Is the $60k Hyundai ELEXIO Actually a Bargain?

Hyundai will launch the all-new ELEXIO in early 2026. This petite EV fills a supposed middle ground between the KONA Electric and IONIQ 5, as if it actually existed. By landing right in that medium SUV what Hyundai hopes is a sweet spot, the ELEXIO is positioned to be the brand’s volume seller, but we aren’t convinced.

The headline figure here is the price, one way or another. Launching in a single Elite trim for $59,990 drive-away, it puts a lot of “pressure on competitors.” Whenever a model is launched in a single trim you can bet it is a beta-test-case, a toe in the water, a finger in the air to test the direction of the breeze, but the breeze may well be blowing in a different direction.

For that money, you’re getting an 88.1kWh LFP battery and a 160kW motor good for 546km of range (WLTP). Impressive? Well, Hyundai says it is plenty to kill off any remaining range anxiety for Aussie commuters, but the only thing that will really do that is a proper charging infrastructure. We are still a very long way off that.

There is a lot of choice at that price too. Claims that 60k is “cheap” seems to be ignoring the Chinese brands like BYD and its Sealion 7 (Premium at $58,697.52, Performance at $68,168.62 Drive Away). Not only that, a RWD Tesla Model Y base model is around 62 grand drive away. Would a Model Y buyer take an ELEXIO instead?

Hyundai says charging is handled via the 400V E-GMP platform. While some flagship EVs push higher voltages, the ELEXIO still manages a 10 to 80 percent charge in 38 minutes on a 350kW DC station. This gives buyers the impression that it charges faster, but it would charge at the same rate on a 150kW charger. Naughty Hyundai. It also includes a heat pump as standard, ensuring the battery and cabin stay efficient even when the temperature drops. That’s not so much of a problem in an Australian summer.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review –2026 Haval H6 Ultra PHEV: Inertia Dampers at Warp 9.9!

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ABOVE: ELEXIO

The looks move very far away from the retro-pixel look of the IONIQ series, including the handsome but unloved IONIQ 6. It’s much more minimalist and its sleeker, broad, horizontal design is slightly brutalist. It is certainly a look, but Hyundai is now verging on polarising and with each new model becomes more so. It rolls on hefty 20-inch alloys and comes in five mica colours, including the standard Crystal White and premium shades like Pebble Blue and Dragon Red.

ELEXIO totes plenty of tasty Korean tech. It’s the first Hyundai in Australia to come with “Connect-C”, an infotainment system built on Android Automotive, similar to Volvo and Polestar, and we are keen to see it in person. This is where it starts to get all fancy-schmancy. From the passenger side to the middle is a fabulously wide 27-inch 4K panoramic display. You also get a standard Head-Up Display and also a small LCD sticking up from the dash. It is pleasing to see Hyundai getting as much as they can from the single trim, and this unusual setup is vaguely reminiscent of posher Euro brands but done on a budget.

The cabin scores leather seats that are both heated and ventilated up front, dual wireless chargers, and “Digital Key 2” so you can leave the physical fob at home. That all sounds pretty good. Space is decent too, with a 506-litre boot that grows to 1,540 litres if you drop the back seats. Hyundai Group does great design when it comes to thoughtful touches so we can expect storage all over.

Crucially, this isn’t just a global car shoved into a boat and dropped onto our shores. Oh no, Hyundai’s local team put the ELEXIO through a fully fielded Australian tuning program. Springs, dampers, and steering got the full treatment in and around Sydney to make sure it doesn’t fall apart on the goat tracks masquerading as suburban streets. It’s a bespoke setup designed to handle local bumps and corners far better than a standard factory tune. Other group models with local tuning have always been better than the very soft Korean/US/EU setup. Perhaps Aussies have more ticker?

Safety is standard-issue Hyundai, meaning it’s loaded. There are nine airbags and the full Smartsense suite, featuring the somewhat moody Highway Driving Assist 2, and a Surround View Monitor. It also means a cornucopia of gongs, bongs, bells and tinkles. Every time you drift an inch or the speed limit changes, the car chirps like an anxious sparrow. Thankfully, they’ve finally added a “bing-bong” shortcut; a long press of the mute button on the steering wheel should quiet the overspeed alerts. It’s a small mercy for those of us who don’t need a digital nanny reminding us we’re doing 61 in a 60 zone, but mostly because the speed sign recognition in almost every brand is wrong much of the time

Hyundai hopes the blend of range, local tuning, and a sub-$60k drive-away price will make ELEXIO one of the brand’s most important EV launches of 2026. By the end of the year there’ll be another dozen brands offering a tantalising glimpse into tasteful bargain driving, so Hyundai had better be right.

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Performance & News Notes:

• The Sluggard: The ELEXIO and its cousin, the Kia EV5, are the slowest in class at nearly 9 seconds. The Volvo EX30 is the “Pocket Rocket” at 5.3s for similar money.

• The Charging King: The Zeekr 7X makes the ELEXIO’s 140kW look like a trickle with its massive 360kW peak—it’s the only one here that actually justifies a 350kW ultra-rapid charger.

• FWD vs RWD: Most of the competition (Tesla, MG4, Sealion 7, Deepal, Zeekr) is Rear-Wheel Drive, offering a better steering feel than the Front-Wheel Drive Hyundai.

• Warranty: Hyundai is now being out-warranted by Kia, Zeekr, Deepal, and MG.