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Australia could become the first major export market for the Chinese-built Hyundai Elexio electric SUV, which would slot between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5.
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Hyundai Australia's first model built in China – not Korea, Europe or India – could arrive in local showrooms sooner than forecast.
Government documents reveal the brand has received approval to sell its 2026 Hyundai Elexio electric family SUV in Australia, which is built by the joint venture between Hyundai Motor Company and Beijing Automotive Group (BAIC).
The Elexio has been developed to rival the growing number of Chinese mid-size electric SUVs, along with the Tesla Model Y – the world's best-selling electric car – and the Kia EV5 it's related to, with the latter two also built in China for Australia.
It is Hyundai's first mass-market electric vehicle to be sold in China, adding to the low-volume Ioniq 5 N, but in Australia, it will slot between the small Kona Electric and mid-size Ioniq 5, and join the Inster, Ioniq 6, Ioniq 9, and Mighty truck in its growing EV line-up.
When contacted by Drive, a Hyundai Australia spokesperson was unable to confirm the Elexio for a local launch.
However, Drive understands it is highly likely for Australia, with local customer deliveries expected in 2026, after nearly 12 months of testing in Australian conditions, as revealed in spy shots in Sydney in May.
Roughly similar in size to the Tucson, the Elexio is reportedly built on a front-wheel-drive version of Hyundai's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), but with an 800-volt electrical architecture found in rear-drive models such as the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 9.
The Elexio is rumoured to be closely related to the Kia EV5 – sharing its 2750mm wheelbase – however, that model is built in China in a separate Kia factory, with a 400-volt charging architecture.
Australian pricing for the Hyundai Elexio is likely to be similar to the EV5, which starts from $56,770 before on-road costs, in line with the XPeng G6 (from $54,800), BYD Sealion 7 ($54,990), Zeekr 7X ($57,900), Tesla Model Y ($58,900), and Volkswagen ID.4 ($59,990).
For context, the Hyundai Kona Electric is offered from $54,000, while the Ioniq 5 starts from $69,800.
"We do a terrible job with our EVs. [That's] on the record. We are not doing the job we should be," Romano said at the recent media launch of its seven-seat Ioniq 9 electric SUV.
"Our market share of electric vehicles is extremely low relative to our market share of total vehicles."
Romano added that while Hyundai is "very much aligned" with Kia, "they have other vehicles and other segments that we don't", such as the EV5, which has accounted for around 60 per cent of all Kia EVs sold in Australia year-to-date.
The government documents confirm the Elexio has been approved for Australia in two-wheel-drive standard-range, two-wheel-drive long-range and all-wheel-drive long-range configurations, with a 160kW electric motor.
All-wheel-drive versions will add a secondary, circa-70kW electric motor for a combined system output of approximately 230kW.
While other specifications have not been confirmed, CarNewsChina reports the Elexio has a lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery sourced from BYD subsidiary FinDreams, rated with a 700-kilometre driving range under China's less-stringent CLTC lab-test standard.
However, it is possible export-market versions could instead feature a nickel-cobalt-manganese (NMC) battery pack, as seen with the Kia EV5.
Inside, the Elexio features a 27-inch combined touchscreen for its infotainment system and passenger display, as well as a small digital instrument cluster, dual wireless smartphone chargers, a steering wheel column-mounted gear selector, and adjustable cup holders.
In May, Hyundai confirmed the Elexio was designed to meet strict ANCAP and Euro NCAP crash-test standards, with an image of its cabin revealing the fitment of a front-centre airbag to reduce a head impact between the driver and front passenger in a severe side-impact collision.
The 2026 Hyundai Elexio is due to launch in China this month, with further details likely to be shared imminently, while official information for Australia is expected to be shared in the coming months.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
