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THINKING ALOUD

The Hyundai that South Koreans can’t buy – and what it can teach the car industry

The Elexio, launching in Singapore on Sep 10, shows how legacy automakers are catering to Beijing

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    • Hyundai’s Elexio is assembled in China, ostensibly for Chinese buyers, with a sprawling touch screen and batteries from BYD.
    • Hyundai’s Elexio is assembled in China, ostensibly for Chinese buyers, with a sprawling touch screen and batteries from BYD. PHOTO: BEIJING HYUNDAI

    Leow Ju-Len

    Published Wed, Sep 9, 2026 · 07:00 AM

    [SINGAPORE] Hyundai – the South Korean automaker – will launch a car in Singapore on Thursday (Sep 10) that it does not sell anywhere except for China and Australia.

    It does not hawk the Elexio in South Korea, and there are lessons the industry could draw from its absence at home.

    The Elexio is built on an electric-vehicle architecture that represents the pride of Hyundai’s engineering. Its Electric-Global Modular Platform underpins a host of award-winning cars, each one named Ioniq.

    Thinking AloudAutomotiveCarsElectric vehicles

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