Hyundai has formally unveiled the eighth-generation Elantra at the Busan Mobility Show, embedding a generative AI voice assistant and an Android Automotive-based app marketplace into the sedan for the first time. The system, named Pleos Connect, enables natural-language route planning and vehicle control, and will be offered on 12.9- or 14.6-inch screens when sales begin in South Korea during the third quarter of 2026. The model also grows 55 mm in length and 30 mm in wheelbase, and will launch with a 149 hp 2.0-litre petrol engine and a 157 hp full-hybrid option. Viewed from Seoul, the Elantra’s software-defined architecture marks a deliberate step toward over-the-air updatable platforms across the Hyundai group.

In South America, the competitive dynamic is being reshaped by price. DFSK Argentina has begun selling the E5 Plus, a seven-seat plug-in hybrid SUV imported from China, at a promotional launch price of US$33,800. The vehicle pairs a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle petrol engine with a 160 kW electric motor and an 18 kWh LFP battery, delivering a claimed 97 km of electric-only urban range and combined fuel consumption of 4.7 L/100 km. Analysts in Buenos Aires note that a three-row PHEV below US$34,000 directly pressures established compact and mid-size SUV nameplates, forcing incumbents to reconsider pricing and electrification timelines in the region.

Across Asia, manufacturers are differentiating shared platforms through design and powertrain choices. Undisguised images of the Nissan Tekton, captured ahead of its 9 July global reveal, show a rear fascia distinct from the Renault Duster with which it shares underpinnings, including C-shaped connected tail lamps and a silver bumper insert. The Tekton is expected to offer 1.0-litre and 1.3-litre turbocharged petrol engines, plus a 1.8-litre strong hybrid, mirroring the Duster’s mechanical range. In Australia, government homologation documents indicate the 2027 Mitsubishi Pajero—reviving a nameplate absent for five years—will be offered in four variants, including a blacked-out GSR trim, and will use the 2.4-litre twin-turbo diesel from the Triton pickup. Mitsubishi has confirmed a global launch window between September and November 2026, with Australian deliveries targeted before year-end.

These moves arrive as manufacturers tailor connectivity and powertrain strategies to distinct regulatory and consumer landscapes. The next factual milestones are the Nissan Tekton’s full reveal on 9 July and the start of Elantra sales in Korea in the third quarter, which will provide the first real-world uptake data for Hyundai’s AI-driven cabin ecosystem.