Hyundai has released its budget-savvy electric medium SUV the Elexio, the technical cousin to the Kia EV5. With pricing starting from a limited-time $59,990 driveaway, the Chinese-sourced newcomer undercuts Hyundai’s Korean-built Ioniq 5 significantly on price to boost its EV business Down Under.
Initially offered in a single Elite guise ($61,990 list), the Elexio fits an 88.1kWh battery bringing 160kW and 310Nm fed through the front wheels. It will be joined in the local lineup by a more affordable ‘base’ Elexio in Q2 2026.
Chasing Cars senior contributor Nathan Ponchard takes us through the new Elexio, including its tech, practicality and on-road performance to see what this new Chinese-built Hyundai is like and whether you should short list on your electric SUV shopping list.
Time codes:
0:00 – Intro
0:29 – Twinned with EV5
0:58 – China
1:40 – Design
3:03 – Boot space
3:30 – Interior
5:02 – Tech
7:50 – Games and charging
8:56 – Row two
10:41 – On road
12:01 – Ride and handling
13:26 – Powertrain
14:27 – Polish
15:43 – Efficiency
16:48 – Verdict
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Saw it today when going to test drive an ev-5 gt line. Not a fan of the look of the elexio. Enough to not want to step into the car.
Ok this is the first car from Hyundai Group in a long time that I don't really like. It's nothing special and looks awful to me. A miss from Hyundai for me, but hopefully the new Ioniq 3 we are getting in Europe will be proper EV hatchback 🤟🤟⚡⚡⚡⚡
Didn't Hyundai and Kia make a song and dance a few months ago about how they listened to their customers about touch screen shit and were moving back to physical buttons…
They done fucked up…. No physical buttons = no buy
So, a Chinese EV at legacy brand pricing because of the badge slapped on… am I getting that right? Why not just get a top spec Geely and call it a day?
Also, as a passenger, that screen would be infuriating.
It didn't help that a Skoda Enyaq advert came up just before this.
I disagree that it is a better car than the EV5. The EV5 is better value, has AWD, Physical buttons, better use of space and just looks way better.
That screen is straight up dangerous. People are going to be swerving all over the place while reaching across to the other side of the car to make an adjustment. How do things like this get approved?
I don't know where this car is meant to fit in.
Man that uses a lot of power. Our long term average for a model Y is 135wh/k
Why is the dash so far away from the driver.. absolutely terrible
Is it just me but Hyundai is really becoming Kia's ugly cousins 😂
59,000! too much
Test drove this today. Agree completely with all of the issues raised with the big screen and dash. Deal-breaker stuff in what is otherwise a very nice package
Love listening to you Ponch, but couldn’t watch this one, there’s nothing about this car that’s attractive.
Styling is hideous, that infotainment would give me Tourette’s, it’s a no for me todaaaaaaay as Mel B would of said
I've had 6 new Hyundais, my Ioniq 6 Epiq will be my last… they've showed no loyalty at all… and this car? What a joke, too exxy, too slow to charge… bye felicia
Chyundai. I'm a Hyundai fan boy but if this is a look into the future, I'm buying a Toyota
Needs price cut
looks like the clothes are back from the laundromat
I want a car and not an iPad on wheels! 🤮
It's brand new and yet it looks so old.
Yeah it's been "TUNED" to Australia because it was so "UNTUNED" when it arrived from China. I hope they "RETUNE" it for New Zealand otherwise when they sell it there it will be so "OUT OF TUNE" it will bounce straight off the road 😵💫🤣
Ioniq 5 looks beautiful… this looks like a knock off
Great to see Ponch showing up a bit more lately. Rock'n'roll motoring journalism 🤘
All about space and equipment for the money? An EX5 Inspire is 15 grand less with more fruit…. and better cabin layout.
mate, why do you need to keep on saying chinese car? all Aussie tesla made in china too but i never heard you say anything chinese in your tesla reviews….. so you want to brainwash viewers this is a chinese car not korean so you can 100% justify to take a dump on things you don't like?
Wow! Is this the new design direction? 😮
Why would Hyundai remove their physical buttons and knowing the changes where common functions need physical controls such as Euro-NCAP and would imagine ANCAP will bring in. Rip-off service pricing especially for an EV and every two years what are they doing for that price, since there is no oil to change and tyre rotations are extra so love to hear Hyundai's excuse.
Looks to far to reach the items on the left part of the screen when yr driving