Hyundai is set to expand its all-electric lineup in China soon.
Recent spy shots have confirmed that an all-electric Hyundai Mistra will soon debut in its home market of China. Marking the second EV that the South Korean automaker will launch in the populous nation.
Launched initially in 2013 with a range of petrol engines, the Mistra is a product of the Beijing Hyundai joint venture between BAIC and Hyundai. Conceived as a ‘premium compact sedan’ and sold exclusively in China, this particular model sits between the Elantra and Sonata which are offered globally.
The premium compact sedan segment is a growing niche within the Chinese auto market. Cars in this segment typically includes a longer wheelbase for extended rear legroom, higher quality interior trim and other luxury touches not usually found within the compact sedan segment. Naturally, the price tag of these cars are a markup upon the normal compact sedans too.
Back to the Mistra EV, this fully electric sedan comes on the heels of Lafesta electric sedan, which is also incidentally a China-exclusive model and sits between the Mistra and Sonata in the Hyundai lineup. The upcoming arrival of this EV sedan is aimed to be one of the nine new models to be introduced into that market next year, marking a reversal of fortune for the South Korean automaker who experienced sluggish sales in the world’s most valuable car market in recent years.
Design-wise, the fully electric Mistra is much the same as its recently facelifted petrol-powered counterpart. Save for the flush front grille with its asymmetric charging port and more aerodynamic alloy wheels, the rest of the normal sleek Mistra styling touches remain. These include the Hyundai lighting signature both front and back, with the double -tiered headlight design up front and a Sonata-like wraparound rear light bar out the back.
Inside, the sole spy shot confirms that the leather-lined interior too is much the same as its fuel-burning equivalent. Featuring a relatively upmarket and minimalistic interior, with the usual tech highlights like a large central infotainment system and an equally large digital instrument cluster. There should undoubtably be some subtle EV-exclusive touches too on the infotainment system, much like what is seen on other electric Hyundai models on sale elsewhere.
In regards to the powertrain of this all-electric sedan, the Mistra EV is said to be powered by a sole electric motor that outputs 181 hp and 310 Nm of torque. Thereby capable of a top speed of 165 km/h. Fed by a 57 kWh battery pack, an NEDC driving range of 520 km on a single charge is claimed for this Hyundai, with energy consumption being estimated to be at 12.5 kWh/100 kilometers.
There has been no official word thus far on the exact arrival date of this latest Hyundai EV to the Chinese market. However judging from the information available and the production-readiness of the car seen on the spy shots, early next year looks to be a reasonable assumption. What should be easier to predict is that this Mistra EV will most likely not ever set foot outside of its home market of China, a shame really as it does look like quite a good package for the rest of the world.
