Hyundai has unveiled an off-road version of its three-row electric family SUV for this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas. The modified Ioniq 9 was created in collaboration with YouTube personalities Jeremiah Burton and Zach Jobe, who run a channel called BigTime on the platform. With nearly 1.8 million subscribers and most of their videos attracting hundreds of thousands, if not millions of views. Hyundai picked a popular pair of influencers to work with.
The changes to the Ioniq 9 are actually minimal. They include a lifted suspension, a nice set of white OZ rally wheels, a roof-mounted light bar, and that can’t-miss vintage paint job with BigTime’s logo prominently featured. The SUV they used for the project is an Ioniq 9 Calligraphy AWD that makes a healthy 422 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque right out of the box.
Can We Expect An Off-Road-Ready Ioniq 9 In Showrooms?
The Ioniq 9 BigTime concept most likely does not indicate that Hyundai is considering an off-road version of its large electric SUV. When Hyundai wants to do such a thing, it calls it the XRT model. The Santa Fe, Tucson, Palisade, and Santa Cruz all have XRT trims now, as well as the Ioniq 5, which is the brand’s only electric model with the off-road trim.
XRT trims also don’t generally look like the Ioniq 9 BigTime concept. They carry blacked-out trim, for instance, and not one previous example has had white wheels or extra lighting elements. Some of them do have higher ground clearance than other trim levels, though, such as the Ioniq 5.
The Ioniq 9 BigTime concept will be displayed in the Future Tech Studio at SEMA, an area in the event’s Central Hall dedicated to EVs and innovation. The BigTime boys reveled in combining some vintage elements with this future-forward SUV, saying, “We themed this IONIQ 9 off of our 1977 vintage cabover we call ‘Bud’ … It’s exciting to be part of this new chapter where electric cars can be fun and functional but still have character.”
TopSpeed’s Take
While the Ioniq 9 BigTime concept doesn’t hold any clues regarding Hyundai’s future plans for the vehicle, it’s still a fun exercise in taking a stock three-row electric family SUV and turning it into something interesting to look at. While it does have larger tires and a higher ground clearance than a standard Ioniq 9, it doesn’t appear to have much suspension travel before that rubber rubs against its fenders, which leaves its actual off-road credentials in question.
But making a true off-roader was not what this project was about. It’s about visibility, which Hyundai will get from BigTime’s nearly 1.8 million subscribers on YouTube. The SUV will also be seen across the group’s social media channels, giving it, and the brand, even more exposure. And isn’t that what SEMA is all about – being seen?
Source: Hyundai
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