Big Bang in the Cabin: Hyundai Elexio Unveils the True Face of Tomorrow’s Car

Hyundai’s latest mid-size SUV, the Elexio, has finally revealed its interior—and as expected, it’s a masterclass in how to design a truly digital future. The traditional instrument cluster is gone. Buttons are so scarce it borders on awkward.

Unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April, the Elexio is set to define Hyundai’s new design language for the Chinese market. And let’s be honest—this is a completely different beast from the Ioniq models built for the West. Luxury and modernity take center stage, even if it means more conservative drivers might initially feel a bit lost.

The star attraction is a 27-inch 4K touchscreen running on a Qualcomm 8295 chip. Naturally, it responds to voice commands—who has time for buttons anymore? Though it looks like a single slab, the screen allows the driver and front passenger to display entirely different content. A small heads-up display replaces the traditional gauge cluster.

The cabin boasts a staggering 29 storage compartments, including a drawer that slides out like kitchen furniture but made for a car. With 506 liters of trunk space, there’s little to complain about when it comes to travel freedom. Measuring 4615 mm in length, 1875 mm in width, and 1673 mm in height, with a 2750 mm wheelbase, the Elexio’s specs are filed neatly in China’s Ministry of Industry database.

Technically, the Elexio shares its E-GMP platform with the Ioniq line, but stylistically, it exists in a world of its own. Hyundai is showing the future as envisioned for China—and that vision doesn’t bother with Western restraint.

The car will be offered in both front- and all-wheel-drive variants. The FWD model features a single 218-horsepower motor, while the AWD version adds a second motor with 99 horsepower, bringing the total output to over 316 horsepower. Both versions top out at 185 km/h—not exactly a sports car.

Hyundai is relying on FinDreams, a BYD subsidiary, to supply the lithium iron phosphate batteries. While exact capacity figures remain under wraps, Hyundai claims a driving range of up to 700 kilometers based on the CLTC cycle. And when the battery runs low, it can be charged from 30 to 80 percent in just 27 minutes.

The Elexio is expected to hit the Chinese market in September. Whether it ever crosses any borders remains, at best, an open question.