrate a seven or eight-seat design either with either dual captain’s chairs or a three-seat bench in the second row.
The huge panoramic screen stretching right across the dash could also make an appearance, likely integrated with a dual-screen design as we have seen in the Ioniq 5.
350kW recharging on e-GMP platform
Upon the release of the Seven, Hyundai said it was targeting a range of 480km of the concept which will likely be matched or improved by the Ioniq 7.
Like the concept, the Ioniq 7 will sit upon Hyundai’s dedicated electric vehicle known as E-GMP which is shared with its Kia EV9 sibling along with the already released Ioniq 5 and the closely related Kia EV6.
The Ioniq 5 made its debut in Australia last year and is already sold out
Kia previously stated the EV9 will be able to charge the battery from 10-80 percent in 20-30 minutes which also seems likely for the Ioniq 7 given we have seen similar figures from the Ioniq 5.
Hyundai will likely offer the Ioniq 7 in a range of single motor, rear-wheel drive and dual-motor, all-wheel drive layouts. The most potent dual-motor setup currently available is found in the Kia EV6 GT which has 430kW of power and 740Nm of torque.
Key details of the Ioniq 7 will likely remain under wraps as Hyundai attempts to push the boundaries of its new EV SUV in a segment that is growing more advanced and populated by the day.