It’s official: Hyundai Elexio medium electric SUV headed to Australia from China as BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y rival
Updated 30/10/2025: Hyundai Australia has issued an official statement confirming the Elexio will go on-sale in early 2026.
Today’s announceemnt coincided with the car’s launch in China where it will be known as the EO.
We’ll have more detail on the site soon, watch out for it.
Original story: If you can’t beat them join them! Hyundai Australia will turn to China for an electric SUV to fight the BYD Sealion 7 and Tesla Model Y.
It’s called the Hyundai Elexio and it’s just been unveiled in China, where it has been designed, developed and will be built.
The Elexio is a mid-size SUV developed by the Beijing Hyundai joint-venture between Hyundai Motor Company and local auto giant BAIC.
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Little specification has been revealed about the Elexio so far apart from it having a 700km range between recharges based on the lenient CLTC test regime.
No interior details have yet been revealed but it has been reported to be a completely button free. It is also reported to have level 2 autonomous driving ability.
The Elexio has previously been spotted in Australia in disguise undergoing testing. But at that time Hyundai Australia played down any prospects of a local launch.
Hyundai Australia remains tight-lipped about the Elexio but dealer sources have confirmed its headed our way. It goes on sale in China in the third quarter of 2025, which puts it on schedule to arrive in Australia in 2026.
It has been reported the Elexio is based on the same E-GMP EV platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, 6 and 9, but that may be wide of the mark.
It could be the Elexio is actually based on the same platform as Hyundai groups sister brand Kia’s EV5 medium electric SUV.
The version of that vehicle built in China is based on a platform dubbed N3 eK and also uses cheaper LFP batteries and a 400V electrical architecture.
If Alexio shares that platform that would certainly help Hyundai with its EV cost issues, that have effectively cruelled its EV sale potential in Australia, despite having highly regarded vehicles.
The smaller Kona Electric lines up against the Sealion 7 and the Model Y in Australia on price, while their more logical Hyundai rival, the Ioniq 5, is significantly more expensive.
The brand new Sealion 7 starts at $54,990 plus on-road costs and the freshly rejuvenated Model Y at $58,990 plus ORCs. The Ioniq 5 starts at $69,899 plus ORCs.
As detailed by EV Central, Hyundai ranked only eighth on the EV sales list in April with 152 vehicles sold. BYD topped the list with 1639 sales, while Kia was second with 751 and MG third with 594.
The Elexio won’t be the only EV reinforcement for Hyundai in Australia. The aforementioned Ioniq 9 arrives in the July-September 2025 period, although little volume is expected from this $100K-plus luxury full-sized SUV.
A facelifted Ioniq 6 and its Ioniq 6 N high performance spin-off are due January-March 2026.
Longer term Hyundai’s new Aussie boss has declared the Korean giant will finally adda ute to its line-up locally, most likely with PHEV power.
