Hyundai Ioniq 7 spotted testing in Germany; retains boxy exterior

The most recent spy shots of the Ioniq 7 come from Germany, camouflaged with black sheets. Despite this, the imposing, boxy silhouette is still apparent.

In the ever-evolving landscape of electric vehicles, Hyundai and Kia are looking to carve out significant chunks for themselves. With the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 established in the market, Hyundai is now preparing the Ioniq 7 for the streets.

This full-sized SUV was first showcased a couple of years ago as the SEVEN concept – what Hyundai called an “innovative living space on wheels” – and will sport a powertrain similar to Kia’s EV9. The most recent spy shots of the Ioniq 7 come from Germany, camouflaged with black sheets. Despite this, the imposing, boxy silhouette is still apparent.

At the front, too, one can just about make out the large grille flanked by vertically stacked headlamp clusters. The slim full-width LED DRL sits on a high nose and the small opening in the camouflage wrap tells of a mildly tweaked bumper.

On the side, the biggest change is the switch from suicide doors to conventional ones. Everything else seems to remain the same, including the flared wheel arches, roof rails and extended roofline. The five-spoke wheels, however, have been tweaked and may be tweaked again for better aerodynamics.

The Ioniq 7, like the Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 and EV9, is based on the e-GMP electric platform: a modular platform designed to be used in a variety of sizes with different electric motor options as well as battery capacities. The Ioniq 7 is expected to get the same battery and motor options as the EV9.
Power variants
The entry-level variant could be powered by a 76.1 kWh battery pack mated to a single 215 hp electric motor that drives the rear wheels. On the other end of the spectrum, we could see a 99.8 kWh battery pack powering a 379 hp dual-motor setup in an all-wheel-drive configuration. This version is the long-range variant and on the EV9 provides close to 450 km of driving on a single charge.

Moving on to the inside of the SUV, we know the Ioniq 7 will have three rows. We won’t get to see the same kind of interiors as that on the SEVEN concept, that’s for certain.

Unfortunately, the interior of the test-mule hasn’t been clicked, but we should see some of the same features as that of the Ioniq 6 and Kia EV9. With that, dual 12.3-inch screens on the dashboard are very likely.
ADAS, too, should come with features like blind-spot monitoring, emergency autonomous braking, advanced collision avoidance and surround view monitor, among others.

As far as a launch for India is concerned, Hyundai hasn’t confirmed anything and it still looks iffy. However, considering that Kia is looking at launching the EV9 sometime next year and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is already on sale, there’s no reason we shouldn’t get our hopes up.