Hyundai's Electric Elexio Is a Forbidden Fruit We Might Never Try
Image Credit: Hyundai.
Just when I thought Hyundai was content churning out Ioniqs like hotcakes – and don't get me wrong, they're lovely little things – they've gone and thrown a curveball at us. Or should I say, a stylish little electric SUV aimed squarely at the bustling streets of China. They're calling it the Elexio, and it's about as related to the Ioniq family as a chihuahua is to a Great Dane. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose!
The Elexio is a homegrown hero, cooked up by the Beijing Hyundai joint venture. Whether this little spark plug will ever grace our shores here in the good ol' US of A is still up in the air. But let me tell you, the Elexio is a little bit sporty, a little bit futuristic, and definitely not your usual grocery getter.
While they're keeping the technical details under wraps for now – the dimensions are still a mystery – it looks like it's playing in the compact SUV sandbox. Think something you could easily parallel park without breaking a sweat, but still roomy enough to haul your antique teapot collection. You know, for emergencies.
The design is a departure from the sleek lines we've come to expect from the Ioniq bunch. The Elexio sports a grille-less face – who needs a fakey grin when you're electric, right? Instead, it's got these sporty bumper intakes and a snazzy full-width LED bar. The headlights are all business, mounted horizontally, giving it a determined little stare that's clearly been inspired by Bugatti. Bold moves, Hyundai - bold moves!
Image Credit: Hyundai.
When you sashay around to the side, you'll notice the sculpted fenders that give it a bit of muscle, and a dark D-pillar that flows right into the rear spoiler. It's a clever little visual trick that makes it look sleek and speedy, even when it's just sitting there looking pretty. And the rear? High-mounted, full-width LEDs, bold lettering announcing its Elexio-ness - it's all rather…distinctive.
Hyundai hasn't let us peek inside yet, the cheeky devils! But they're teasing an "intelligent interface" with not a physical button in sight. It's all touchscreens and digital wizardry, powered by the Qualcomm SA8295 chip - we expect all the connectivity bells and whistles. Hyundai is also promising a simple interior with loads of cubbyholes. Where else are you going to hide your emergency stash of chocolate and that one lipstick you can never find?
Image Credit: Hyundai.
Safety-wise, the Elexio is packing some serious tech with its Level 2+ autonomous driving capabilities. That means it'll have your back with all sorts of driver aids. And underneath all that stylish sheet metal lies the E-GMP architecture, the same clever platform that underpins a whole family of Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis EVs. Clearly, they know what they're doing; this isn't their first electric rodeo.
Hyundai is being coy about the motor situation – single or dual? How much oomph? – we do know this little SUV is aiming for a whopping 435 miles of range on a single charge. Sure, that's according to the Chinese testing, so take it with a grain of salt, but still! That's enough to road trip to Graceland and back with juice to spare. And when you do need a top-up, it'll zoom from 30 to 80 percent battery in just 27 minutes. Not too shabby!
The Korean auto giant is dropping a cool $1.1 billion into their Chinese venture, which tells you they're serious about making a dent in that massive market. With local competition heating up, the Elexio is their secret weapon to win back some hearts and minds – and a whole lot of sales. Whether this charming little electric SUV will ever find its way into my driveway remains a mystery, but it's interesting to see Hyundai creating a market-dedicated EV, and not a bad-looking EV at that.
