Hyundai has canceled the Ioniq 3’s planned early 2027 Australian launch, telling CarExpert that importing the electric hatch from Turkey would make it too expensive to compete. Buyers waiting for a smaller Hyundai EV above the Inster lose that planned option.
“We are not going to import it,” a Hyundai Australia spokesperson told CarExpert. The spokesperson said “the cost of importation is high” and cited competition and the price Hyundai would need to charge, without providing a cost breakdown or identifying separate freight or tariff costs. The reversal leaves shoppers without an Australian price: Hyundai hadn't announced one before dropping the model.
Sales director David Rodda had committed to an early 2027 launch in a statement quoted in CarExpert’s April 18, 2026 report. The cancellation concerns Australia, while Hyundai says production has begun at its İzmit plant in Turkey as part of its European EV strategy, in an official statement published October 7, 2026.
Hyundai’s Australian model page lists the Inster and Kona Electric among its existing EV choices. These remain its smaller electric options, with the Inster below the position planned for the Ioniq 3 and the Kona Electric a small SUV.
Watch for a confirmed replacement, with a local price and arrival date, following Hyundai’s decision to drop the Ioniq 3.
Sources
- 1.Hyundai Ioniq 3 electric hatch cancelled for Australia · CarExpert
- 2.Three Decades of Growth and Positive Impact: Hyundai Reinforces Commitment to Türkiye as IONIQ 3 Production Begins · Hyundai Motor
- 3.All Car Models and Upcoming Vehicles · Hyundai Australia
- 4.2027 Hyundai Ioniq 3: Small electric hatch locked in for Australia, reveal date set · CarExpert
- 5.IONIQ 3 · Hyundai Motor UK
Reported by the WattsUpNext desk from the sources linked below. Spot an error? Tell us at corrections@wattsupnext.com.
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