2025 Hyundai Tucson First Look: Small Revisions for a Small SUV
A tougher-lookin' XRT off-road-themed model, new screens, and more.
Hyundai's compact Tucson SUV is getting a rash of small but meaningful revisions for 2025 (along with its Santa Cruz pickup truck sibling), with the interior receiving the biggest changes of all. Much like the smaller Kona did last year, the Tucson gets a new, blockier dashboard design with Hyundai's new corporate display setup: A pair of 12.3-inch screens sharing a billboard-like binnacle set atop the dash, with a row of (welcome) physical buttons and knobs below the central touchscreen and a handy shelf carved out of the area above the glovebox ahead of the passenger. The changes are more than cosmetic, too, as the new infotainment setup can now handle over-the-air updates.
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Same Tucson, Tiny Changes
Beyond the interior, every Tucson receives fresh front and rear bumpers, as well as a less arachnid-like daytime running light situation. Where before the Hyundai wore ten chiclet-shaped LEDs integrated into the full-width grille design, that array has been slimmed to eight in total. The effect remains largely the same, but the look is slightly less busy. As on other recently updated Hyundais, the Tucson adopts cool new anodized aluminum badging, as well as new aluminum wheel designs across the lineup ranging in size from 17 inches in diameter to 19 inches.
The lineup again consists of gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid Tucson variants. The gas version is powered by a carryover 187-hp, 178-lb-ft 2.5-liter I-4 and an eight-speed automatic transmission (with either front- or all-wheel drive). Hybrid Tucsons are all-wheel-drive-only and use a turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4 with electric assist, and the PHEV upgrades that hybrid setup with a bigger battery and a more powerful electric drive motor. As such, the Tucson Hybrid makes 231 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, while the Tucson Plug-In Hybrid makes a stouter 268 hp and the same 258 lb-ft of peak torque, thanks to its 97-hp, 224-lb-ft electric motor (the Hybrid uses a 64-hp, 195-lb-ft motor). The PHEV also gets a 13.8-kWh battery, compared to the Hybrid's 1.49-kWh unit.
Both hybrid models also utilize a six-speed automatic transmission, and every Hybrid gets Hyundai's newest shift lever setup standard, a stalk with a twist knob at the end that pokes out from the steering column. This same piece is also found on the company's EVs, as well as nicer versions of the smaller Kona; on the gas-only Tucsons, the fancier shifter is limited to upper trims, leaving entry-level variants with a traditional console-mounted shift lever.
Other technologies ported over from other Hyundais include Digital Key 2, in which compatible smartphones can be used as the Tucson's key, unlocking and starting the car without needing the actual key fob; the aforementioned over-the-air update capability; and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
A Tougher-Looking XRT Styling Package
Hyundai has few changes in store for the Tucson's trim levels, which include the SE, SEL, Limited, N Line, and, for the hybrid, Blue. The XRT trim is the standout, however. This "outdoors-themed" styling package gets a little more beef for 2025, thanks to new all-terrain tires and 18-inch wheels, as well as raised roof rails.
Pricing for the improved Tucson lineup will be revealed later, but for now, here's a peek at the trim level structure—and which ones are available with which powertrains—for the 2025 model:
2025 Hyundai Tucson Lineup
A lifelong car enthusiast, I stumbled into this line of work essentially by accident after discovering a job posting for an intern position at Car and Driver while at college. My start may have been a compelling alternative to working in a University of Michigan dining hall, but a decade and a half later, here I am reviewing cars; judging our Car, Truck, and Performance Vehicle of the Year contests; and shaping MotorTrend’s daily coverage of the automotive industry.
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