Hyundai Motor's flagship compact sport utility vehicle, the Tucson, is returning as a full redesign for the first time in six years. The Tucson, which has grown larger and carries the full range of Hyundai Motor (005380) safety technology, will have its prices unveiled in October before going on sale in South Korea. With Hyundai Motor facing criticism that its newly launched Elantra is excessively expensive after raising the model's top price above 40 million won, some observers are voicing concern that the Tucson's price could exceed 50 million won.
The company will disclose pricing for the "The All-New Tucson" in October and begin domestic sales, according to industry sources on the 24th. The All-New Tucson is the fifth-generation full redesign. Arriving about six years after the fourth generation in 2020, the model has been substantially reworked in design, powertrain and digital capability.
Hyundai's Flagship SUV Grows Larger
The biggest change in the new Tucson is its size. The vehicle's length has been extended 60 millimeters to 4,700 millimeters, its width widened 40 millimeters to 1,905 millimeters, and its wheelbase — the distance between the front and rear axles — lengthened 30 millimeters to 2,785 millimeters.
The larger exterior has also created more generous interior space. Rear-seat knee room has increased 14 millimeters and headroom 29 millimeters. Cargo space has grown by 22 liters. The rear doors now open to 83 degrees, up from 73 degrees, allowing them to swing wider when loading and unloading bulky items.
The design has also advanced. At the front, an H-shaped daytime running light and a horizontally elongated lamp create the effect of a longer body. Based on Hyundai Motor's design philosophy, "Art of Steel," the contrast between the simply refined upper surfaces and the bold lower forms adds a solid impression.
The new Tucson is the first Hyundai Motor SUV to feature Pleos Connect, the company's next-generation infotainment system. Gleo AI, a generative artificial intelligence assistant, performs simple tasks such as setting destinations and adjusting cabin temperature through conversation with the driver, and retrieves information the driver needs, including weather and restaurants.
The model is also the first in its class to adopt door unlock power redundancy, which keeps doors unlocked after a collision; memory-based reverse assist, which remembers the path a vehicle has traveled through narrow alleys and controls the car accordingly; and ground view technology, which displays the road surface beneath the front of the vehicle. It also includes safety and convenience technologies such as pedal misapplication safety assist, forward parking collision-avoidance assist 2 (PCA-F) and reverse parking collision-avoidance assist 2 (PCA-R).
Hyundai Motor, which has been struggling with weak domestic demand amid the absence of an electric vehicle lineup and production halts caused by union strikes, sees the Tucson as the vehicle that can turn things around. The automaker's cumulative domestic sales from January through August came to 399,159 units, down 15% from 469,457 units in the same period last year.
A Price Increase Is Unavoidable — Will It Become a 50 Million Won SUV?
Pricing will determine whether the model succeeds. Hyundai Motor has recently been buffeted by controversy over the new Elantra's price. The eighth-generation Elantra's starting price rose by 3.36 million won for the gasoline version and 3.87 million won for the hybrid compared with the previous model. Contrary to its image as "the nation's first car," the fully loaded hybrid model far exceeded 40 million won, drawing a wave of criticism that Hyundai Motor was taking domestic consumers for granted.
Some observers say a price increase is unavoidable given the Tucson's larger body and the extensive safety and convenience features it carries. The psychological ceiling, however, appears to be 50 million won. The fully loaded version of the existing Tucson hybrid is priced at 47.21 million won before tax incentives.
