Hyundai News

New reports out of the US say Hyundai and Kia may be forced to significantly reduce their EV footprint as volatile trade winds bite.According to industry source Automotive News, the upcoming and heavily updated Ioniq 6 will be forced to be offered in just one variant, the Ioniq 6 N, as opposed to an expanded line-up.Conversely, Kia has been forced to indefinitely shelve its performance-oriented EV6 GT and EV9 GT, at least for the US market.This is because the Korean-built models will fail to be competitive enough in light of the US administration’s continued tariffs, which would add significant costs to the models once delivered in the USA. Models built locally, like the rest of the EV6 and EV9 range would not be affected.When contacted for potential impacts for Australian production, a Hyundai Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide its plan to launch the Ioniq 6 N would proceed as planned toward the end of April this year, and while the brand was considering further additions to the line-up, it was too early to say whether these plans would be impacted by tariff movements at HQ.Meanwhile, a Kia Australia spokesperson told CarsGuide that as it stands right now supply of the EV6 GT and EV9 GT would continue for the Australian market, and would remain unaffected by tariffs overseas.Locally, the range-topping Kia EV9 GT costs $129,250 before on-road costs, while the EV6 GT starts from $99,660 before on-road costs.Interestingly both brands also said at this stage they would not be affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, as vehicles sourced by each brand did not pass through the region for the Australian market.It seems a case of right-hand drive production insulating both automakers from wider impacts to the left-hand drive market, which is largely determined by demand coming out of either the USA or China.However, many other automakers will continue to pull back on EV plans due to the removal of subsidies in the US, and rising demand for hybrids the world over.Volkswagen for example is pivoting to range-extender hybrids in China and the US, where the tech will underpin its just-launched ID.9X large SUV, and its new range of big ladder frame 4x4s from rebooted Scout Motors.Meanwhile a range of Chinese brands, like MG’s IM luxury arm, Leapmotor, Geely, and Deepal are all rolling out range-extended hybrid powertrains across their range.Hyundai Group itself will invest in the tech, with executives frequently hinting the brand will pivot to a range-extender set-up for the highly anticipated Hyundai Ute, as a significant point of difference from its Kia Tasman cousin.While it is yet to be confirmed, it seems to be a logical next step for the brand, as many brands are betting on hybrid technology for the future of larger models in big left-hand drive markets like the US and China.Despite headwinds, Hyundai is also one of the few automakers standing by its hydrogen plans. Many are shying away from the potential diesel-replacing technology due to its massive upfront technology costs in a challenging financial environment.Stay tuned on more of both Hyundai and Kia’s plans in 2026 as they defend their hard-fought sales position in Australia from the meteoric growth of Chinese rivals like BYD, Chery, and GWM.

Internal combustion power is still by far the most popular type of car in Australia, the latest sales data has revealed. 

China is now the biggest country of origin for new-car sales in Australia, leapfrogging Japan in what is a seismic shift in the Australian automotive industry.

Virtually every non-hybrid and electric Hyundai vehicle in Australia received a $750 price hike from February 1, 2026.Hyundai Australia explained this price hike is due to global economic factors, such as U.S. tariffs, as well as local policy, such as the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES).The $750 price hike applies to the Hyundai Venue, Sonata, Staria, Staria Load, as well as pure internal-combustion (ICE) versions of the i30, Kona and Santa Fe.It notably doesn’t include high-performance Hyundai N vehicles like the i20 N, as well as the i30 N hatch and sedan.Pricing tables for all the Hyundai vehicles affected by this price hike are at the end of this story.As recently revealed, Hyundai Motor Corporation Australia (HMCA), which includes luxury arm Genesis, was behind the target for the first NVES performance period which finished at the end of 2025.In fact it was the fourth worst-performing brand, behind Mazda, Nissan and Subaru and is at risk of paying a fine of over $4 million at the end of 2027 unless it can offset it by beating the tightening targets in following years, or buying credits from other carmakers.HMCA imported a total of 39,863 vehicles during the 2025 performance period and this equates to a fine of $106 per vehicle.As noted above, Hyundai is attributing this $750 price rise at least in part to NVES, therefore meaning some of the fine amount is being passed on to buyers.Hyundai is far from the first brand to admit this. Ford and Nissan have also had price hikes that are at least in part related to the tightening CO2 standards in Australia. 

The numbers don’t lie. Australians love Chinese-built cars.Chinese-made vehicles accounted for more than 221,000 sales in Australia in 2025. That was nearly 20 per cent of all cars sold locally, making it the third-largest country to send cars here behind only Japan and Thailand. That figure represents a 25 per cent increase on 2024, and a massive 190 per cent jump from five years ago.Which explains why the newest model from Hyundai, a brand synonymous with sourcing its cars from South Korea, has turned to China for help. The all-new Elexio is the sister-model to the Kia EV5, both are built on Hyundai’s globally-developed E-GMP electric vehicle platform, but both are manufactured in China in a bid to cut production costs.In theory this is working well, with the Elexio priced from $59,990 drive-away as its introductory price, which is much cheaper than the similarly-size, but South Korean-built Ioniq 5, which starts at $76,200 plus on-road costs.Kia’s EV5 range is priced from $56,770 for the entry-level Air Standard Range variant, but it does stretch up to $71,770 for the GT-Line Long Range. Speaking at the launch of the Elexio, Hyundai management made no secret that it has become more open minded to where its cars come from, rather than sticking to its traditional South Korean base.“We've been pretty open to ,” said Tim Rodgers, Product Development Manager for Hyundai.“We're currently sourcing from Turkey and Czech Republic already, and we've got factories everywhere. We’re constantly studying and assessing the viability. So anything that pops up onto the radar that becomes viable is just a huge benefit to us, especially as a right-hand-drive model.” But there is still a clear gap between these Hyundai-Kia Chinese models and those from Chinese brands, such as Geely, Leapmotor and Deepal, which are more than $15,000 cheaper in some cases.Hyundai Australia Chief Operating Officer Gavin Donaldson believes some Chinese companies are "pulling other levers" to achieve those prices, which is a polite way to suggest these brand’s Australian prices are subsidised by head office.Rodgers, though, says Hyundai Australia’s isn’t looking to source more cars from China simply because production costs are lower. “I mean it's not just that. We've got a whole R&D facility in China as well, right,” he explained. “So we are leveraging that, the proximity to us to be able to assess our market, visit us, support our market. It's a level of support that's great to have from not just Korea but China as well. So a huge benefit.”While the EV5 is the only Kia built in China, Hyundai’s joint-venture operation in the country, Beijing Hyundai, makes several models including the Elantra (i30 Sedan), Sonata, Tucson and Santa Fe - although not all are available in right-hand drive.Beijing Hyundai has actually suffered a steep sales decline in recent years, as the domestic Chinese brands emerged as serious players both home and abroad. The creation of the research and development centre mentioned by Rodgers came in 2024, as the company looked to improve its fortunes and fights back against the likes of BYD, GWM and Chery in both China and Australia.What this ultimately means for Australian customers remains to be seen, with Hyundai management not revealing any new models for our showrooms anytime soon, but there is clearly an openness to cars built not only in China but other low-cost manufacturing bases in order to better compete in the changing market.

Hyundai's new ute promises to be unlike anything we've seen in Australia to date, and the result of 15 years of careful plotting and planning to dethrone the kings of Australia's dual-cab segment.

A number of popular car brands in Australia are at risk of paying fines in excess of $10 million for not meeting tightening emission standards if they don’t correct course quickly.

The electric vehicle space in Australia continues to grow, with another competitor joining the battle imminently in the Hyundai Elexio.The Elexio will be Hyundai’s first car on sale in Australia which has been built in China, and it brings with it an important test for the brand’s future EV strategy. It will have to take on the three best-sellers of the electric SUV segment, including the top-selling Tesla Model Y along with the BYD Sealion 7 and Kia EV5.The Elexio will have to beat the best to be the best, so here is how it sizes up to its competitors, at least on paper.  The Elexio lands in Australia with an attractive introductory drive-away offer of $59,990, which is available until the 31st of March. From that point it is expected a cheaper entry-level variant of the Elexio will arrive in Australia, for around a similar starting price. The up-spec Elexio for under $60k appears to be a competitive deal compared to the base variants of its rivals, but when the drive-away deal expires, it will be the most expensive of the four, possibly more equivalent to higher-grade versions of each.It may be a different story when the cheaper variant of the Elexio lands in time for the drive-away deal’s expiry, offering a more fair comparison. Using before on-road costs pricing, the Sealion 7 is the cheapest of the bunch at just under $55,000, while the EV5 is available from $56,770. The Model Y is only slightly more affordable than the Elexio's introductory price at $58,900 before on-roads, making it more expensive by the time you're driving it out of a Tesla delivery centre.The Elexio shares similar dimensions to the Kia EV5, but it is slightly smaller than the Sealion 7 and the Model Y. The Elexio leads the way in the important driving range category, being the only car in this comparison offering more than 500km. This is mostly due to its 88kWh battery being bigger than the rest of the pack. It is significantly larger, for example, than the entry-level versions of the EV5 (64.2kWh) and the Model Y (62.5kWh). The incoming base variant of the Elexio is expected to offer the same if not a better driving range, as it features the same 88kWh and will likely have smaller wheels. It is a tight race when it comes to charging times, with the Elexio’s being the slowest at 38 minutes for 10-80 per cent top-ups, but all these cars boast times of less than 40 minutes. While all these cars have a single electric motor, the Elexio has less power than the Sealion 7 and the Model Y and the same as the EV5, with 160kW and 230Nm. The Model Y’s 255kW and 450Nm is the best of the category. The Elexio is not yet available with the option of all-wheel drive, while the other three cars can be in higher trim levels. The Elexio currently on sale has 20-inch wheels, which are the largest in this pack. Unlike the Sealion 7 and the EV5, it features a 27.0-inch display which spans across the dashboard as opposed to having separate sections. The Tesla also differs from the Sealion 7 and the EV5, with its 16.0-inch horizontal ‘floating tablet’ central screen and no screen real estate for a dedicated digital instrument cluster. The Elexio is similarly kitted-out with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite navigation and wireless phone charging capabilities. This version of the Elexio also comes with a head-up display, something which along with phone mirroring is missing from the Model Y.All four of these cars received five-star ANCAP safety ratings with high scores in all categories. The enticing but temporary drive-away deal for Elexio makes it a strong prospect for buyers in the mid-size EV segment, especially with its comparatively superior driving range. This comes at a detriment to other aspects of the car, such as the power and torque figures, which trail that of the Sealion 7 and the Model Y. Its 27.0-inch display gives the Elexio a different flavour to the rest, while it has much of the same equipment levels as its rivals here.The Elexio will have a tough time dislodging the established trio of competitors, but in a time when EV sales are ever expanding, now might be the best time to pull it off. 

Hyundai has created a new entry grade to its popular large family SUV, meaning the entry price for three rows of seating is now much lower.The 2026 Hyundai Palisade Elite joins the pricey Calligraphy as a new base grade with the full eight-seat capability.Priced from $76,500 before on-roads, the Palisade Elite is $13,400 cheaper than the eight-seat version of the Calligraphy, a significant saving for those who need the space but aren’t bothered by luxe features.A different front grille, a set of five-spoke 20-inch alloy wheels, black detailing and a choice of six colours differentiate the Elite from the Calligraphy, while inside the standard kit isn’t lacking.The twin 12.3-inch screens, one multimedia touchscreen and one driver display, are still present. There’s a 14-speaker Bose premium audio system, a combination of leather and cloth upholstery, tri-zone climate control and a heated steering wheel.The Calligraphy’s seven-seat option isn’t available, nor is the sunroof, but the Elite uses the same hybrid drivetrain which allows for interior V2L capability.The engine is the brand’s 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol, sending 245kW and 460Nm to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.Hyundai’s full suite of safety features (which the brand calls Smartsense) is also standard on the Elite, with ADAS tech like adaptive cruise, highway assist, lane keep and a driver monitoring system.The Hyundai Smart Key system for owners’ smartphones is also still available on the base Elite.The Palisade Elite is available to order now, with deliveries commencing in March.

Hyundai says Australian consumers will see value in paying more for its Elexio than they would for a BYD Sealion 7, suggesting the marginal increase in a weekly novated lease cost is countered by its heritage and dealer network.That's the word from Hyundai COO, Gavin Donaldson, who told CarsGuide that Hyundai's footprint in Australia justified the price jump from a BYD Sealion 7 into an Elexio, with both electric SUVs being sourced from China.According to Hyundai's data, approximate weekly novated lease costs for the Elexio Elite are around $205 per week, compared to around $200 for the entry-level Sealion 7. The brand's data also has the Tesla Model Y at $216 per week, the Kia EV5 at $204 per week, and the Xpeng G6 at $199.That $5 per week, or $260 per year, is easy to "justify", says Mr Donaldson."I would hope that the infrastructure of the Hyundai dealer network across Australia would justify that. I would hope that, anywhere across the country, if you're driving a Hyundai EV, that you know you have the support of a network that has been in the country for 50 years."We are a legacy brand in Australia. We have been here for 40 years. As you said earlier, we've been involved in creating EVs for 35 years. I have to believe that the service and the background of your dealer network provides you with a benefit."Novated leasing does close the RRP gap between the Elexio and the Sealion 7. The Hyundai model launches with the top-spec elite, which lists at $61,990 but is being offered at $59,990 drive-away until around the end of March. It will be joined in Q2 by an entry-level model which will list at $58,990.The Sealion 7 lists at $54,990, and then steps up to the $63,990 for the Performance model.Both models are sourced from China, with the Elexio produced in a factory Hyundai describes as its most advanced in the world. In China, the Elexio's starting price converts to around $30,000, but the brand is quick to point out that cross-country prices never correlate to local pricing."Doing these cross-country price comparisons don't apply to any manufacturer in the market right now," says Hyundai's Product Planning Assistant Manager, Ronald Yuwono."We think that the price we've got here is quite compelling."