What's the difference?
Electrified utes are growing in popularity in Australia and carmakers have been paying attention.
While the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) ute is by far the best-selling as it stands, there hasn’t really been any electric ute to go up against the poorly received LDV eT60, until now.
South Korea’s KGM (formerly known as SsangYong) has just launched the Musso EV, which is a purely electric dual-cab ute. It’s unrelated to the existing, turbo-diesel Musso and is more closely related to the current car-based Actyon and Torres SUVs.
Read along to see how this ute stacks up against its growing set of competitors.
There's a hell of a lot riding on the shoulders of the Hyundai Elexio, which is shaping as the brand's best shot to date at taking on Made In China models like the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y.
While the Ioniq family sits atop the EV tree at Hyundai, the Elexio is a very different proposition. It's priced more sharply (the brand is quick to point out that it's only about $8 a week more expensive than a Sealion 7 on a novated lease), and it's the first Hyundai vehicle offered in Australia that's produced in the brand's Chinese factory through its Beijing Hyundai joint venture.
In short, it feels a lot like Hyundai is ready to take on BYD at their own game in Australia.
So, is the Elexio the pick of the Made In China bunch?
Despite having the Musso name, this electric ute is a completely different beast which is much more lifestyle-oriented than the older and unrelated turbo-diesel Musso workhorse.
There really isnβt much competition out there right now in the electric ute space but this makes a compelling case, especially for those looking in the fleet space. It has an appealing price, adequate range, SUV-like comfort and decent payload capacity.
The Elexio doesn't really push any boundaries in terms of its exterior design, its powertrain, or its battery. It doesn't drive itself. It doesn't look like a spaceship. And apart from some interior quirks, it's all pretty familiar in the way it goes about its business.
And I think maybe that's the point. Maybe that's what people are really looking for. Because Hyundai says this will be its best-selling EV in the country. And on our short test, we can't find too many reasons to disagree.
Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.
Note: The author, Andrew Chesterton, is a co-owner of Smart As Media, a content agency and media distribution service with a number of automotive brands among its clients. When producing content for CarsGuide, he does so in accordance with the CarsGuide Editorial Guidelines and Code of Ethics, and the views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.