Hyundai does a terrible job selling electric vehicles.
That’s not my opinion, it’s the view of Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano, who candidly admitted last year that the company needs to do a better job of selling electric vehicles (EVs) in Australia, as interest in these types of vehicles show.
Hyundai’s slow sales certainly isn’t due to a lack of options, the South Korean brand is determined to have an electric car for you. Whether it’s a pint-sized Inster, jumbo-sized Ioniq 9 or red-hot Ioniq 5 N, the South Korean brand has an expansive offering of battery-powered models.
But its latest is its most unusual yet, not only does it look a bit different, it’s the first passenger car that Hyundai Australia has ever sourced from China. It’s a major departure for a brand that has traditionally had its cars built in either South Korea, Europe or North America, but in the face of increasingly rivals from China, Hyundai has taken a ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ approach.
The Elexio was developed and is built by Beijing Hyundai, the joint-venture company that the South Korean automotive giant runs in China. Despite this, it’s still built on the same modular ‘E-GMP’ platform as the Ioniq 5, 6 and 9 (as well as the Kia EV5, EV6 and EV9) which has been developed specifically for the brand’s family of electric vehicles.
Being built in China has helped to make the Elexio slightly more affordable than its South Korean-made siblings, which the company hopes helps in the increasingly competitive contest against the likes of the BYD Sealion 7, Tesla Model Y, Zeekr 7X, Leapmotor C10 and EV5 – all of which are manufactured in China.
The Elexio has been introduced in Australia with an introductory offer of $59,990 drive-away, slotting it between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 in terms of both price and size. Hyundai Australia has even gone to the effort of calculating how much it will cost on a novated lease compared to its rivals, claiming it is only $5 per week more than a BYD Sealion 7 and $11 cheaper per week than a Tesla Model Y.
Obviously your personal circumstances may be different to the scenario Hyundai used to calculate those costs, but the underlying point remains the same – Hyundai believes the Elexio is very price competitive against its peers.
But will that be enough to lure buyers away from the likes of the BYD, Tesla and Zeekr that are popular choices for those looking for a family-friendly EV SUV? To do that, the Elexio needs to impress with more than just its price.
So, starting with the looks, while there are elements of Hyundai’s trademark design of recent years (most notably the ‘pixel’ headlights), overall the Elexio is a major visual departure from both the Ioniq 5. From some angles it looks nice, but it just looks awkward from most other angles, and it certainly lacks the cohesive, stand-out styling of the Ioniq 5.
Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 is a “more niche” offering and the Elexio is meant to appeal to a broader, family audience, so it is designed around a spacious cabin. It also has to meet the specific demands of the Chinese market, so that will have shaped its appearance and packaging too.
It’s good news under the bonnet (so to speak), the Elexio is powered by a 160kW/310Nm electric motor, which drives the front wheels, and is mated to a 88.1kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. This is the larger battery option for the Elexio/EV5, and Hyundai claims it can drive up to 546km on a single charge.
Crucially, one area where Hyundai has a significant advantage over its Chinese rivals is its local ride and handling experience. Like so many other models in recent years, Hyundai Australia undertook a comprehensive local tuning program to ensure the Elexio was better suited to our unique road conditions.
To be candid, it’s not the most comfortable Hyundai you can buy. The ride is firm thanks to the need to control so much weight from the batteries, but there’s only so much a good shock absorber can do against the laws of physics.
Where the Elexio excels is handling. Obviously you don’t buy a mid-size electric SUV because you want a dynamic sports car, but fundamentally the Elexio is a cut above its rivals on the road, feeling direct and responsive, which gives you confidence as a driver.
Will that be enough to lure buyers away from Chinese-made EVs and into this Chinese-made EV? Hyundai will be hoping so as it looks to leave its ‘terrible’ past behind and charge into an electric future.
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