Hyundai’s first electric three-row SUV is set to debut later this year, and we’ve finally caught sight of the new model testing. We’re happy to report that the test mule is a faithful recreation of the Hyundai Seven concept, as it keeps the same overall shape and many styling cues. While the official name hasn’t yet been revealed, for now, we’re calling it the Ioniq 7 for simplicity’s sake.
Despite the heavy camouflage, it’s pretty easy to make out the Ioniq 7’s large stature and long wheelbase. The brand’s unique Parametric Pixel lighting design can be seen peeking through the covering on the front of the car. The rear shows a similar arch-shaped lighting design to the concept, with lights wrapping up and around the rear end. Unsurprisingly, the coach doors and massive glass rear hatch first seen on the concept have been left on the cutting-room floor. The test model appears to have more traditional side doors and a standard rear hatch.
Inside of the test mule, the concept’s furniture-like seating is gone, though its interior still looks pretty airy. Otherwise, things look similar to Hyundai’s other EVs, with a column-mounted gear selector and a massive dual-screen setup covering the flat dashboard. As with most of Hyundai’s current lineup, the screens presumably use the same 12.3-inch displays under a single glass panel.
The new Ioniq 7 will be built on the E-GMP platform that underpins the rest of the Hyundai-Kia-Genesis EVs, including the three-row Kia EV9 SUV. That model comes with two battery sizes, a 76.1-kWh pack on the base model and a larger 99.8-kWh pack on all-wheel-drive and long-range versions. Range estimates for the EV9 currently span between 230 miles and 304 miles. The Ioniq 7 will likely feature similar variations, all of which will have an 800-volt electrical architecture that enables rapid DC fast-charging.
We’ll have to wait a bit longer for Hyundai to reveal the full suite of details as well as the official name for the new EV, but the brand previously announced that the full reveal is slated for later this year. We expect pricing to be similar to the Kia, meaning the Hyundai will likely start somewhere in the $50,000 to $60,000 range.
Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
