Hyundai Ioniq 9 Driver Gets On The Highway. Then He Sees How Long He Can Go Without Putting Hands On The Wheel
“Frankly, it’ll go all day like this."
A car reviewer was blown away by the Hyundai Ioniq 9’s driving assistance functionality—particularly how long it effectively piloted itself without asking for its driver to take the wheel.
Auto enthusiast Mark Richardson posted a video to Globe Drive’s (@globedrive) TikTok account. In the clip, he is seen sitting in the front driver’s seat of a Hyundai Ioniq 9. He explains to viewers that the vehicle’s driving assistant functionality has been activated. “You don’t have to do anything,” Richardson says at the top of the clip, explaining that the EV’s driver assistance system actively keeps it in its lane.
Richardson said it’s a feature many Korean vehicles enjoy. In similar tests with other models, he says he often doesn’t need to touch the steering wheel for minutes at a time.
Now Trending
As the TikToker’s clip continues, he divulges his test to viewers. Richardson informs his audience that he wants to see how long the car will travel down the road before it alerts him to “intervene.” Initially, he believes that the Hyundai is going to alert him when the pavement begins to curve.
The entire time, however, he doesn’t place a finger on the wheel. Before him, the car’s technology appears to recognize the turn and adjust its steering accordingly.
Richardson goes on to explain that the Hyundai’s assistance system differs from systems like Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) functionality. Pointing out a vehicle that’s parked on the shoulder, he says the potential road obstacle should put commuters on notice.
FROM THE TRENDING NEWS DESK
Viral bits from across the social media landscape
Our team of experts tracks what's trending so you don't have to—from viral videos to online debates that have everyone talking.
The Ioniq 9's driver assistance technology is, like nearly every other system available to consumers, a Level 2 autonomous system. It is not fully driverless and requires close human supervision. In this case, Hyundai requires you to keep your hands on the steering wheel at all times during highway driving. Other systems like General Motors' Super Cruise, Ford's BlueCruise and Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) allow you to go hands-free on highways if you keep your eyes on the road. More advanced Level 3 and Level 4 systems will eventually allow for less human supervision, but they aren't here yet, unless you are taking a Waymo autonomous taxi or something similar.
“Frankly, it’ll go all day like this,” he says after passing the car.
A Minute In, Still No Alert
After over a minute into his clip, no noises emanate from inside the Hyundai’s cabin to tell Richardson to put his hands on the wheel. “Eventually this car will beep at me, and it will say, ‘Hey you really wanna touch the wheel now because we wanna make sure that you’re still alive,’” the TikToker quips.
However, he says that the expressions of concern from the car’s onboard driving assistance system are a way to curb distracted driving. “What it really means is, ‘We wanna make sure you’re not reading your phone and reading, scrolling through TikTok and all of that stuff.’ Which is what distracts people these days.”
One minute and 43 seconds into the video and still there’s no alert raised from the Ioniq 9’s system. This, again, astounds the reviewer as the EV continues on its way. According to Richardson, other auto manufacturers do not equip their rides with the same functionality. “If this was a Ford, Mazda, General Motors, any other vehicle other than a Korean car or a Tesla, it would be yelling at me within 15 seconds to 30 seconds that I better start holding onto the wheel. Not the Hyundai or the Kia or the Genesis,” he says.
“I Guess They Trust Their Lawyers”
Over two minutes and 20 seconds into his drive and still no alert from the Ioniq 9. No warning is signaled, either, after Richardson’s EV hits a bumpy portion of the road, which can be heard echoing throughout the vehicle’s cabin. It isn’t until he hits another right curve in the road and oncoming traffic in the adjacent lane appears that a message finally appears on the Ioniq 9’s dash.
He remarks that he was able to sit in the Ioniq 9 and not put his hand on its steering wheel for at least two minutes.
One commenter who replied to his video stated that they thought Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) feature was more impressive. “If you think this is self-driving, your mind will be blown by FSD,” they wrote.
Consumer Reports currently ranks Ford’s BlueCruise driving assistance software as the best in the automotive world. The research group remarked that Hyundai’s Driving Assistance 2 (HDA2) has seen notable improvements over its previous release.
InsideEVs has reached out to GlobeDrive via email for further comment.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
Woman Buys Cadillac EV. Then They Offer Her A Deal On EVgo
Mercedes-Benz's Most Advanced EV Yet Has A New Kind Of Motor And 600 kW Charging
"The Motor Is Supposed To Last 1 Million Miles": Man Hits 360,000 Miles On His Model 3. Is That The Norm?
The Skoda Epiq Is Europe’s Big Small Electric SUV
"Dealerships Are Shady": Man Says Texas Toyota Dealership Agreed To Sell Highlander Hybrid For $26,900, Then Jacked Up The Price
ChargePoint Wants To Fix The Condo EV Charging Problem With 2,500 New Ports
Can Waze Still Track The Police?