IONIQ 6 on the way, refreshed Palisade, a couple of small cars dropped.
Hyundai has started deploying its IONIQ sub-brand of fully electric vehicles in North America and across the globe, while retaining a full lineup of gas-powered cars and crossovers to suit almost every need and lifestyle.
In addition, through its electrification strategy, the Korean automaker has also expanded its hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrain options. The company recently launched a couple of high-performance products as well. Here’s what to expect from the Hyundai brand in 2023, with models listed in alphabetical order.
2021 Hyundai Accent | Photo: Hyundai
The Hyundai Accent left the Canadian market two years ago, and now, the Accent sedan that was still available in the United States during the 2022 model year has been discontinued.
The Hyundai Elantra is available in regular, hybrid, sporty N Line and performance-focused N variants. The sedan gets a bunch of comfort, convenience and safety features that are now available in lower trim levels for 2023. In the U.S., the N Line loses its manual transmission option, while the SEL Convenience gets upgraded from 16- to 17-inch alloy wheels. Both the SEL Convenience and the N Line move up to a 10.25-inch digital driver instrument cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment screen with navigation. Meanwhile, the SEL Premium package is gone.
Up in Canada, the Elantra’s Essential trim with the six-speed manual and the base Preferred hybrid variants are no longer offered, while the Ultimate trim level becomes Luxury in both regular Elantra and hybrid variants, and the N Line becomes the N Line Ultimate. The newly renamed Elantra Luxury hybrid receives 17-inch wheels—up from 16-inchers—while the 10.25-inch digital driver instrument cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment screen are now standard on Preferred Tech, Luxury and N Line editions. The latter also gets a power driver’s seat and full leatherette upholstery as opposed to a combination of cloth and leather, along with adaptive cruise control and highway driving assist.
The Hyundai IONIQ hatchback, offered in hybrid and plug-in hybrid configurations for the 2022 model year, along with a fully electric variant during previous model years, has retired in favour of the IONIQ sub-brand lineup of EVs.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 crossover went on sale in 2022, available with a rear-wheel drivetrain matched to one of two battery sizes—58 and 77.4 kWh—for an estimated driving range of 220 or 303 miles (354 or 488 km). An AWD variant with the bigger battery is also offered, with a range of 266 miles or 428 km—an increase of 10 miles or 16 km over the 2022 model. Power ranges between 168 and 320 horsepower, with the IONIQ 5 AWD being the most potent one of the bunch. SE, SEL and Limited trim levels are on deck in the United States, while Preferred with or without the long-range battery and the Ultimate option package is the sole Canadian trim—the country’s base Essential variant has been canned. Battery heating and preconditioning systems are now standard on all trim levels, which is good news for buyers in colder climates, while a seat belt reminder for all five seats has been added, and there’s a new Gravity Gold Matte paint colour. In addition, the IONIQ 5’s max tow rating has increased from 1,650 to 2,300 pounds (748 to 1,043 kilograms).
The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is a new addition for the 2023 model year, which shares the IONIQ 5’s powertrains, but conceals them under a sleek and swoopy sedan body. Boasting the drag coefficient of just 0.21, the IONIQ 6 is one of the most aerodynamic production cars on the market. Rear-wheel and all-wheel drivetrains are offered, the most potent of which develops 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, the most efficient variant with the 77.4 kWh battery pack flaunts an estimated range of 379 miles or 610 km, based on the more optimistic WLTP test procedure. With RWD and the 53 kWh battery, energy consumption is said to be as low as 14 kWh/100 km, making it one of the most efficient cars on the market. The IONIQ 6 should reach North American markets in early 2023.
In the U.S., the popular Hyundai Kona gets several equipment changes. The N Line’s Tech package has been ditched, but the power sunroof it contained is now standard in the N Line. Heated mirrors with integrated turn signals, a rear-seat USB port, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and safe exit warning are now standard across all trim levels. A power driver’s seat is now included in the SEL and SEL Convenience, while the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation makes its way into the SEL Convenience. The Kona Electric SEL and SEL Convenience have been renamed SE and SEL, and now feature standard power driver’s seat, heated front seats, power windows with front auto up/down, rear-seat USB port and 10.25-inch touchscreen with navigation.
In Canada, the Kona loses its fog lamps, and oddly enough, gains standard cargo net hooks, but loses the available cargo net itself—which means it’s become a dealer accessory only. The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation is now standard in the Preferred with Sun & Leather package, the N Line and the N Line with Ultimate package. As for the Kona Electric, the base Essential trim level is gone, while the LED taillights are now reserved for the Ultimate trim. The EV also loses its safety net, but all variants now benefit from the 10.25-inch infotainment screen with navigation.
2023 Hyundai Palisade | Photo: Hyundai
The Hyundai Palisade receives a mid-cycle refresh for 2023, which includes revised bumpers, grille, headlamps and DRLs, alloy wheel designs and auto-dimming outside mirrors. The cabin benefits from reworked instrument panel, steering wheel design and seat upholsteries. A massaging driver’s seat, adjustable second-row captain’s chair armrests, heated third-row seats, acoustic laminated rear-door glass, a 12.3-inch infotainment system touchscreen, a digital key system, remote smart park assist, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a rear camera mirror, USB-C ports and a faster wireless charging pad are all now available as well. The 2023 Palisade gets safer with standard rear side-impact airbags and enhanced active safety features.
In the U.S., the Palisade gets a new XRT trim level boasting a more rugged appearance, while the SEL Convenience has been dropped. The AWD system gets a new Tow Mode, and there’s a new paint color called Robust Emerald. The Canadian market gets a new mid-level Urban trim, equivalent to the U.S.-market XRT, while the Essential variant has been dropped, meaning the base price has risen by several thousand dollars.
2021 Hyundai Nexo | Photo: Hyundai
The hydrogen fuel cell Hyundai Nexo gets no change for the 2023 model year. The Nexo is available in limited markets where refuelling infrastructures are in place, such as California, British Colombia and Quebec, for example. Its electric powertrain produces 161 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque, while driving range between fill-ups is pegged at 354 to 380 miles in the U.S., 570 km in Canada.
Introduced last year, the Hyundai Santa Cruz pickup is available in the U.S. in several trim levels with either a 191-horsepower 2.5L inline-four, or a turbocharged 2.5L engine belting out 281 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is standard, while AWD is optional. However, the Canadian market only gets the turbo engine matched to AWD. For 2023, a new Night package is optional, bringing a darker exterior appearance to the little pickup truck. In addition, the infotainment system with 10.25-inch touchscreen is available on lower trim levels, as are adaptive cruise control and speed limit assist. Blind spot monitoring and safe exit warning are now standard across the board in the U.S., while Atlas White replaces Ice White and California Sand replaces Mojave Sand on the paint colour palette.
In the U.S., the Hyundai Santa Fe loses its SEL Convenience package, as its content is now standard on the SEL. The latter also receives a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation, in addition to the black grille and silver exterior trim that was previously offered only on SE—meaning less chrome trim for the SEL. Meanwhile, the SEL Premium gets a surround view monitor and blind-spot monitoring, while the SEL Premium and the XRT receive H-Tex seat upholstery. There are new paint colors as well.
Up in Canada, the Santa Fe’s lineup is reduced as the Essential as well as Preferred HEV and PHEV variants are no more. Roof bars and side steps make their way on the Urban trim level, while leather seat upholstery is now defined as leatherette. The 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation is now standard across the board.
Hyundai Sonata N Line | Photo: Olivier Delorme
The Hyundai Sonata rolls into the 2023 model year with only a few changes. In the U.S., the 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation is now standard on the SEL and SEL Convenience trim levels, while the SEL Plus loses the highway driving assist feature. The Sonata Hybrid’s solar roof is replaced by a panoramic sunroof.
In Canada, the Sonata’s mid-level Luxury 1.6T trim gets the boot, while the Ultimate Hybrid loses its solar roof option. Dual-zone climate control, a 4.2-inch digital instrument cluster display, a 10.25-inch infotainment system touchscreen with navigation, Bluelink and SiriusXM compatibility are all now standard across the board, while the Bose premium audio system trickles down to the Sport 1.6T trim.
In the U.S., the 2023 Hyundai Tucson gets some feature content changes. The SEL trim’s Premium package is dropped, while the panoramic sunroof trickles down to the N Line variant, previously available only on the Limited grades. H-Tex seat upholstery replaces the cloth surfaces in SEL, XRT and SLE Convenience hybrid variants. On the tech side, the 10.25-inch infotainment system touchscreen is now standard on the SEL Convenience HEV and PHEV, the XRT and the N Line, also previously reserved for Limited grades. And while wireless phone charging is found in more trim levels, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto availability has been reduced. Other features now offered on lower trim levels include adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limit assist, hands-free power tailgate, digital key and forward emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction-turning detection. In Canada, the Tucson loses its cargo net and cargo cover, now relegated to the dealer accessories list, while wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto availability has been reduced.
The Hyundai Veloster was only available in the high-performance Veloster N trim level for the 2022 model year. However, as the Elantra N and the Kona N has arrived on the North American market, the automaker decided to focus on those two new N models. As a result, the Veloster has been discontinued.
For the 2023 model year, the Hyundai Venue urban crossover receives standard rear occupant alert, a 4.2-inch colour instrument cluster display, map lights and a center console armrest, while wireless phone charging is available in the U.S.-market Limited trim level. The Venue features a 121-horsepower 1.6L four and a continuously variable automatic, although the Canadian market keeps the six-speed manual in the base trim level that has been shelved in the U.S. for 2021.
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