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- Hyundai ELEXIO debuts with a baffling 27-inch passenger-side touchscreen.
- Ultra-thin 4K panoramic display runs Android Automotive OS software.
- No physical buttons, climate and controls require awkward reach from the driver.
- Single 160kW motor, 88.1kWh LFP battery, 546km WLTP range.
- $59,990 drive-away Elite trim; 10–80% charge in 38 minutes.
You can’t reach it! There are touchscreens in cars, and then there’s Hyundai’s Connect-C infotainment system. This new touchscreen has been unveiled inside the all-new Chinese-built Hyundai ELEXIO EV SUV (from AUD$59,990 drive-away), and it’s unquestionably the most confusing touchscreen in any new car on sale. This screen stretches from the centre of the cabin all the way to the passenger side, where it’s physically out of reach of the driver.
It’s a 27-inch ultra-thin 4K panoramic screen with software based on the Android Automotive Operating System (AAOS), and to us it shares more resemblance with a television than it does a traditional infotainment touchscreen.
Even in the modern era, where tablet touchscreens have grown to 15 inches and beyond in even the most affordable new EVs, this screen stands out. It does so for all the wrong reasons: its size, the utter lack of any physical buttons, and its head-scratching placement that would require an extendable pointer finger to operate from the driver’s seat. Still, at least there’s a head-up display in front of the driver, so they know how fast they’re driving, while leaning over the centre console to operate the climate control, steering the car with their big toe.
Initially developed for the Chinese market only, Hyundai Motor Company engineers flew to Sydney to put the ELEXIO through an extensive local tuning program, and the brand says this delivers an optimal blend of comfort, stability, refinement, and handling.
Springs, dampers, and anti-roll bars were all fettled with, and this will surely give the vehicle a market edge against the typically floaty EVs in this segment.
Power is provided by a single 160 kW, 310 Nm front electric motor and an 88.1 kWh LFP battery with a claimed WLTP range of 546 km. This is average for the segment, so the ELEXIO will have its work cut out for it if it wants to compete in the ever-crowded market against standouts from BYD, Tesla, and now Zeekr with the new 7X.
Built on a 400V E-GMP platform, ELEXIO can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 38 minutes.
Next to the gargantuan touchscreen, backed by a 6-speaker sound system, the interior is well-equipped for the price, featuring genuine leather in Obsidian Black or Dove Grey, heated and ventilated front seats (including a 14-way IMS (memory) driver’s seat), and dual wireless phone chargers.
Rear passengers also enjoy 60:40 split folding and reclining rear seats with armrests and cupholders, as well as rear air vents and a USB-C charger console with two ports. It’s a no-frills, modern EV in more ways than one.
“We’re excited to announce the addition of ELEXIO to our award-winning Hyundai SUV range,” said Hyundai Motor Company Australia Chief Operating Officer, Gavin Donaldson. “ELEXIO will offer an ideal blend of size, space, efficiency and value-for-money when it arrives early next year. We look forward to welcoming more Australians to the Hyundai SUV family, while continuing Hyundai’s ongoing commitment to electrification and intelligent mobility solutions.”
Hyundai is launching the ELEXIO in a single-trim grade, the Elite variant, at $59,990 drive-away. With a departure in style from the currently available Hyundai IONIQ 5 (from $76,200 before on-road costs), it will be sold alongside the existing Hyundai EV lineup for the time being, but where that leaves the entry-level RWD IONIQ 5 remains to be seen. For more information about the ELEXIO, please visit the brand’s website, linked below.
Hyundai Elexio Specifications
Powertrain / Chassis
- 160 kW front motor
- 88.1 kWh LFP battery, 546km AER range
- Active Air Flap (AAF)
- Battery Heating System + Heat Pump
- Drive Mode Select (Eco / Comfort / Sport / Snow)
- Paddle Shifters (regenerative braking)
- Shift-by-Wire (SBW); column type
- Temporary Mobility Kit (TMK)
Safety
- 9 Airbags (front, front side thorax + pelvis, rear side thorax, curtain & front centre side)
- Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA); Rear/Exit
- Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM)
- Driver Attention Warning (DAW)
- Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist 2.0 (FCA 2.0); Car/Ped/Cyc/JT/JC/LO/LS/DO w/ESA
- Front seat belts with height adjusters & pre-tensioners
- Hands On Detection (HOD); steering wheel w/haptic warning function
- High Beam Assist (HBA)
- Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2)
- In Cabin Camera (ICC); Driver
- Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA)
- Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
- Lane Following Assist 2 (LFA 2)
- Lane Keeping Assist (LKA); Line/Road-edge
- Manual Speed Limit Assist (MSLA)
- Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control-Curve (NSCC-C)
- Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist; Forward/Side/Reverse (PCA-F/S/R)
- Rear Cross-traffic Collision Avoidance-Assist (RCCA)
- Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) w/o sensor
- Rear outboard seatbelt pre-tensioners
- Rear power child safety locks (auto)
- Remote Smart Park Assist 3 (RSPA 3)
- Safe Exit Assist (SEA)
- Smart Cruise Control (SCC 2) w/Stop & Go
- Surround View Monitor (SVM)
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) – High Line
- Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS)
Exterior
- 20″ x 8.0″ alloy wheels w/255/45 tyres
- Acoustic film windshield
- Auto flush door handles
- Body coloured side sills
- Dynamic Welcome Light (front) & dynamic turn signals (front + rear)
- Heated & power folding outside mirrors w/ LED side repeater lamp
- LED DRL, positioning lamp
- LED Headlamps (4 Cube projection) w/Auto light control
- LED rear combination lamp
- LED rear fog lamp & LED reverse lamp
- Rear spoiler w/LED High Mount Stop Lamp (HMSL)
- Roof rails
- Smart power tailgate
- Tinted windshield, door & backlite glass
Interior
- 4-spoke leather steering wheel
- Cloth roof trim + A -pillar trim
- Console with suede-like material
- Leather appointed seat covering
- Satin chrome centre inserts
- Standard door scuff plates
Convenience
- 14-way IMS (memory) driver seat; includes:
- 4-way lumbar support (2-cell aircell type)
- 4-way power passenger seat
- Bolster adjuster; backrest
- Tilt adjuster; base
- 60:40 spilt folding & reclining rear seat w/armrest & cupholders
- Auto temperature control: Dual zone w/Auto window defog
- Auto up/down + safety windows; front & rear
- Digital Key 2.0 (NFC type)
- Dual wireless charging pads
- Electrochromic Mirror (ECM) inside rear view mirror
- Front headrests w/tilt function
- Heated & Ventilated front seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Illuminated LED vanity mirrors
- Inside V2L
- LED interior lighting (with bulb cargo lamp)
- Rain sensor
- Rear air vent & heating duct: 2nd row
- Smart Key w/push button start
- USB-C charger-console – 2nd row (2 port)
- USB-C charger-front centre console (2 port)
- USB-C data & charging port (1 port)
Multimedia/Display
- 6 speakers
- Bluelink (Connected Car Services)
- Cluster 27″ Integrated Display
- Head-Up Display (HUD) non-film Horizon type
- Navigation (AVN)
- Over The Air (OTA) software updates
- Voice Control with 4-zone voice recognition
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