Hyundai has unveiled the fifth-generation Tucson in South Korea — a ground-up redesign after six years. The 2027 Tucson is bigger, boxier, and far more aggressive, with electrification at its core: the hybrid targets 42 mpg and the plug-in hybrid's electric range jumps to 50 miles. First markets get it in Q4 2026, with a global rollout through 2027 starting in Korea.
The new Tucson wears Hyundai's "Art of Steel" design language, trading the outgoing model's rounded surfacing for upright, angular lines — a full-width LED light bar, vertical daytime running lights, the signature H-shaped lighting up front, and prismatic three-dimensional taillights at the rear. Hyundai calls it "The Boldest SUV"; reviewers say it looks more like a concept car — or a moon rover — than a production crossover.
For the rugged look, there's the XRT trim: unique grille, fender cladding, black wheels, front and rear skid plates, HTRAC all-wheel drive, and orange-stitched seats.
The long-wheelbase version (North America, Korea, Australia; Europe gets a short-wheelbase variant) measures 185 inches long (+2.3), 75 inches wide (+1.5), and rides on a 109.6-inch wheelbase (+1.1).
The gains are functional: second-row headroom grows 29 mm to 1,031 mm, cargo behind the rear seat adds 3 cubic feet, and rear doors now open to 83 degrees, up from 73 — easier for kids and car seats.
Counterintuitively, the drag coefficient improves from 0.33 to 0.30 despite the larger body, thanks to active air flaps and a reworked spoiler.
Electrification is the headline powertrain story. The core global unit is an updated 1.6-liter turbo hybrid targeting 5.6 L/100 km (about 42 mpg), up from 38, with 0–100 km/h in under nine seconds.
The plug-in hybrid gets a 17.1 kWh battery delivering 50 miles (81 km) of electric-only range, up from 32. Maximum towing climbs from 2,000 to 3,000 pounds.
The interior is a clean-sheet job: the old twin curved displays are gone, replaced by Hyundai's Pleos Connect system running on Android Automotive OS, with a 12.9- or 17-inch central touchscreen and a slim 9.9-inch gauge cluster. A new generative-AI voice assistant ("Gleo AI"), dual wireless charging pads, a 100W USB port, available Bang & Olufsen audio, a column-mounted shifter, and over-the-air updates round out the tech — with a row of tactile buttons retained for frequently used functions.
The compact SUV segment is the industry's bloodiest battleground, ruled by the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and Mazda CX-5. Hyundai's play is clear: win attention with polarizing design, win wallets with hybrid efficiency. Korea gets it first in Q4, with North America and Australia to follow.
Six years in the making, the new Tucson doesn't want to be the value pick anymore — it wants to be the conversation.