UPDATED 30/10/2025 1:50pm: Hyundai has now officially confirmed the Elexio electric SUV for Australian release, as part of its official launch today in China, where it will be built by the Korean automaker’ Chinese joint venture Beijing Hyundai. We previously reported the news based on a confidential Hyundai dealer bulletin on September 27, and confirmed local launch timing. We’ve updated this article accordingly.
The Hyundai Elexio mid-size electric SUV is coming to Australia to bridge the gap between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 electric vehicles, and to compete with the top-selling Tesla Model Y.
According to a confidential dealer bulletin obtained by CarExpert late in September, the Elexio will be available for dealers to order from next month when production begins in China.
Now, Hyundai has confirmed it’ll launch locally in early 2026.
Per the dealer bulletin, the Elexio will be offered exclusively Down Under in front-wheel drive Elite trim, and with just one drivetrain featuring a single 160kW/310Nm electric motor fed by a 88.1kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery pack.
Electric range is 546km on the WLTP cycle.
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Chinese buyers will also have the option of a 233kW dual-motor all-wheel drive variant, as well as a smaller 64.2kWh LFP battery.
Pricing and specifications for the Australian-market model have yet to be announced.
The Elexio will be positioned between the Kona Electric and the Ioniq 5. At the time of writing, the 4350mm Kona Electric is being offered for $59,179 before on-roads, while the 4635mm Ioniq 5 is priced from $69,800 before on-road costs.
The new SUV measures 4615mm long, 1875mm wide, 1673mm tall, and rides on a 2750mm wheelbase. All of the Elexio’s dimensions, apart from height, are identical to the Kia EV5.
The interior features a huge 27.0-inch infotainment display in the centre of the dashboard, and around 29 storage compartments, including a sliding privacy box.
Depending on the variant, the new SUV is offered in China with an eight-speaker Bose sound system, panoramic sunroof, dual wireless phone chargers, hands-free power tailgate, heated steering wheel, and heated, ventilated and power-adjustable front seats.
There’s also a full suite of active safety and driver assist technology available, including lane centring, navigation-based adaptive cruise control, and Hyundai’s Blind-Spot View Monitor and a surround-view camera with a transparent chassis mode.
This suite of tech is powered by up to five cameras, one millimetre-wave radar, and 12 ultrasonic sensors.
Unveiled in May, the Elexio will be built in China by Beijing Hyundai. It’s the first EV from the Korean brand to be built in China, allowing it avoid the heavy tariffs levied on the various Ioniq models imported from South Korea into China.
Since the car’s unveiling, Beijing Hyundai has renamed the model to EO for the Chinese market, but it will keep the Elexio nameplate when it boards the ship for Australia.
There has been plenty of speculation about the Elexio’s availability in Australia with a number of development models spied on local roads, and a local trademark filing for the nameplate back in May 2023, but Hyundai Australia has played a dead bat at all questions about the car.