Category: Hyundai

No comments

HYUNDAI I20 N

  By ,

The Hyundai i20 N hatch is the proverbial pocket rocket. It’s easily the cheapest entry to high performance motoring, with support for ‘tracking’ the car if that’s part of your plan. You can even download layouts for the various race tracks around Australia and upload them to the car, allowing you to time laps and compare your times to those of others. How good is that? STYLING Launched here in late 2021, the i20 N is part of a stable that includes the i30 N hatch and sedan, Kona N,… Read more

No comments

ELEXIO EV IS HYUNDAI’S FIRST CHINESE-BUILT VEHICLE

  By ,

Koreans don’t get to drive the Hyundai Elexio. They get the Kia equivalent instead — the EV5. Built in China, it’s the first Hyundai to be manufactured outside of South Korea, no doubt in an endeavour to reduce costs and make the car more competitive. Elexio sits between the Kona Electric and Ioniq 5 in terms of size, but is quite different in design, with a tall boxy body. It’s a made-up name, created especially for the five-seat EV and means nothing in particular — in fact it has been… Read more

No comments

HYUNDAI PALISADE CALLIGRAPHY 7-SEAT

  By ,

Released here in 2020, Palisade is the largest of Hyundai’s SUVs — not counting the electric Ioniq 9. Palisade is targeted at buyers of large SUVs who want a more car-like driving experience than that offered by traditional 4WDs. It’s available in seven and eight-seat configuration, with two standalone “captain’s chairs” occupying the second row in the seven-seat version. That leaves three people to squeeze in to the split-fold third row of seats, making it more of a six-seater but six-seaters have never done well in Australia. The Kia equivalent… Read more

No comments

FURTHER BONUS FOR FRESH-FACED IONIQ 5

  By , ,

The Ioniq 5 burst onto the local electric vehicle scene more than three years ago like the greyhound favourite out of a trap at the Dapto Dogs. The Dapto dish-lickers have since gone to the dogs, with the track winding up, but the Hyundai-built Ioniq 5 crossover SUV has continued to live a storied life, which has included being named the 2022 World Car of the Year. Now the MY25 Ioniq 5 five-seat SUV locally has won styling updates, new features and technology, and two new battery sizes delivering up… Read more

No comments

IONIQ 9 CALLIGRAPHY A CRUISE-LINER ON DRY LAND

  By , ,

Hyundai Heavy Industries is the largest shipbuilding company in the world, pumping out bulk carriers, street-length oil and gas tankers and Lego-like Leviathan container ships, so it’s not out of the question that its skills should translate to producing road-going vehicles of prodigious dimensions. Take, for example, the Korean company’s flagship Ioniq 9, a three-row all electric sports utility vehicle that delivers prestigious lounge-like space and comfort, plus a range of up to 600 kilometres on a single battery charge. At the pinnacle of EV technology, the Ioniq 9 is… Read more

No comments

EYE ON THE FUTURE – INSTER IS HARD TO IGNORE

  By ,

Ever been eyeballed by a car? Recently, while picking up a Hyundai test vehicle, I had the strange feeling the eyes (aka round headlamps with a ring of LED daytime running lights) of the Inster all-electric light SUV were following me. On top of this, positioned below was a wide grille with the superior look of a knowing smile? Creepy? The maker sees things differently, explaining the ethos of the Inster by saying the set-up makes for ‘a futuristic yet playful first impression.’ All flippancy aside, Hyundai’s smallest and most… Read more

No comments

HYUNDAI KONA EV – ELITE PACKAGE BUT A LITTLE PRICEY

  By ,

Launched by Hyundai in 2017, the second-generation Kona was revealed in December, 2022. It is available with petrol, mild hybrid, hybrid and battery-electric powertrains, while the earlier diesel engine option is no longer offered. Unlike the first version Hyundai claims second-generation Kona was designed first and foremost as a battery-electric vehicle before it was then adapted for use as other variants. Whichever way it swings, it has been designed to blend in with the current environment, with no discernible radiator grille regardless of what’s under the bonnet. Still, accommodations must… Read more

No comments

TUCSON ON THE HYBRID ROAD FOR HYUNDAI

  By ,

Hyundai has thrown the switch to power up the Tucson, while dimming it down, stopping at hybrid systems as opposed going for full electric vehicle status. In keeping with this are refreshed styling, plus an array of new and upgraded technology. The popular medium SUV, in its fourth generation, has retained the 2.0 MPi petrol and 1.6 T-GTi turbo-petrol powertrains with a choice of two or all-wheel drive. Three trims are now on offer with an optional N Line package available across the range. The Tucson has plenty of pull,… Read more

No comments

TAKE A TICKET TO RIDE FIRST-CLASS

  By , , ,

It’s the ‘pointy end of the plane’ attractions of the Palisade that are hard to resist. With a three-metre wheelbase the cabin space is more than adequate, then there are premium design finishes, plus the versatility of seven or eight seats. The result is a first-class travel experience. Even the Hyundai people mover’s entry-level model boasts the suffix ‘Elite’. For that the MY24 Palisade gains extra standard features in the form of a heated steering wheel and an eight-way power adjustable passenger seat. Passenger mood is enhanced with a quality… Read more

No comments

A LAST GASP OF HYUNDAI’S PETROL-POWERED PERFORMANCE

  By ,

As the battle for the streets between electric power and the internal combustion engine the latter, in one case, is putting up a stiff rearguard action with Hyundai upgrading its i30 N performance car. The new hot hatch has been given a fresh appearance, advanced technology and enhanced safety equipment’ capped off by swifter access to the fast-and-furious N Grin Shift function. All join a powertrain and driving dynamics that already have put Hyundai’s first ‘N’ at the head of the ‘grid’. With the MY25 upgrade Australia is the only… Read more