Hyundai Motor bets on redesigned Tucson SUV for sales rebound
Hyundai Motor's fifth-generation Tucson SUVs are displayed at an exhibition hall in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
Best-selling SUV expected to serve as key sales driver with Avante, Grandeur
PAJU, Gyeonggi Province — Hyundai Motor is banking on the redesigned Tucson to help turn around its weakening sales momentum, putting one of its global best-selling SUVs at the center of its global sales strategy in the second half of the year.
The automaker unveiled the fifth-generation Tucson on Friday, six years after the previous model was introduced, positioning the compact SUV alongside the redesigned Avante and the facelifted Grandeur as key models for its swift sales recovery.
The launch comes at a difficult time for the carmaker. Its domestic sales plunged 41.1 percent in August from the previous year to its lowest level in 11 years, largely due to production disruptions caused by a prolonged labor strike.
With its relatively affordable, high-volume models expected to provide a more immediate boost to its global sales, the launch of the highly sought-after SUV came at the opportune time for the carmaker.
Hyundai Motor's Tucson SUV / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
Tucson is particularly important because its role extends beyond the Korean market. It is one of Hyundai's major global volume models, giving the company an opportunity to use a single new product to strengthen sales across multiple markets, such as the United States.
Hyundai is leveraging the fully redesigned model to expand the SUV's appeal at a critical time when consumers are becoming more demanding about electrification, safety and digital features.
The new Tucson shares a similar exterior design with the Avante, both reflecting Hyundai’s “Art of Steel” design language, which gives the SUV a more angular and muscular appearance.
More importantly from a sales perspective, Hyundai has sought to combine the design changes with upgrades that are visible and useful to consumers, including improved interior space and a wider range of standard safety and convenience features.
The model will be offered with a 1.6-liter turbo gasoline engine and a 1.6-liter turbo hybrid powertrain. The hybrid produces a maximum combined output of 245 horsepower and achieves a combined fuel economy of 17.4 kilometers per liter, according to the carmaker.
Yoon Hyo-jun, head of Hyundai Motor's domestic business division, delivers a welcome speech during a media day event for the all-new Tucson SUV in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
The hybrid system also introduces a "Stay Mode" that allows the air conditioning and infotainment system to operate while the engine remains off when the vehicle is stationary. The feature is designed to give the gasoline-powered SUV an experience closer to that of an electric vehicle, Hyundai Motor said.
Safety upgrades are another part of Hyundai's effort to strengthen the Tucson's value proposition. The SUV is equipped with a dual-power system for door unlocking, allowing occupants to unlock the doors using backup power even if the main power supply is cut following a collision.
Pedal misapplication safety assistance and forward parking collision avoidance assistance are also standard across all trims. A reverse parking assistance system that remembers the vehicle's previous trajectory and automatically controls the steering has been added to make maneuvering the larger SUV easier in tight spaces.
The interior of Hyundai Motor's Tucson SUV / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
The Tucson SUV also marks an important step in Hyundai Motor’s software-defined vehicle strategy. It is the first Hyundai SUV to feature Pleos Connect, the group's latest connected car platform.
The system incorporates Gleo AI, a generative artificial intelligence agent based on a large language model that can understand continuous conversations and handle functions beyond basic vehicle controls, including information searches and travel recommendations. Before Tucson, Hyundai Motor adopted the latest infotainment platform for the facelifted Grandeur and fully redesigned Avante.
That digital push could become an increasingly important differentiator, as Hyundai seeks to make its mainstream models more competitive against rivals offering increasingly sophisticated in-car technology.
Hyundai plans to announce pricing for the new Tucson in October and begin domestic sales thereafter.
"With this full model change, the all-new Tucson has achieved innovation across design, space, electrification and digital technology," an official from Hyundai Motor said. "We will set a new standard in the compact SUV market with product competitiveness at the highest level in its class."