Hyundai’s Ioniq 9 (Image courtesy of Hyundai Motor)
SEOUL, Sept. 29 (Korea Bizwire) — Hyundai Motor Group’s dedicated electric vehicle platform has once again won recognition in the United States, with its power system named among WardsAuto’s “10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems” for 2025.
The automaker said Sunday that the all-electric Ioniq 9 earned a spot on the prestigious list, marking the fourth consecutive year that a model built on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform has been honored. The Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and high-performance Ioniq 5 N were previous winners from 2022 through 2024.
First launched in 1995 as the “10 Best Engines” award, WardsAuto expanded its scope in 2019 to include propulsion systems as electrification reshaped the auto industry. This year, judges evaluated 28 engines and powertrains sold in U.S. vehicles, rating them on performance, efficiency, and technology before selecting the top ten.
The Ioniq 9 impressed with its 110.3 kWh high-capacity battery and a driving range of more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) on a single charge across all trims, Hyundai said.
With the new accolade, Hyundai has now collected 19 WardsAuto awards since its first in 2008, when the 4.6-liter Tau V8 in the Genesis BH sedan was recognized.
The repeat wins highlight Hyundai’s growing credibility as a global EV leader, positioning the Korean automaker alongside established rivals in both innovation and performance.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
Great news on the Ionic 9 with a range of 325 on the sel trim. We own 2 ev, a mach e GT Performance and model y AWD long both a bench mark for perfection on an ev. The main deal breaker for most ev owners to switch to the Ionic 9 is the full regen braking has no default. You have to reingage it every startup. Current owners use full regen which is a default on most of the better trim ev. We could never buy one without it. Hyundai should change this on a software update to give prospective current ev owners a important tech feature they use everytime they drive.