One looks like it came from the future. The other looks like it never left 1972. But which one is actually worth your money?
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| Head or heart? The Hyundai Ioniq 9 and VW ID. Buzz are the most interesting three-row EVs of 2026. We drove both — here's what you need to know |
There's a quiet revolution happening in the family car segment, and it has nothing to do with minivans or traditional three-row SUVs. Electric vehicles are finally growing up — and growing bigger — to the point where you can now seat an entire family of six in a battery-powered vehicle without compromising on features or range. The question is no longer if you can buy a practical electric family hauler. The question is which one.
Two names dominate this conversation right now: the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz. On paper, they're both premium three-row EVs sitting above the $70,000 mark. In person, they couldn't feel more different. The Ioniq 9 is sleek, forward-thinking, and loaded with technology. The ID. Buzz is a deliberate throwback — a reimagined electric Microbus that leans hard into nostalgia and charm.
We tested both in their top dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configurations. Here's everything you need to know before spending your money.
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Design & First Impressions: Retro Charm vs. Futuristic Statement
Pull up in a Volkswagen ID. Buzz and people will notice. The two-tone paint, the rounded slab-sided bodywork, the chunky wheels — it's unmistakably a van, and unmistakably a tribute to the original Microbus. There's nothing subtle about it, and that's entirely the point. VW has committed fully to the retro-modern aesthetic, and the result is a vehicle that generates more second glances per mile than almost anything else on the road.
The Hyundai Ioniq 9 takes the opposite approach. Where the Buzz looks backward, the Ioniq 9 looks twenty years forward. The same pixelated design language you'll recognize from the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 runs throughout — tiny squares appear in the headlights, the steering wheel, the center console, even the dashboard inserts. The rear end is genuinely unusual, featuring vertical Volvo-style taillights on a shape that sits somewhere between a wagon and a traditional SUV.
Neither is a conventional-looking vehicle, and that's refreshing. But beauty here is truly in the eye of the beholder — and the Ioniq 9's polarizing styling is worth acknowledging upfront. It won't be everyone's cup of tea, and that's a fair criticism.
Interior Quality & Passenger Space: Where It Gets Interesting
Step inside the Ioniq 9 and the first thing you notice is how polished everything feels. Soft leather surfaces, well-considered material choices, and a dashboard layout that makes intuitive sense from the first time you sit down. The gauge cluster and infotainment screens are sharp and responsive, and the control layout won't require a week of familiarization. In the top Calligraphy Design trim, you also get power-operated second-row seats with lounge-style extendable ottomans, multicolor ambient lighting, a head-up display, and a Bose premium audio system. It genuinely feels like a premium product throughout.
That said, one honest criticism worth noting is that the Ioniq 9's interior, despite its size and price point, doesn't feel dramatically different from the smaller and cheaper Ioniq 5 or Ioniq 6. The design language is consistent across the subbrand — which is great for brand identity but slightly underwhelming when you're spending nearly $80,000 and expecting something that feels distinctly flagship.
The ID. Buzz interior has personality — perhaps more than any other modern vehicle. Colored panels, an eclectic mix of textures, and a layout that feels more like a living space than a cockpit. The problem is that personality comes at a usability cost. The touch-sensitive steering wheel controls and the infotainment menus can be genuinely frustrating to navigate while driving, which is the one place you actually need them to work effortlessly.
Where the ID. Buzz wins decisively is space. It's a proper van, and it feels like one. The second and third rows are genuinely adult-friendly, with upright seating positions and generous headroom across all three rows. The Ioniq 9's third row, by comparison, is more of a children's zone — comfortable enough for smaller passengers, but tight for adults on anything longer than a short trip. And those ottoman extenders in the second row? Great concept, limited execution — there simply isn't enough legroom ahead of them to stretch out unless children are seated behind.
Cargo flexibility goes to the Ioniq 9, though. Both rear rows fold completely flat at the push of a button, creating a large, practical load floor. The ID. Buzz, despite looking like the ultimate cargo vehicle, requires manually pulling straps to collapse the seats — and they don't fold flat into the floor, making loading and unloading more awkward than it should be for a van of this size and price.
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Performance & Range: The Numbers That Matter Most
Both vehicles use a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, but the similarity ends there. The Ioniq 9 produces a substantial 422 horsepower combined, against the ID. Buzz's 335 horsepower. Both weigh over 6,000 pounds — the Buzz at 6,174 lbs and the Ioniq 9 at 6,034 lbs — so getting either of them moving quickly is a real engineering achievement.
The Ioniq 9 is genuinely quick for a family hauler. It reaches 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and covers the quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds at 104 mph. For context, that's faster than many sports sedans from a decade ago. The ID. Buzz is no slouch either — 60 mph in 5.5 seconds is respectable — but it feels noticeably less urgent off the line, which makes a difference in real-world driving situations like highway merges.
Range is where the gap becomes harder to ignore. The Ioniq 9 carries a 110 kWh battery with an EPA-rated range of 311 miles and a peak DC fast-charge rate of 350 kW — among the fastest charging speeds currently available in any production vehicle. The ID. Buzz runs an 86 kWh battery, rated at 231 miles EPA, with a peak charge rate of just 200 kW. On a real-world 75 mph highway test, the Buzz delivered only 190 miles — a meaningful shortfall from its rated figure, and well behind what the Ioniq 9 is expected to achieve under similar conditions.
For long-distance family travel, this range difference is significant, not marginal.
Driving Feel: Practical Tool vs. Emotional Experience
Here's where the comparison gets genuinely subjective. The Ioniq 9 drives like a very refined, very quick version of the Hyundai Palisade. The ride is supremely smooth — it genuinely floats over road imperfections in a way that tall family vehicles rarely do. It's planted in corners, returning 0.88 g on the skidpad, and while the steering is light and lacks feedback, it's predictable and easy to manage over long distances.
The ID. Buzz is an entirely different experience, and deliberately so. The ride is firmer, the steering is more communicative and better weighted, and the upright seating position gives you a commanding view through those enormous front windows. Body roll is more pronounced — 0.80 g on the skidpad — and the wind noise from its blunt front end is more noticeable at highway speeds. One of our editors put it best: "The Buzz is best when you drive it like an old Microbus." Slow down, enjoy the view, and let the nostalgia wash over you.
There's a real joy to driving the ID. Buzz that you simply can't quantify with numbers. Whether that joy is worth the trade-offs in performance and practicality depends entirely on what you value in a vehicle.
Full Specifications Comparison of 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 and the Volkswagen ID. Buzz
| Specification | 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 AWD | 2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz 4Motion |
|---|---|---|
| Body Type | 4-door wagon/SUV | 4-door van |
| Seating Capacity | 6 passengers | 6 passengers |
| Base Price | $79,090 | $69,545 |
| As Tested Price | $79,570 | $72,035 |
| Combined Power | 422 hp | 335 hp |
| Combined Torque | 516 lb-ft | — |
| Front Motor | 211 hp PM Synchronous AC | 107 hp Induction AC |
| Rear Motor | 211 hp PM Synchronous AC | 282 hp PM Synchronous AC |
| Battery Capacity | 110 kWh | 86 kWh |
| Onboard Charger | 11.0 kW | 11.0 kW |
| Peak DC Fast Charge | 350 kW | 200 kW |
| EPA Range | 311 miles | 231 miles |
| Real-World Highway Range | Not yet tested (est. 270+ mi) | 190 miles |
| 0–60 mph | 4.4 seconds | 5.5 seconds |
| Quarter Mile | 13.1 sec @ 104 mph | 14.2 sec @ 97 mph |
| Top Speed | 129 mph | 101 mph |
| Braking 70–0 mph | 173 ft | 174 ft |
| Skidpad (300-ft) | 0.88 g | 0.80 g |
| Curb Weight | 6,034 lb | 6,174 lb |
| Wheelbase | 123.2 in | 131.1 in |
| Length | 199.2 in | 195.4 in |
| Width | 78.0 in | 78.1 in |
| Height | 70.5 in | 76.2 in |
| Cargo Volume (behind 1st row) | 87 ft³ | 146 ft³ |
| EPA Combined Efficiency | 85 MPGe | 80 MPGe |
| Observed Efficiency | 62 MPGe | 78 MPGe |
| Suspension (F/R) | Struts / Multilink | Control arms / Multilink |
| Front Brakes | 14.2-in vented disc | 15.0-in vented disc |
| Rear Brakes | 13.6-in vented disc | 13.0-in drum |
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Highs, Lows & Verdict: The Honest Summary
Before we get to the final call, here's a clear-eyed breakdown of where each vehicle genuinely shines — and where it falls short.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy Design
✅ The Highs The Ioniq 9 gets a lot right. The ride quality is genuinely impressive for a vehicle this size — smooth, hushed, and composed at highway speeds. Acceleration is strong enough to surprise passengers who aren't expecting a 6,000-pound family SUV to feel this urgent. The EPA-rated 311-mile range and 350 kW peak charging speed make it one of the most practical long-distance EVs in this segment, and the feature list in Calligraphy Design trim leaves very little to be desired.
❌ The Lows No vehicle at this price point is without compromise. The third row is the Ioniq 9's weakest link — it works well for children but asks too much of adult passengers on longer journeys. The interior, while well-built, carries the same design DNA as the significantly cheaper Ioniq 5, which may leave some buyers feeling like the premium pricing isn't fully reflected in the cabin experience. And the styling — love it or leave it — is divisive enough that it deserves a mention as a genuine consideration before signing the dotted line.
🏁 Verdict The Ioniq 9 delivers a complete, well-rounded package. It has the range to handle road trips, the performance to impress, and the features to keep a family comfortable across long journeys. For most buyers shopping in this segment, it makes a compelling and logical case for itself.
Volkswagen ID. Buzz 4Motion Pro S Plus
✅ The Highs Few vehicles sold today have as much personality as the ID. Buzz. It is genuinely charming in a way that modern vehicles rarely are, and that charm translates into a driving experience that's consistently enjoyable — unhurried, upright, and oddly nostalgic. Passenger space is its strongest card, with three rows that can comfortably accommodate adults of any size. The driving experience, despite modest performance numbers, is pleasant and involving in its own unhurried way.
❌ The Lows The ID. Buzz stumbles where it matters in daily use. The infotainment system and touch-sensitive controls are a recurring source of frustration — figuring out basic functions like radio or navigation while driving requires more concentration than it should. Cargo configurability is clunky, with seats that don't fold flat and require manual effort to reconfigure. And the range — both on paper and in real-world testing — is noticeably behind what its competitors now offer, which limits its appeal for anything beyond city and suburban use.
🏁 Verdict The ID. Buzz is the emotional choice in this comparison. It has charisma to spare, more passenger room than almost anything else in the segment, and a driving character that's entirely its own. But its technology, range performance, and feature content don't quite match up to the standard set by newer three-row EVs like the Ioniq 9. It's a brilliant vehicle for the right buyer — just not the practical pick for most families.
So, Which One Should You Actually Buy?
The logical answer is the Hyundai Ioniq 9. It's faster, has significantly more range, charges quicker, feels more premium inside, and offers more intuitive technology throughout. Yes, it costs more — but the gap in capability more than justifies the difference in price. If you need a three-row EV for daily life, long road trips, and general family duty, the Ioniq 9 is the more complete package by a clear margin.
The Volkswagen ID. Buzz, however, is not a failure — far from it. It's one of the most characterful and emotionally engaging vehicles on sale today. Driving it puts a smile on your face in a way that very few modern cars manage. If you live in a city, don't need maximum range, and want a vehicle that genuinely sparks conversation everywhere you go, the Buzz has a very strong case.
Put plainly: the Ioniq 9 is the car you buy with your head. The ID. Buzz is the one you buy with your heart. Both are valid choices — but only one of them makes sense for most families in 2026.
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Reviewed by Oliver Bennett - Automotive reviewer and editor at Torque Tales, covering performance cars, market trends, and enthusiast vehicles. Passionate about real-world driving experiences, not just spec sheets.
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Disclaimer:
This article is intended for informational and editorial purposes only. Performance figures and specifications referenced are based on available test data and official manufacturer information at the time of writing. Prices, availability, and specifications are subject to change. Torque Tales is not affiliated with Hyundai or Volkswagen. Always verify the latest details with your authorised dealer before making a purchase decision.
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