Hyundai to roll out 1st electric SUV tailored for China in September

Hyundai Motor Co. is set to unveil its first electric sports utility vehicle designed for the Chinese market in September to stage a comeback in the world’s largest automobile market.

The electric SUV, Elexio, is the first of its six localized electric vehicles slated for release in China by 2027.

The rollout follows the official launch of the second-generation model of Hyundai's flagship Palisade SUV in China last week, which offers greater horsepower and improved fuel efficiency than its predecessor.

Hyundai expects the two SUV models, in a segment popular with Chinese drivers, to provide fresh momentum in rebuilding its presence in a country where it has lost ground to homegrown rivals.

Elexio, powered by batteries from China’s BYD Co., was developed in collaboration with Beijing Hyundai Motor Company (BHMC), a joint venture between Hyundai and Beijing Automotive Group, from the earliest stage of design.

The electric SUV features the number eight – a symbol of wealth in Chinese culture – incorporated into its lamp design.

SECOND CHINA-EXCLUSIVE EV

Hyundai will introduce a second China-exclusive electric model – a sedan – in the first half of next year. 

Since its foray into China in 2002, Hyundai was once hailed as one of the most successful foreign automakers, selling more than one million vehicles in the country in 2016.

However, sales have since plunged, falling to 169,765 units last year.

Through July this year, its sales in China rose, reaching 111,936 units, a 13.3% increase from the same period last year.

“Elexio’s performance will serve as a litmus test for Hyundai’s rebound in China,” said an automobile industry official.

ALL-NEW PALISADE

The Palisade joined the ranks of million-sellers in June, with cumulative sales of 1,005,772 units. It is a milestone achieved six years and eight months after the launch of its first-generation model in November 2018.

More than half of those, about 540,000 vehicles, were sold in the US. 

The second-generation Palisade, released in South Korea in January 2025, features Hyundai’s next-generation hybrid system, delivering a combined output of 334 horsepower, 39 more than its predecessor.

It offers a driving range of up to 1,000 kilometers on a single charge. The large SUV will be manufactured at Hyundai’s Korea plant in Ulsan.

Write to Gil-Sung Yang at vertigo@hankyung.com
 

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.