2026 Best Overall Green Vehicle: Hyundai Ioniq 9

Hyundai and sister company Kia have been on a tear with their electric vehicles (EVs). The designs are avant-garde but not flashy, the tech is great, the range is usefully long, and they’re simply very pleasant, easy machines to live with day to day. Hyundai’s latest, the Ioniq 9, may be the most desirable Korean EV yet, winning the 2026 AutoTrader Award for Best Overall Green Vehicle. Last year, the award went to the Ioniq 9’s platform-mate, the Kia EV9. In addition to this category, the Ioniq 9 has also been voted as the Best Mid-Size SUV and Best Mainstream EV, a trio of well-deserved wins that show just how impressive this vehicle is.

This category’s candidates are numerous and varied, including the Ioniq 9’s own Kia EV9 cousin, the Ford F-150 Lightning pickup, funky Volkswagen ID. Buzz, and entries from luxury brands including the Cadillac Vistiq, BMW iX, and Porsche Macan EV. Our panel of jurors consists of over 20 car experts across the country, and took into account efficiency, quality, design, safety, performance, user-friendliness, tech, features, innovation, value, driver satisfaction, and overall excellence in the voting process. Every new car available in Canada is eligible, and a winning vehicle exemplifies a product that experts would confidently recommend to family and friends. When it comes to EVs, the Ioniq 9 came out on top.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 is a whole new model for 2026, rocking three rows of seats and a near-luxury vibe reminiscent of the widely-loved but gas-powered Palisade. It starts at $62,149 for a single-motor rear-drive Essential model, including freight and A/C tax. However, the dual-motor all-wheel-drive Preferred trim you probably want goes for $67,149 without the aptly named $11,500 Luxury Package that adds goodies like 20-inch wheels, a panoramic glass roof, four-way front lumbar support, premium audio, ambient lighting, and active noise cancellation, among a bunch of other tech often reserved for luxury cars.

It also happens to be the first Hyundai to get Tesla’s North American Charging System (NACS) port built in, supporting 350-kW DC fast charging with its 800-volt architecture. Its range is also a big plus: this SUV is good for up to 539 km of range depending on trim (500 is the official minimum), but when AutoTrader Editor-in-Chief Jodi Lai got her hands on one, those official figures proved to be an undersell.

The SUV indicated a whopping 652 km on a full charge, with a worst-case scenario range projection that would still beat its rivals by a significant margin. Observed efficiency bested official numbers, too, with Lai getting 20.2 kWh/100 km against an official rating of 24.7.

As for driving dynamics, the Ioniq 9 continued to impress: “Smoothness and refinement are the defining features of the Ioniq 9’s driving manners, with the suspension providing a compliant and comfortable ride in most scenarios… Steering is surprisingly direct, braking is consistent and strong, and forward visibility is great, making the Ioniq 9 easy to park and manoeuvre despite its huge size.

“The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 is masterfully executed. It shines as a family-sized SUV, and sets a new benchmark as one that’s fully electric, giving families a new EV option that makes no sacrifices. As a road trip warrior, family hauler, ferry for the soccer team, Costco haul champion, comfortable, efficient daily driver, and, of course, as an EV with tons of range and super fast charging, the Ioniq 9 checks all the boxes and is sure to be a hit with busy families on the go.”

When AutoTrader Road Test Editor Dan Ilika sampled one, he concluded, “The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 gets so much right that it almost feels unfair to the rest of the mainstream market that now needs to catch up.”

And if that’s not a vehicle worthy of this award and the two others it won, I don’t know what is.