Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9VS 2026 Ford Explorer

Both the Ioniq 9 and Explorer have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Ioniq 9 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Explorer’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Explorer doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Ioniq 9 achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Ford Explorer has not been tested.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 comes with a standard Surround View Monitor, while the Ford Explorer doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Ioniq 9 and the Explorer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Ioniq 9 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Explorer is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2026.

The Ioniq 9 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Explorer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Ioniq 9 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Ford covers the Explorer. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Explorer ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Ioniq 9’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Explorer’s (7 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 20 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 13th, below the industry average.

The Ioniq 9 has more powerful engines than the Explorer:

As tested in Motor Trend the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy electric motors is faster than the Ford Explorer turbo V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 9 gets better mileage than the Explorer:

The Ioniq 9 can travel with zero emissions for 311 to 335 miles (dependent on model). The Explorer can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Ioniq 9’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Explorer doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard locking charge port with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Explorer. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage; a locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Hyundai Ioniq 9 higher (10 out of 10) than the Ford Explorer (5 to 6). This means the Ioniq 9 produces up to 19.8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Explorer every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Ioniq 9’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Explorer:

The Ioniq 9’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Explorer ST are solid, not vented.

The Ioniq 9 stops shorter than the Explorer:

For better traction, the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Explorer (285/45R21 vs. 275/45R21).

The Ioniq 9 S/SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Explorer’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ioniq 9 S/SE has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Explorer.

The Ioniq 9 has a standard automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Explorer doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 9’s wheelbase is 4.1 inches longer than on the Explorer (123.2 inches vs. 119.1 inches).

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy handles at .88 G’s, while the Explorer Active 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy Design executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Explorer 4WD (26.2 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 28 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The Ioniq 9 has 13.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Explorer (163.5 vs. 150.3).

The Ioniq 9 has .8 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more rear headroom, 5.3 inches more rear legroom, .8 inches more third row headroom, .2 inches more third row legroom, .8 inches more third row hip room and .4 inches more third row shoulder room than the Explorer.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 9’s middle and third row seats recline. The Explorer’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 9’s cargo area provides more volume than the Explorer.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Explorer doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Ioniq 9’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Explorer’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Ioniq 9’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Explorer doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The Ioniq 9 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Explorer uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Explorer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Ioniq 9’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Explorer’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

When the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Explorer’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Ioniq 9 SEL/Limited/Calligraphy has standard front air conditioned seats and the Ioniq 9 Limited/Calligraphy also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Explorer doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Explorer and isn’t available on the Explorer Active.

The Ioniq 9 Calligraphy’s Parking Assist can parallel park by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Explorer doesn’t offer an automated parking system.