The long-awaited Hyundai Ioniq 9 is finally on the way, after months of waiting for what many hope will be a true competitor to the Kia EV9. The electric SUV is likely to be one of the go-to options for those who want a larger EV at a lower price than the likes of the Rivian R1S. But, while it’s larger than the Tesla Model Y, it’s also likely to be a little more expensive.
The two vehicles are a bit different when it comes to things like performance, range, and charging. Is the Hyundai Ioniq 9 worth the extra cash, or should you go for the cheaper, yet smaller car? We put the two head-to-head to find out.
Design
The overall designs of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Tesla Model Y are pretty different, and that may be enough to sway your buying decision. The Ioniq 9 is a true SUV; it’s big and boxy, and while it looks a little sleeker than some SUVs thanks to its curved roofline, it’s clearly larger than the Tesla Model Y. At the front of the Ioniq 9 is a long light bar separated into pixel-like blocks that helps give the vehicle a unique design motif. At the rear of the Ioniq 9, you’ll also find pixel lights curving around the sides and top of the trunk. The Ioniq 9 measures 199.2 inches long, 78 inches wide, and 70.5 inches high.
While the Tesla Model Y has been out for some time now and its design is arguably aging a little, it’s still a stylish vehicle. The Model Y is curvy and unique, at least compared to cars from other brands. To be sure, if you’ve seen a Tesla before, you’ll immediately recognize the Model Y. It looks like other Teslas, apart from the new Cybertruck, but it still looks sporty and modern. The Model Y measures in at 187 inches long, 76 inches wide, and 64 inches high.
Ultimately, design is subjective, so we’re not going to award a win here — you’ll have to decide for yourself which vehicle you like the look of more. That said, as you can tell, the Ioniq 9 is a fair bit larger.
Winner: Tie
Interior and tech
The larger build of the Ioniq 9 translates to more space on the inside. Both the Ioniq 9 and Tesla Model Y can fit three rows of seating. However, while three rows come standard on the Ioniq 9, they are only available as an option on the Model Y. The third row in both vehicles can fit two people — bringing the total to seven seats in the Model Y, and options for six (with second-row captain’s chairs) or seven in the Ioniq 9. Those two passengers in the back row of the Ioniq 9 will have more legroom and headroom than those in the Model Y.
The interior design of the Model Y matches Tesla’s general design aesthetic. It’s minimalistic and sleek, with a largely empty dashboard that’s only interrupted by the larger infotainment display. That display is how you’ll interact with everything about the vehicle — including actual infotainment, tracking speed, gear, and so on. In other words, there’s no instrument monitor behind the steering wheel. Thankfully, Tesla’s software is largely considered to be among the best.
The Ioniq 9 takes a more conventional approach, offering two displays — one for infotainment and one for instrument monitoring. While Hyundai’s infotainment software isn’t as good as Tesla’s, the Ioniq 9 does support CarPlay and Android Auto, which helps alleviate that a little.
Ultimately, the Ioniq 9 has more room and supports CarPlay, while the Model 3 is more modern and has Tesla’s own better software. Again, you’ll need to decide what’s most important for you.
Winner: Tie
Performance
The overall performance is a little different between these two vehicles. The Tesla Model Y is built to be quick, even despite its lower price, while the Ioniq 9 is built more for comfort than speed.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the Ioniq 9 is slow, but its acceleration isn’t as breakneck as that of some competitors. The Ioniq 9 will be available in three different powertrains at launch. The base model will have one 215-horsepower motor powering the rear wheels. Step up from there and there’s an all-wheel drive model that adds a 94-hp motor on the front wheels. The Performance AWD variant replaces that lower-power front motor with a second 215-hp one. The base model will be able to accelerate from 0-60 miles per hour in 9.4 seconds, however, the Performance AWD variant has an acceleration time of a faster 5.2 seconds.
The Tesla Model Y‘s performance is a little more compelling. The car comes in three different powertrains at the time of this writing. The base model is the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive model, which can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds. The Long Range All-Wheel Drive model steps up acceleration time to only 4.8 seconds. Last but not least is the Performance All-Wheel Drive model, which comes in at 3.5 seconds.
Safe to say, the Tesla Model Y is a little more impressive than the Ioniq 9 when it comes to performance. It gets the win here.
Winner: Tesla Model Y
Range and charging
The Ioniq 9 has been announced, but it’s not yet available for purchase, and we don’t know the exact range of all models. We do know that Hyundai says that all launch models of the Ioniq 9 will offer at least 300 miles of range, which is a great start. We also know that the Long Range RWD model will have a 335-mile range. On top of a decent range, the Ioniq 9 can also charge quickly. It’s built on an 800-volt architecture, and supports charging speeds of up to 350 kilowatts, which is the fastest charging speed you can get at public chargers right now.
The Tesla Model Y’s range is in a similar ballpark. The lowest-range Model Y is the Performance model, which has a 277-mile range, however the Long Range All-Wheel Drive model has 311 miles and the Long Range Rear-Wheel Drive has 337 miles. The Tesla Model Y supports charging speeds of up to 250kW, which isn’t quite as quick as the Ioniq 9.
Given the fact that the vehicles have a similar range, but the Ioniq 9 has a faster charging speed, it gets the win here.
Winner: Hyundai Ioniq 9
Pricing and availability
Only one of these vehicles is available right now — the Tesla Model Y. While the Ioniq 9 has been announced, it’s not yet available for purchase. It should be available sometime in early 2025. We also don’t yet know exactly how much it’ll cost, though it’ll likely have a similar price as the Kia EV9, which starts at around $55,000.
The Tesla Model Y has been available for some time now, and it also starts at a lower price. The base model of the Tesla Model Y costs $44,900. Because it’s cheaper and also actually available, it’s the winner of this category.
Winner: Tesla Model Y
Overall winner: Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y is the winner here, thanks to its better performance and the fact that you can get one right now. That doesn’t necessarily make it the better vehicle for everyone. For those with larger families, or who want a little more space, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 will likely be a better option, despite the fact that you’ll have to wait to get it, and will have to pay more for it.