Hydrogen-powered vehicles almost feel like old news these days. Indeed, Hyundai has a fair bit of experience, having developed cars with fuel cell powertrains since 2001. It took a further fourteen years before the Korean company took the tech into mass production, and even then it was the world’s first carmaker to do so.
But the ultimate expression of Hyundai’s confidence in the growth of the fuel cell market is this, the new NEXO. Unlike previous efforts to adapt an existing model, the NEXO has been designed from the ground-up as a bespoke hydrogen SUV. We’ve been out to Korea to get our first go behind the wheel before European cars hit the market next year.
• Do hydrogen fuel cell cars have a future?
So why should the NEXO be more successful than previous efforts? Hyundai claims the key factor here is durability. The ix35’s fuel cell stack was only given a life cycle of five years before a replacement is required, whereas the NEXO’s stack lasts twice as long. That not only means consumers can be more confident in the product, but should also boosts residuals and therefore makes the NEXO a more favourable proposition for leasing.
Another selling point is the NEXO’s unique styling. The ix35’s FCEV’s £53,000 pricetag was difficult to swallow because, well, it looked like an ix35. But the Audi Q5-sized NEXO, with its swoopy shape, flush-fitting door handles and crystal-like head and tail-lamps, gives off a classy and distinctive look.
That bespoke feel extends to the cabin, which is unlike any Hyundai currently in production. The dash is dominated by a slick and intuitive 12.3-inch infotainment screen, whose features can be controlled either via touch or with a rotary dial mounted on the centre console. That console is a button-heavy slab of plastic, but its location makes operating the NEXO’s long list of features an absolute doddle. Elsewhere, material quality feels a cut above other Hyundais, but it’s still a fair way behind what this sort of money would get you in the conventional premium SUV market.
Alongside the generous equipment list, the NEXO is also crammed full of advanced safety systems. Hyundai has used the model as its test-bed for Level 4 autonomous driving tech, but even the example we’re driving here can brake, accelerate and steer for you on motorways. There are cameras on the door mirrors that relay a view of the rear blind spots on the instrument display when you indicate, too. It can even be parked remotely via the key, although this function wasn’t working on our early production car.
Impressively, given the size of the hydrogen tanks underneath the floor the NEXO, there’s little compromise to be found in terms of space. Head and legroom in the rear is perfectly good, even for six footers, and while the 471-litre boot isn’t that deep, it’s plenty big enough for most families’ needs. There’s a decent amount of cabin storage, too.
The NEXO isn’t all about the bits you can see, though; it also debuts a new generation of fuel cell stack. System efficiency is up by five per cent to 60 per cent, but the new stack is also 15kg lighter and more compact than before. As well as the huge durability improvement, there’s also a chunk more power – the total system output is up to 152bhp. The real-world range is the same as before, at 370 miles.
One really satisfying feature of this hydrogen powertrain is it actually purifies the air it takes in and releases, with the clever air filter catching 99.9 per cent of particulate matter. It’s hardly going to solve Beijing’s smog problem overnight, but a few hundred of these things operating in inner city locations could make a difference to air quality. Like all hydrogen cars, the NEXO can also power your home; Hyundai says there’s enough energy in one tank for the NEXO to power the average house for three consecutive days.
Despite the trickery going on underneath, the NEXO feels much like a normal electric car to drive. There’s no gears or steps in the power delivery to speak of, it’s just a simple stab of the ‘D’ button on the centre console and a smooth, near-silent glide away from a standstill; 0-62mph is taken care of in a decent 9.7 seconds, and it feels sprightly enough off the line for what’s likely a two-tonne SUV. However, in the same way as a typical EV performance tails off noticeably at motorway speeds. Still, there’s enough poke to satisfy the average motorist.
Our drive of the NEXO consisted mainly of motorway driving, but even on twisting slip roads the weight of the three hydrogen tanks and powertrain was noticeable, with pronounced body lean. But ease off and you’re rewarded with a supple ride thanks to soft, long-travel suspension, and strong refinement marred only by a rustle of wind noise. We’ll have to wait for final production versions to arrive in the UK for a definitive verdict, however.
Unfortunately, the age-old problems with hydrogen cars still rear their ugly heads. There is still a woeful lack of refuelling infrastructure in the UK and abroad, despite promises of investment and improvements to come. So while refuelling the 156-litre tanks takes just five minutes, you’ll likely have to make a big diversion to do so. That means the NEXO still isn’t a realistic proposition for most buyers. However, Hyundai is confident that investment will follow demand, as more cities look to ban petrol and diesel vehicles in future.
The other problem, we reckon, is how much it will cost. Hyundai hasn’t released full pricing details yet, but a spokesperson claims it will be competitive with cars such as the £66,000 Toyota Mirai. While leasing and finance deals will make far more financial sense for most, it’s still a lot to pay for a technology that remains in its infancy in terms of mass usage.
- Model: Hyundai NEXO
- Price: £65,000 (est)
- Engine: Hydrogen fuel cell stack with 40kW electric motor
- Power/torque: 152bhp/395Nm
- 0-62mph: 9.7 seconds
- Top speed: 111mph
- Range: 370 miles
- Economy/CO2: 93.7km/kg, 0g/km
- On sale: January 2019
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