New Hyundai Tucson SUV: design, tech and the latest details on 2026 SUV
The next-generation Hyundai Tucson is set to arrive in 2026, and our exclusive images preview how the family SUV could look
The next-generation Hyundai Tucson is set to stun family car buyers when the new mid-size SUV arrives in the second half of 2026, and our exclusive images preview how it could look.
The Hyundai Tucson is one of the Korean brand’s best-selling cars in the UK. It will be a crucial model within the Hyundai line-up, as the brand looks to take on key rivals like the Nissan Qashqai, Skoda Karoq and Volkswagen Tiguan.
Hyundai has remained tight-lipped so far when it comes to specific information regarding the new Tucson. The brand, however, has released lots of broad details of things we could expect to see on the next-gen car including a tough-looking Hyundai Santa-Fe inspired exterior, a high-tech interior, and fresh hybrid powertrains.
Having already spotted the new Tucson being tested on European roads, its development appears to be more advanced than previously thought. Based on the first full-body prototypes spied in Germany, our exclusive images show that the changes will start with a more rugged and blocky look that references the brand’s hydrogen fuel-cell Nexo SUV.
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What will the new Hyundai Tucson look like?
We expect the new Hyundai Tucson to include design language elements seen on cars such as the current generation Hyundai Santa Fe and the hydrogen-powered Hyundai Nexo SUV.
Hyundai’s chief exterior designer, Simon Loasby, told us: “Art of Steel is our next-generation design language that we launched last year, and you’ll see that on multiple new models.
“We don’t like to do nesting dolls, but you’ll see how that is developed across a range of products. We’ve got a busy two years of new stuff coming,” Loasby added.
The language can be seen in elements such as the much more upright nose, clamshell bonnet and chunky wheelarch cladding. The front bumper will integrate a lightbar across its face, with the main headlight units sitting lower down.
The windscreen has a wraparound style, thanks to the use of blacked-out pillars. These also frame large side windows to create a more upright silhouette than on the current model. This more rugged design is in harmony with the latest Hyundai Santa Fe, and is a distinct departure from the current Tucson’s dramatically rising windowline and complex body.
The tailgate will be quite upright compared with the current model to allow for a more open and versatile boot. The SUV will also sit on a set of large, intricately styled wheels in round wheelarches.
New Hyundai Tucson’s interior, tech and space
We’re yet to have a look inside the new Hyundai Tucson, but we expect to see a brand-new tech package that informs the overall interior design.
Loasby said: “It’ll be a much more comfortable and calm space than a tech fest. That’s been our balance with the product.
“Over the next two years you’ll see our next generation of interiors coming out. The safest way to drive is to keep our customers’ eyes on the road, so you build your philosophy around that. You quite quickly realise that the centre screen is actually just a distraction.”
This suggests the Tucson will balance the use of screens and physical controls, and avoid the integration of oversized digital interfaces. Instead, we expect there to be new displays high up on the dash, with key physical controls for the most-used controls and commands.
“We believe nine is the best number of both legal and physical, regular interactions,” Loasby added. “They’re all physical buttons and they will stay physical buttons because they are things that I want to adjust without looking away [from the road].”
Beyond this, the next-gen Tucson should retain a versatile five-seat interior, with lots of rear legroom and a decent boot size which makes the current car a popular choice for families.
What powertrain options will the new Hyundai Tucson have?
We expect the new Hyundai Tucson to come with a range of powertrains with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines taking precedence in the UK and Europe. We can also expect the addition of a new generation of full-hybrid engines, too.
Developed in-house by Hyundai for its next-generation models, the new hybrid system will combine a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with two e-motors – a large one mounted in the gearbox, and the other acting as a starter generator.
Hyundai says this powertrain improves efficiency by more than four per cent compared with the previous system, while offering more torque and better driveability.
Peak power is yet to be confirmed, but torque will be 380Nm – 13Nm more than the brand’s previous hybrid set-up in this class. There won’t be a full-electric version – electric car buyers will be catered for by the forthcoming Ioniq 4, but there is likely to be a hot N model with a new high-spec hybrid powertrain.
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