Hyundai’s next-generation Palisade is expected to make its debut for the 2026 model year, but it’s not the first three-row crossover in the unveiling queue. The brand announced that a three-row seven-seater will join the line of electric Ioniq models before the end of 2024.
That’s all Hyundai has given us so far: there’s a new EV coming out by the end of the year. While this is pure speculation, there’s a good chance that the company is referring to the production version of the Seven Concept (pictured) presented at the 2021 Los Angeles auto show. We’re expecting that the exterior styling has changed significantly over the past three years; the design study was highly futuristic.
Inside, the crossover will get a complete make-over. Nothing suggests the concept’s living room-like interior, which featured a curved, sofa-like rear bench seat and a pair of swiveling front seats, will reach production. The seating layout will be closer to the Palisade’s, with space for two passengers up front, three in the middle, and two in the back, but the cabin will remain tech-heavy with lots of screen space.
What likely won’t change is the architecture. Like the concept, the production model is expected to ride on the modular E-GMP platform also found under the Ioniq 5, the Kia EV3, and the Kia EV9 (which offers three rows as well), among other EVs. The architecture can accommodate several different drivetrain layouts: front-wheel-drive, rear-wheel-drive, and all-wheel-drive. Hyundai hasn’t released technical details, but the EV9 is available with either rear- or all-wheel-drive — the three-row Ioniq (which might be called Ioniq 7) could offer both, too.
More details about Hyundai’s biggest Ioniq model will emerge in the coming months, and an unveiling is planned for later in 2024. It’s not too far-fetched to speculate we could see it in the metal for the first time at the 2024 edition of the Los Angeles show. The EV will go on sale shortly after its debut as a 2025 model. As for the current Palisade, it’s entering its last model year on the market without significant changes.
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