Hyundai joined the November 1 price moves, adding $250 to four of its most popular models. The Hyundai Tucson, Kona, Venue and Santa Fe all rose by that amount, while some variants, including selected hybrids, were left alone.
What has changed
After the $250 rise, the two-litre Tucson front-wheel drive lists at $39,350, the two-litre Kona front-wheel drive at $33,950, the Venue at $24,000 and the Santa Fe 2.5 front-wheel drive at $54,650. The i30 Sedan N and Sonata N Line moved by a larger $500. It is the same efficiency-rules pressure the trade press has pinned on Toyota's rises this month.
Cartell Assessment
A $250 rise will not change a buying decision on its own. What it signals is bigger: the days of sticker prices quietly drifting down on their own look to be behind us, at least on mainstream petrol models. The relief is that Hyundai left a few hybrid versions untouched, so the most fuel-conscious buyers dodged this round.
AU Outlook
Expect the efficiency-standard pressure to keep nudging mainstream prices up into 2027. Hyundai has held selected hybrids for now, which may become a pattern as the rules reward lower-emission variants. The Tucson stays the volume model to watch against the Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage.
