The Hyundai Elexio Proves SUV Madness Isn’t Stopping

We’ve honestly lost count of how many crossovers Hyundai has launched in recent years. Alas, get ready for another one, fully electric but skipping the usual Ioniq branding. Instead, the new EV bears the Elexio moniker and was developed in China for the local market. The newcomer is a product of Beijing Hyundai, a joint venture established in 2002 with BAIC Motor.

Elexio is Hyundai’s first dedicated electric car engineered specifically for China, the result of a five-year development process. Low-resolution images published on the Weibo social media network show an SUV that looks more bulbous than the Ioniq 5 but seemingly smaller than the Ioniq 9. We’ve been told the headlights, featuring four-point cubes, are a nod to the number 8, considered the luckiest number in China.

From some angles, the Elexio resembles an Ioniq 5 on a McDonald’s diet, trading the latter’s sharp lines for more rounded surfaces. The rear pillar is finished in a contrasting color that extends onto the rear spoiler. There’s no visible rear wiper, so we assume it’s tucked beneath the roof spoiler.

Front and rear light bars follow current design trends, as do the flush door handles that improve airflow to enhance aerodynamic efficiency and unlock extra range. Other noticeable details include chunky roof rails, large two-tone wheels, and a nearly flat roofline that suggests generous headroom for rear passengers. It wouldn’t be a 2025 car without glossy black accents, seen here on the wheel arches above the flared fenders.

Hyundai will release technical specifications and pricing details later this year.

9

Source: Hyundai

Hyundai is the latest major global player to unveil China-only products. We’ve recently covered Toyota’s bZ7 sedan, Audi’s new AUDI sub-brand, and the Honda GT. The Korean automaker isn’t doing well in the region, as deliveries plummeted from 1.16 million units in 2016 to just 151,000 last year, according to data from the China Automotive Technology and Research Center, as cited by Bloomberg.

Conditions have deteriorated to the point that Hyundai has had to scale back its manufacturing footprint in China from five to three factories since entering the market in 2002. Following the sale of the Beijing No. 1 factory in 2021, it sold the Chongqing plant last year for less than half of its initial asking price.

Despite these struggles, Hyundai isn’t giving up on China. It’s investing $1.1 billion with BAIC to ramp up EV development. The investment is evenly split between the two companies. Hyundai operates two R&D centers in the world’s largest car market, one in Shanghai and another in Yantai, tasked with accelerating the development of new, China-centric electric models.