2003 Hyundai Trajet Reviews

Hyundai has recalled thousands of examples of its Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade and Ioniq 9 SUVs, as well as the Sonata sedan.It affects 3445 units for the 2025 model year in relation to a software issue with the digital driver display, according to a notice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications Sports and the Arts. “Due to a software issue, the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail to illuminate the visual vehicle speed, fuel level and other critical safety information,” the notice reads.“A loss of safety system warnings whilst driving, could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders.”A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia said there have been no reported instances of the issue in Australia.The brand will contact owners of affected vehicles to arrange an appointment to rectify the issue via a software update. If the vehicle is Bluelink enabled, the update will be delivered automatically over-the-air (OTA).Hyundai has had a solid start to 2026, with models such as the Kona and Tucson some of the most popular SUVs in Australia currently. The brand recently recalled nearly 5000 examples of its Ioniq and Kona EVs earlier this month. 

Hyundai plans to make the humble hatch great again next year with the arrival of its all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 3.Hyundai's local sales boss David Rodda has locked in a 2027 launch date for the new EV Down Under.“Our existing EV lineup already covers 85 per cent of the market, and with the introduction of the STARIA Commercial Van later this year and Ioniq 3 hatch early next year, we expect to reach 96 per cent overall EV market coverage," he said.The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is actually officially dubbed an 'aero hatch' by the Korean brand, as the BYD Dolphin or MG4 rival has an ultra-low, class-leading 0.26Cd drag coefficient, which helps unlock a range of up to 500km.The new Ioniq 3 will serve as an indirect replacement for the old i30 hatch that was axed in Australia over the high costs involved with sourcing it from Europe.The first Hyundai to be designed under the brand's Art of Steel design language, the Ioniq 3 blends a sleek front end, rakish lines and some unashamed classic Alfa Romeo styling elements at the rear.The version we saw in the flesh was the sporty N Line variant that added larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a more prominent ducktail rear spoiler, diffuser, side skirts and aggressive front bumper that are all finished in gloss black.The four LED light elements within the slimline grille, meanwhile, are said to signify an 'H' in morse code.All future Hyundais will draw plenty from the Ioniq 3's styling that when applied to a small hatch handily also provide plenty of space within.Built on the Korean car giant's 400-volt E-GMP platform, the small Hyundai measures in at 4155mm long (4170mm for the N Line), 1800mm wide and stands 1505mm tall with a 2680mm wheelbase that delivers head- and legroom on par with the old larger i30 hatch, while in the rear boot there's up to 441 litres of luggage-swallowing potential.Inside, the good news continues as there is a either a large 12.9-inch or even more generous 14.6-inch infotainment that runs the brand's latest Android-based software.High grade material, tactile physical buttons, plus general high levels of attention detail all shame budget rivals.Comfort within is boosted by the firm's heated and ventilated 'Relaxation Seats, which said to employ fabric inspired by 1970s Italian furniture that is recycled and said to be bio-based. There's also a powerful Bose premium sound system, dual-zone climate control and ambient LED lighting.When it lands in Australia, the Ioniq 3 is expected to come with either a 42kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery that provides for more than 335km of range or a bigger 61kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) that engineers are confident will see the Dolphin rival travel up to 500km on the Euro WLTP test cycle.Plug into a DC fast-charger and Hyundai says the Ioniq 3's standard battery takes 29 minutes for a 10-80 per cent refill, with 30 minutes for the same charge on the long-range NMC battery.AC charging is limited to 11kW, but a 22kW capability will be offered as an option from launch. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is standard on all models, allowing the Hyundai to charge laptops or e-bikes.Whichever Ioniq 3 you plump for, the small battery-powered hatch comes with a single e-motor that drives the front wheels and produces either 108kW or 99kW in the long-range version.Both produce 250Nm of torque, with the entry Ioniq 3 accelerating from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds, while the heavier less powerful long-range variant takes 9.6 seconds to reach the same benchmark. Top speed is limited to 165km/h.Designed to achieve a five-star ANCAP rating, all versions of the new EV hatch comes with bright LED headlamps, seven airbags, a blind-spot monitor, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control and remote auto parking.Available with the choice of eight exterior paints and four interior colour combinations, the Hyundai Ioniq 3 has yet to be officially locked in for a launch Down Under, but once confirmed, expect the striking all-electric hatch to be priced from around $42,000 plus on-roads when sales start in Q1 of 2027.

A major brand in Australia has picked up its electric vehicle game in 2026. Hyundai has seen its EV numbers boom in Australia as it receives increased supply and orders. Supply (including unsold and pre-built stock) of its SUVs, including the Inster, Kona Electric, Elexio and Ioniq 5 have all risen by at least 50 per cent comparing Q1 to Q2. Supply of the Inster compact SUV is up 204 per cent, while the Kona Electric has risen to 315 per cent.The Elexio and Ioniq also has supply increases of upwards of 55 per cent.This has coincided with substantial boosts to order numbers between January and February and March and April. Inster orders rose by 205 per cent, the Kona Electric up 298 per cent, with the Ioniq 5 up 187 per cent. The Kona Electric had previously lagged significantly behind petrol and hybrid variants of the car on the sales charts, but this latest data shows it is catching up quickly.It's a positive boost for the Korean brand, which has previously been embattled by more affordable electric rivals from the likes of BYD and MG.Hyundai’s Australian Director of Sales David Rodda said confidence in buying EVs has increased substantially in recent times. "Anyone who was previously only considering an EV as a future purchase is now completely confident in making that decision, given the benefits of ownership,” Rodda said."Hyundai Australia has secured a 158% supply increase of EVs for quarter two to meet this unprecedented level of demand.“These vehicles will start to arrive from May due to the fast supply chain out of Korea. We are confident in securing equally strong support from the factory for the rest of the year."This EV sales spike is a welcome boost for Hyundai, following the announcement of the results for the first round of the National Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).The brand incurred more than 84,000 liabilities for the 2025 NVES performance period, which was one of the highest, behind only Nissan, Subaru and Mazda. It is not just EVs which are tracking nicely for Hyundai, with hybrids also gaining increased attention, according to Rodda."Hyundai also grew hybrid orders from 3,049 in February to 3,966 in March, a 30% increase. In fact, 57% of Hyundai Australia's orders in March were for hybrids - that's the biggest percentage ever for us, and the highest in the Australian industry."Hyundai is also planning to bring in new EV models in the coming months, most notably the Staria commercial van and the Ioniq 3 hatch.The latter will be officially revealed globally soon and is confirmed for arrival in Australia, likely as an electric replacement for the gap left by the discontinuation of the previously-popular i30 hatchback.

It was not so long ago plug-in hybrids looked to have found the middle ground between electrified power and long driving range. PHEV power experienced more growth than any other powertrain type in 2025 - and by some significant margin. It was up by more than 130 per cent compared to 2024.Leading the charge for PHEV power is the BYD Shark 6 ute, one of the few utes to experience sales growth last year. Its 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and dual electric motors provided outstanding fuel economy (when the battery was charged) capturing attention despite modest towing and carrying capacity. Most other brands have also jumped on the PHEV pathway, especially in the SUV segment. However, it now looks like a change might be on the horizon, as fully-electric sales continue to rise and at an even faster rate.There is a combination of factors likely contributing to this new set of circumstances in the new car sales space.While PHEVs offer incredible fuel efficiency, EVs do not need any fuel and obviously have far superior electric-only driving range with electric-only driving range remaining one of the biggest selling points for PHEVs. This is becoming an increasingly relevant point for buyers due to the current scarcity and cost of fuel in Australia.One of the other key factors which could erode PHEV sales is the substantial improvement in driving range of electric cars. Most EVs now offer more than 400km before needing to be charged, and even then charging times have also rapidly improved, with most brands targeting a 30 minute-or-less fast charge time compared to an hour previously.Charging infrastructure has been seeing rapid investment in Australia in the past 12 months, with governments as well as major brands getting on board. Just this week, the New South Wales government announced $45 million of funding towards new public fast chargers as part of its ‘2026 NSW Electric Vehicle Strategy’, and this adds to the existing federal ARENA public funding for EV infrastructure.BYD has also confirmed it will bring its ‘Flash’ charging to Australia this year, removing barriers to charge speed usually imposed by the grid thanks to an inclusion of a high-voltage buffer battery.There is also the question of increasing accessibility to electric vehicles in Australia, with many becoming available at a more affordable price point. The BYD Atto 1, for example, is available from $23,990, before on-road costs, while the cheapest PHEV, also a BYD, the Sealion 5 is $10,000 more. This is more reflective of the types of vehicles in which PHEV set-ups are offered as opposed to electric cars. The most common PHEV car body type is SUVs, which targets family buyers and more car (size-wise, with two powertrains instead of one) costs you more money.And yet, the models surging the most in the sales charts are the fully electric Tesla Model Y and Zeekr 7X, which are both in that core mid-size family buyer segment.This combined with the early adopter phase for much of this technology ending and electrified cars becoming more mainstream will mean some buyers who don't have access to home charging, like those who live in units, might not be able to utilise the key benefits of a PHEV.Many of this wider-audience may value the range on offer from an EV, which will see them charge only once or twice a week as a benefit at such a competitive price-point, not having to worry about not being able to charge at home, and not needing to fuel up altogether. This is also an audience which predominantly buys small or mid-size SUVs.PHEVs then, may be destined to be relegated to only larger vehicles, like utes and three-row SUVs where battery electrics become less cost competitive.

Hyundai has established Ioniq as a sub-brand in China, elevating the South Korean maker’s EV line-up to stand-alone status in a bid to outflank the increasing number of pure-electric competitors it faces in the critical Chinese market.In announcing the move, Hyundai said, “In China, Ioniq will evolve beyond a product line-up into a broader mobility ecosystem tailored to local customers. “While maintaining Hyundai Motor’s globally proven standards in safety and quality, Ioniq is being redefined through localised technologies, services and user experiences for China’s fast-evolving NEV market,” it said.Ioniq’s initial China market-specific initiatives include introduction of autonomous driving systems developed with local partners, and for the first time, an Ioniq incorporating an internal-combustion engine in upcoming Extended Range Electric Vehicles (EREVs). Hyundai is also introducing a unique naming convention for Ioniq in China with future models named after planets, “symbolizing how each vehicle orbits around the customer, the central focus of this new Ioniq universe.”To that end, Ioniq has revealed a pair of pure-electric concept cars to “highlight Hyundai Motor’s readiness for China’s new energy vehicle market.”Previewed before their first public appearance at this month’s Beijing Auto Show (April 24 to May 3), the Venus Concept sedan and Earth Concept family SUV are positioned as “two ‘planets’ in a new ‘universe’ of models.”Finished in ‘Radiant Gold’, the Venus sedan features a ‘one-curve silhouette’, lightweight, frame-structured roof and a transparent spoiler, while the wrap-around cockpit is designed to “evoke Venus’s glowing atmosphere with layered mood lighting.”The Earth SUV has been conceived to “embody the vitality and biological balance of our home planet” blending “sharp edges and sculpted volumes” with details including skid plates and exposed bolt accents. ‘Air-hug’ seats are made of soft air modules and mood lighting is structured to mimic tree shadows.Speaking at the Ioniq brand announcement, Beijing Hyundai Motor Company President Li Fenggang said, “Starting with the two concept cars unveiled today, we will continue to present products that reflect deep insight into Chinese customers and our genuine commitment to this market. “Built on Ioniq’s uncompromising principles of world-class safety and quality, we will soon introduce production models that seamlessly combine the smart driving and smart cabin experiences that Chinese consumers demand,” he said.

Kia has confirmed critical details of the brand's upcoming ute, and seemingly inadvertently spilled on Hyundai's plans for a BYD Shark 6-fighting dual-cab.

The Federal Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communication and the Arts has issued a safety recall notice impacting close to 5000 Hyundai electric vehicles sold new in Australia from 2018 to 2023.

Fuel type and engine set-up are becoming increasingly important factors in people's new car buying thinking, exclusive data reveals, with rising fuel prices making buyers even more vigilant.Diversity of engine set-up choices have increased substantially in the past few years. Buyers can pick from internal combustion, hybrid or electric.It appears this choice is encouraging buyers question what is best for them when they enter the showroom.The data is part of Gumtree Group's The Next Gear: Australia in Motion report and was gathered from 4,400 people who used Gumtree, CarsGuide and AutoTrader in 2025. According to exclusive data, fuel type is the primary consideration for 40 per cent of prospective buyers. This is an increase of 33 per cent year-on-year demonstrating how fuel type has become more important. Among the biggest considerations for prospective buyers is that 52 per cent of those surveyed said they would consider hybrid, while 39 per cent said they consider plug-in hybrid. This represents substantial year-on-year increases. It lines up with sales boosts to hybrid and plug-in hybrid models over the past 12 months at the expense of internal combustion alternatives.Another choice increasingly peaking the interests of buyers in Australia is fully-electric vehicles, which have seen a substantial boost in sales. According to Gumtree’s data, one-in-three prospective buyers said they would consider an electric car for their next purchase, which is an increase of 57 per cent compared to 2024.Expect these figures to increase further in the coming months as fuel prices rise further. This is despite hybrid and electric cars often incurring an initial purchase premium on internal combustion, which is paid off over time courtesy of less fuel use.Many of the top-selling brands are pivoting to hybrids in light of NVES, such as Toyota, Kia and Hyundai. As well as Chinese brands such as BYD which only offer electrified powertrains.Even utes are starting to offer hybrid options, like the popular BYD Shark 6, while the Ford Ranger has a PHEV variant. Chery will bring across a diesel PHEV showing the diversity of hybrid options. 

Last week Hyundai revealed a boxy, new SUV concept that gives us a glimpse of what to expect from its next dual-cab ute.Multiple digital artists have now taken the Hyundai Boulder concept and given it the ute treatment, giving us a better look at what this ute might look like.Imagery from Russian outlet Kolesa shows this new Hyundai ute will have the bold and upright front-end treatment of the Boulder SUV concept, but have other design elements that are reminiscent of the Kia Tasman dual-cab ute.Alternatively, imagery from Brazilian digital artist KDesign AG show this ute being a slightly upsized version of the Tasman and more of a rival to US mid-size pickups like the Chevrolet Colorado, Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier.Hyundai has confirmed that it plans to launch a mid-size pick-up in the US in 2030. It will also be built in the US which indicates it’s focused at North America and makes an Australian launch unclear in the short term.While the Boulder-based ute is confirmed to be built on a ladder-frame architecture, it’s unclear whether it will be related to the South Korean-built Kia Tasman, which also has a ladder-frame chassis.A range-extender (REEV) hybrid powertrain has been floated by overseas reports.At this stage it’s unclear how much of the Boulder SUV concept’s other design features will carry over to the production ute version. It has 37-inch mud-terrain tyres and a roof-mounted light bar.Previous patent imagery has shown the Boulder-based ute could feature detachable doors, much like the Jeep Gladiator.It’s understood a different Hyundai ute is set to launch in Australia before 2030. Hyundai Australia CEO Don Romano told CarsGuide late last year the brand would have a ute ready by the end of 2028."My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano said in November 2025.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.”

Hyundai just unveiled its striking Boulder SUV concept at the New York International Auto Show.The concept gives a glimpse into Hyundai’s ladder frame chassis rugged off-roading future. The Boulder previews its first ladder frame model, which will be a mid-size pick-up truck built in the United States launching in 2030. A mid-size pick-up truck in the US means it will be a similar size to Aussie favourites such as the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux and BYD Shark 6.It looks like the new Hyundai ute will be targeted towards the North America market, with an Australian launch unlikely in the short term. This will be the brand's second ute, with a different model expected to arrive in Australia before 2030. Hyundai Australia boss Don Romano told CarsGuide late last year the brand would have a ute ready by the end of 2028. "My work permit goes for another two and a half years. I'm not leaving until it's coming,” Romano said in November 2025.“If they produce what we're talking about at this stage and what we're working on, it's gonna be mind blowing, it's gonna be great. And I really mean that, I'm not just blowing smoke.”It is anticipated to feature a range-extender hybrid set-up. The Boulder concept has a boxy overall design with accentuated fenders and beefed up 37-inch mud-terrain tyres to highlight its go-anywhere potential.The concept itself is similar to the general blueprint of the popular Ford Bronco, which is based on the Ford Ranger ute, and has been a raging sales success in the United States. Adding to this theme is the tailgate-mounted full-size spare wheel, along with roof racks and a roof-mounted light bar.This latest concept comes after US patents of a pick-up truck for the North American market surfaced online. One of the key elements these patents revealed was thought to be detachable doors. It now appears that the doors are in-fact coach-style, not detachable, meaning they open away from the centre of the car. This increases the practicality and loading capacity of the car, like on the old Toyota FJ Cruiser. The Boulder’s interior has a minimalist yet futuristic look, with no large tablet-like screens present, but it does have a panoramic head-up display, which spans the length of the front window.