Hyundai Makes You Pay Extra For An Instrument Cluster On Two New Models

• The new Ioniq 3 and Elantra (Avante in South Korea) don’t come with a standard instrument cluster.

• Hyundai charges extra for the 9.9-inch driver’s display.

• The slim screen is available on higher trim levels or as a standalone option.

You’ve likely heard by now that Hyundai is rolling out the Pleos Connect infotainment system, which runs on Android Automotive OS. The new setup supersizes the touchscreen to as much as 17.9 inches in the Grandeur flagship sedan, where it debuted earlier this year. Lesser models such as the new Elantra (Avante in South Korea) and the first-ever Ioniq 3 get a smaller setup measuring either 12.9 or 14.6 inches.

These three models, along with the next-generation Tucson, also share something else: a slim instrument cluster. However, to our astonishment, the driver’s display isn’t part of the standard equipment in the subcompact electric hatchback or the gas-fed compact sedan. The base versions do without the 9.9-inch rectangular display, making customers pay extra to put the digital gauge cluster atop the dashboard, directly in the driver’s line of sight.

You’ll either have to step up to a higher trim level where it’s included or tick a box on the options list. In Korea, it costs an additional 350,000 won ($255) for the Avante, which isn’t the end of the world, but it’s an essential feature that should’ve been included from the get-go. In the UK, the Ioniq 3 gets the slim instrument display only from the second trim level upward.

Naturally, all the press images you’ve seen so far of both the Ioniq 3 and Avante show the cars with the instrument cluster, but we dug through the configurators and found the entry-level versions without it.

While it’s certainly an unpleasant surprise, it could’ve been even worse. Some automakers have abandoned conventional driver’s displays altogether, forcing drivers to rely exclusively on the center screen. Hyundai at least gives buyers the option and isn’t charging a huge premium. Still, maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I can’t imagine a car without an instrument cluster, even in its most basic configuration.

The cost-cutting trend that has plagued the entire car industry hasn’t taken its toll on Hyundai, or at least not fully. Even though the latest models have jumbo-sized screens, drivers still get several physical controls instead of fumbling through menus and submenus. However, these newer cars with Pleos Connect appear to have less switchgear than we’re used to from the Korean brand.

Naturally, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Pleos Connect. The company plans to deploy its next-generation infotainment system in around 20 million cars by the end of the decade. It won’t be exclusive to Hyundai, either. Sister brands Kia and Genesis are also getting it. The next-generation Sportage could be the first Kia to switch to the new infotainment when it arrives in 2027, considering the new Tucson already has it.

2027 Hyundai Avante without driver’s display

Photo by: Hyundai

Motor1’s Take: There’s something slightly absurd about putting a gigantic touchscreen in a budget-oriented car while treating the instrument cluster as an optional extra. A 9.9-inch digital display isn’t exactly a luxury feature anymore; it’s one of the most basic interfaces between the car and the person driving it. Even if Hyundai wants to keep the starting price as low as possible, making buyers pay extra to see their speed and other essential information feels like the wrong place to save a few bucks.

On the bright side, Hyundai hasn’t gone all-in on the screen-heavy approach. The company is still giving drivers physical controls for many frequently used functions, and it hasn’t eliminated the instrument cluster entirely. That makes the missing display on the base Ioniq 3 and Elantra more puzzling than infuriating.

Hopefully, Hyundai treats the 9.9-inch cluster as standard equipment when these cars reach more markets, because some things shouldn’t be optional.