Hyundai Reveals the 380-Mile 2019 NEXO Fuel-Cell Crossover

Hyundai last dipped its toes into the hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicle pool with the Tucson FCEV, and it’s using what it learned from that experiment to craft an improved fuel-cell vehicle. Meet the 2019 Hyundai NEXO — the Korean automaker’s next step in its green lineup that will expand by 18 models by 2025.

Unlike a full-electric vehicle, the 2019 Hyundai NEXO will use a hydrogen fuel cell to create the power it needs to keep its electric motor churning for a gasoline-vehicle-rivaling 380 miles. That mileage is in the thriftier NEXO Blue. The better-equipped Limited trim will travel up to 354 miles on a fill-up. This translates to 65 mpg-e city, 58 highway, and 61 combined for the Blue trim. The Limited trim will ring in at 59 mpg-e city, 54 highway, and 57 combined.

Good mileage isn’t all the 2019 Hyundai NEXO will offer. It’s powertrain will inject 161 horsepower and 291 pound-feet of torque, launching it to 60 mph in a respectable 9.5 seconds. That’s a three-second improvement over the Tucson FCEV.

Advanced tech will extend beyond the powertrain as the NEXO will have tons of available safety and driver-assist features. The available safety features will include automatic emergency braking, lane-follow assist, driver-attention warning, and high-beam assist. To make parking easier, the NEXO will have available Remote Smart Parking Assist, which will allow the NEXO to park in or pull out of a parking space automatically, whether there is a driver in the vehicle or not.

The 2019 Hyundai NEXO will hit showrooms by the end of 2018, but it will initially be available in two southern California dealerships: Keyes Hyundai in Van Nuys and Tustin Hyundai. Capital Hyundai in northern California will get its allotment of NEXO models in early 2019.