► Second-generation Hyundai NEXO revealed
► Design based entirely on Intium concept
► Hyundai still holds a candle for hydrogen
Hyundai has just unveiled its all-new NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car at the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show.
The new SUV features a wild and radical design that looks like someone has reinvigorated the Pontiac Aztek – and almost entirely copies that of the Initum concept revealed in November 2024.
This is Hyundai’s second generation NEXO model, and its third-generation hydrogen fuel cell production car after the ix35 Fuel Cell model. And, while certain other brands either turn their back on hydrogen or give it the cold shoulder (like Toyota, which now seems to be focusing more on HGVs for hydrogen fuel cell use), this shows Hyundai is committing to the fuel type.
The look is based on Hyundai’s ‘Art of Steel’ design philosophy, with the brand saying that such an ethos shows ‘the resilience and versatility of steel deliver tension and strength, with the resulting shapes a form of art.’ It’s definitely a bold design, with quite boxy and deliberate details and a particularly interesting C-pillar – and entirely different compared to the previous version.
The new NEXO is longer, wider and taller than the outgoing model, with Hyundai claiming a chunky 993 litres of total luggage volume – which, we presume, includes the seats being folded down.
The interior feels familiarly Hyundai given recent model reveals, with tech like generative AI in the infotainment’s voice assistant, vehicle to load technology and a specific fuel cell route planner in the nav that maps fuelling stations. Echoing trends in the car industry, Hyundai’s also included a huge head-up display that reacts to data in the road.
It’s a proper production car with specs and everything, too. It’s longer than a Tucson but shorter than a Santa Fe. The hydrogen fuel cell power plant consists of 162 litres of storage for hydrogen fuel, a 2.64kWh battery pack and a 201bhp electric motor driving the front wheels. That makes the NEXO capable of a 7.8sec 0-62mph sprint and will top out at 111mph. As for driving range, Hyundai is targeting a max of 435 miles from full to zero.
Naturally, the debate as to how useful hydrogen fuel cells are remains a strong one. Hyundai’s efforts to create a new-generation NEXO is part of a wider plan to offer a various powertrains for all uses, with the brand saying it ‘continues to expand FCEV infrastructure.’ Even so, there is a quiet acknowledgement that the NEXO will remain a niche for private buyers, and will likely be offered to fleets and businesses that can use the infrastructure around them.
Hyundai confirms the new Nexo will go on sale towards the end of 2025, and will launch in Europe in 2026. For the UK, Hyundai aims to sell the NEXO at a similar price to the outgoing one – around £65k.