Can Hyundai’s new Nexo kickstart a Hydrogen-powered revolution?

It’s not the first time Hyundai’s dabbled with H2, but the new Nexo looks to present a more compelling case for Hydrogen-fuelled cars. From range to performance (and everything in between) keep reading for the full low down.

Hyundai’s really not letting this whole hydrogen thing go then, huh? Which is a little surprising considering the old Nexo wasn’t exactly a corporate breadwinner. And, while the handsome N74 sports car has garnered plenty of praise for its looks, it’s still stuck in pre-production limbo. 

Third time’s the charm then? Well, if ever a hydrogen-powered car had a genuine chance of appealing to the masses, it’s this one. For starters, the Nexo showcases the burgeoning fuel tech wrapped in the in vogue body style of choice: an SUV. That means buyers’ ears will be pricked long before they hear what’s under the bonnet (or floor, to be more accurate).  

What’s more, the new Nexo has a distinctive style all of its own, which couldn’t be said for the generic-looking MK1. Debuting the firm’s new ‘Art of Steel’ design philosophy, the boxy lines serve to differentiate Hyundai’s fuel cell vehicles from its regular ICE and EV models. There’s certainly no mistaking the Nexo for any other SUV – unless, of course, you live in North America, where you might notice an unfortunate resemblance to Walter White’s infamous Pontiac Aztec.

Thankfully, that likeness is only apparent in the rear three quarters. The rest of Nexo’s styling closely resembles Hyundai’s Initium concept. That means there’s an abundance of quirky styling cues like those four ‘HTWO’ lamps in the frontal grille area, channels spanning the length of the doors, and futuristic alloy wheel designs. Do they all work harmoniously together? That’s for you to decide.

 
The interior is a little less daring, but hardly boring. Much like it’s Ioniq 5 and 6 siblings, the Nexo’s cabin majors in spacious minimalism. That means there’s liberal use of soft materials and padding to ‘evoke the warmth and comfort of a home’. Moreover, the driver’s zone has been ergonomically optimised thanks to a curved display, intuitive controls, and floating centre console/armrest combo. There’s even plenty of storage space — rear cargo capacity is up to 993 litres, which means you should have no trouble squeezing in four golf bags.

But what about the star of the show, that hybrid powertrain? Well, the salient facts are these: there’s a maximum range of over 435 miles and power’s been bumped from 161 to 201 bhp. So it goes further and faster than the outgoing machine and it can be fully fueled in just 5 minutes (considerably quicker than any BEV on the market). There’s a catch, though: where exactly do you find the hydrogen? In the UK, at least, H2 filling stations are still as rare as hen’s teeth, which could cause issues if your nearest outlet is hundreds of miles from home. Admittedly, this is largely due to a lack of demand for such stations — the infrastructure would likely improve if more people bought into the technology. But would you want to be an early adopter? 

Nonetheless, for those lucky enough to live near a hydrogen station the new Nexo looks like an interesting proposition. And if that sounds like you, you’ll need to wait with bated breath for now — Hyundai are yet to reveal if the new Nexo will be coming to the UK, or how much it’ll cost. 

Will the new Nexo be for FCEVs what the Leaf was for BEVs? Only time will tell.

Hero image credit: Hyundai