Updated 10 November 2026: Kia announced Seltos pricing on 2 October. Hyundai has not announced Australian pricing for the Ioniq 3.
The Hyundai Ioniq 3 and the new Kia Seltos will both be judged on one line of the brochure. The price. Chinese rivals have reset what a small EV and a small hybrid SUV cost in Australia, and a good spec sheet won’t rescue either Korean if it lands high.
Kia has now shown its hand: the Seltos starts at $39,990 drive-away. Hyundai hasn’t, so we’ve worked out the number the Ioniq 3 has to beat, using its rivals’ published prices and the cost of each claimed kilometre of range.
*Dolphin Essential price is BYD's offer for orders by 15 December 2026. Dolphin Premium drive-away varies by state. Ioniq 3 range figures are European WLTP claims; Australian figures are unconfirmed.
What Does the Ioniq 3 Need to Cost?
About $30,400 drive-away for the 42.2kWh car and $43,900 for the 61kWh car. At those prices, each matches the MG4 Essence 64’s $88 per claimed kilometre, which is the benchmark for a mainstream small EV. Any higher and it starts behind.
The European car claims 344km WLTP from its 42.2kWh battery and 496km from the 61kWh pack. It sits on a 400-volt version of the E-GMP platform, is built in Türkiye, and Hyundai claims a 29-minute 10 to 80 per cent charge in ideal conditions. Local range figures could differ.
UK pricing starts at £22,245, which media outlets have converted to roughly $42,400. That’s a currency sum, not an Australian price. But it shows the risk. At $40,000 drive-away, the base Ioniq 3 would cost $116 per claimed kilometre, the worst figure on the chart above.
Hyundai Australia hasn’t committed to a figure. Sales director David Rodda told CarExpert that the Staria van and the Ioniq 3 will together lift the brand’s coverage of the EV market from 85 to 96 per cent, with the hatch due early in 2027.
Does the FBT change help the Ioniq 3?
Yes, and fleet buyers should take note. Under draft laws, only EVs with a base value of $75,000 or less keep the full FBT discount on novated leases from 1 April 2027, according to the ATO’s summary. Any realistic Ioniq 3 price clears that line comfortably.
The Seltos gets no such help. It’s a conventional hybrid, and hybrids have never qualified for the electric car FBT exemption. On a novated lease, that gap can matter more than a few thousand dollars on the sticker. Get tax advice before you sign anything.
The Seltos: $39,990 drive-away, level with the Kona
Kia announced pricing on 2 October. The range opens with the S at $39,990 drive-away and tops out at $55,490 for the all-wheel-drive GT-Line, CarExpert reported. All of these are drive-away:
- S: $39,990
- S with Safety Pack: $42,490
- Sport: $43,990
- Sport+: $46,990
- GT-Line: $52,990
- GT-Line AWD: $55,490
Back in May, CarExpert reported that Kia would price the car to compete with the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, which was then on offer at $39,990 drive-away. Kia has matched that figure to the dollar. It hasn’t beaten it.
The Kona figure was an offer, and offers move. Check Hyundai’s current Kona deal before you compare, because a sharper one puts the Seltos behind on price. The Chinese hybrids sit thousands of dollars lower either way.
| Model | Price | Basis | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chery Tiggo 4 Hybrid Urban | $29,990 | Drive-away | Cheapest small hybrid SUV listed here |
| GWM Haval Jolion Premium Hybrid | $32,990 | Drive-away | List price from January 2026; offers vary |
| MG ZS Excite Hybrid+ | $30,990 | Before on-roads | As listed by Drive, 2026 |
| Hyundai Kona Hybrid | $39,990 | Drive-away | Offer price, September 2026 |
| Toyota Corolla Cross GX Hybrid | $37,440 | Before on-roads | Claimed 4.4L/100km |
| Kia Seltos Hybrid | $39,990 | Drive-away | S grade, announced 2 October 2026 |
Sources: Hyundai Australia, GWM Australia, CarExpert and Drive price listings, September 2026. Seltos price announced 2 October 2026. Drive-away prices vary by state and offer.
Every Seltos is a hybrid. Only the GT-Line can be had with all-wheel drive, which adds an electric motor at the rear. The front-drive system pairs a 1.6-litre engine with an electric motor for 113kW and 265Nm in Korean-market trim, and Kia says the suspension and steering are tuned for Australian roads. Australian outputs and fuel figures hadn’t been confirmed when pricing was announced.
It can’t win on price against the Chery or the Jolion, and it doesn’t need to. At $39,990 drive-away it sits level with the Kona’s offer price. The Corolla Cross GX Hybrid lists at $37,440 before on-road costs, so compare drive-away quotes on that one. Claimed fuel figures are still to come, and real-world economy is where hybrids earn their keep.
What This Means for Buyers
If you’re shopping a small EV now, don’t wait for the Ioniq 3 unless you’re prepared to pay for the badge. BYD’s $28,888 Dolphin Essential offer runs to 15 December, and the Ioniq 3 isn’t due until early 2027. Cheap new cars rarely stay cheap for long.
Hybrid buyers now have the Seltos number, so get drive-away quotes on all three before signing. A new rival at $39,990 gives you something to bargain with at the Hyundai and Toyota dealers. Parents buying for a P-plater should check the safest first cars list before committing to anything new.
Timing a purchase around a launch is its own game, and the buy-now-or-wait maths applies here too. One Korean price is in and one is still to come. The Ioniq 3’s will decide whether it was worth the wait.
