It’s already been a big year for Hyundai in Australia, with the new-car market’s number five-ranked brand having just launched the dramatic Ioniq 6 EV sedan.
But that Tesla Model 3-baiting, ultra-low drag four door is just the beginning of an extensive 2023 new model roll-out for the South Korean giant.
CarsGuide recently spoke with Hyundai Australia’s Chief Operating Officer, John Kett, to walk through the key models coming down the brand’s new product pipeline this year. Strap in because Hyundai has a lot of new metal coming.
Kona
While acknowledging the importance of the Ioniq 6, Mr Kett said, “I think Kona is the most important statement we’ll make (in 2023) largely because it covers three distinct powertrains. It covers petrol, the low-emission long-term benefit you get from hybrid, plus pure zero emissions.”
The all-new Kona is longer (+185mm), wider (+20mm) and taller (+30mm) than the outgoing model with more rear seat room and a bigger boot.
Although Hyundai says the car’s design is ‘EV-centric’ it does not ride on the designated ‘e-GMP’ EV platform underpinning Ioniq models.
Petrol engines are upgraded versions of the current units; a 110kW/179Nm 2.0-litre four with continuously variable transmission (CVT) and 146kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbo four matched with a new eight-speed auto (replacing the current seven-speed dual-clutch).
The hybrid will combine a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for 104kW/265Nm, and the Electric will be offered in standard and long-range variants, as per the current car.
With petrol models due here mid-year, and the hybrid and EV variants joining them in the fourth quarter, expect an entry price above $30K stretching to $65,000 for the long-range EV.
Mr Kett adds, “I think it allows us to also demonstrate the N Line spirit across all of these products, and they will come with basic access to Bluelink (connected services). So, for the first time we can present Bluelink access on all vehicles.”
Sonata
“I think the next one, even though we don’t talk a lot about it, is Sonata. It’s for those that enjoy a mid-size performance sedan and it’s an incredible vehicle,” Mr Kett said.
The recently revealed, heavily revised new Sonata follows the Ioniq 6’s aero-influenced design and will be offered globally with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, a turbo version of that engine for the N-Line, and a hybrid-assisted 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol.
As for the local market, Mr Kett says, “The last Sonata we brought in only in N-Line. We vacated all the fleet business, and this will be identical.”
Despite the lack of a direct fleet focus, the updated Sonata N-Line will no doubt find a home in police fleets around the country, with the current model deployed in marked and unmarked roles across multiple states and territories.
“It still gets 50-odd a month, sometimes up to 100 a month (depending on supply). So, I think it’d be a great salute for this product, because this is supposed to be the last year,” Mr Kett said.
Santa Fe
According to John Kett, “The year ends for us with two critical products. One is the Santa Fe, and I think what we’re going to get is a really good-looking powertrain outline for Santa Fe, and a completely new-look vehicle in December.”
Expect to see a similar hybrid to the current model, as the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine and hybrid system has only recently become available in Australia. The 3.5-litre petrol V6 is also likely to carry on.
However, the new Santa Fe could herald the demise of the current 2.2-litre diesel engine option (offered in Europe but not North America) if Hyundai follows rivals in replacing oil-burners with more efficient hybrid models.
Heavily camouflaged pre-production prototypes have been regularly spotted testing on public roads around the globe, so while overall proportions appear to be similar to the current car, the exact look and feel of the upcoming model is unknown.
That said, it’s possible that within a more upright design the new seven-seater will follow Hyundai’s recent move to strip headlights spanning the width of the vehicle and simpler body surfaces.
Ioniq 7
As a pure-electric large SUV alternative, Mr Kett says, “And there’s also going to be Ioniq 7, so we’re going to be covering all powertrains between three cars (Santa Fe, Palisade and Ioniq 7) and that’s really exciting.”
He adds, “Ioniq has lifted itself up as the halo of our brand. It’s demonstrating to us, and the data really does show it, that people who understand Ioniq have a higher appreciation of Hyundai.”
Riding on an extended version of Hyundai’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), also underpinning the smaller Ioniq 5 SUV and Ioniq 6 sedan, the full-size Ioniq 7 is likely to closely follow the design of the Seven Concept shown at the LA motor show in 2021.
Like its existing Ioniq stablemates the Ioniq 7 will likely feature single motor RWD and dual motor AWD powertrain configurations as well as Hyundai’s Bluelink connected car services and over-the-air software update capability.
Ioniq 5 N
For performance enthusiasts Mr Kett references a much-anticipated EV. “And then smouldering away in the background, and we can’t wait to see the damn thing, is the Ioniq 5 N.”
Sharing some key similarities with the recently released twin-motor, 430kW/740Nm, AWD Kia EV6 GT, former Hyundai and Kia R&D boss (and current technical advisor to the Hyundai Motor Group) Albert Biermann, previously told CarsGuide about the differences between the cars.
“There are some crucial technical differences between the two cars, most significantly the battery. While the electric motors are the same, Hyundai will use the next evolution of the battery technology and will have a different inverter that has been developed to help its on-track stamina,” he said.
Till Wartenberg, Vice President N Brand Management and Motorsport also hinted new transmission and sound tech will be transferred from the RN22e concept car to the Ioniq 5 N.
“We have the first version of ‘N e-shift’ (a virtual gearbox designed to simulate gear changes) and the ‘N e-sound’, the virtual sound; it has internal and external speakers. We’re trying out the best way of having our fun-to-drive philosophy on N on the production model of the Ioniq 5 N.”
i30 sedan hybrid
Also, as part of a mid-life i30 sedan update, Hyundai Australia has confirmed it will launch a hybrid version of the car in the third quarter of this year.
Likely to use a version of the 1.6-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol engine and single electric motor combination already offered on the car in the USA (and in the new Kona hybrid), expect 78kW/148Nm from the engine and 32kW/169Nm from the motor, for combined outputs of 104kW/265Nm. Drive is fed to the front wheels via six-speed dual-clutch auto transmission.
Stay tuned and CarsGuide will keep you updated on all of the above as the year progresses.
Keyword: Hyundai's 2023 new model pipeline ready to burst! Six all-new or updated electric cars, SUVs and N performance models coming to Australia this year, including Kona, Santa Fe, i30 sedan and more!