Hyundai Motor bets on redesigned Tucson SUV for sales rebound

Hyundai Motor unveiled the fifth-generation Tucson in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Friday as it tries to revive weakening sales in the second half of the year. The redesigned compact SUV is positioned as a key global volume model alongside the Avante and Grandeur, with improved space, safety features and digital technology. Hyundai said pricing will be announced in October, with domestic sales to start afterward.

Hyundai said the new Tucson will be offered with a 1.6-liter turbo gasoline engine and a 1.6-liter turbo hybrid powertrain.

The hybrid version produces a maximum combined output of 245 horsepower and a combined fuel economy of 17.4 kilometers per liter.

The Tucson is the first Hyundai SUV to feature Pleos Connect, the group’s latest connected car platform, and Gleo AI, a generative artificial intelligence agent.

Standard safety features include a dual-power system for door unlocking, pedal misapplication safety assistance and forward parking collision avoidance assistance.

Hyundai said the new Tucson will go on domestic sale after pricing is announced in October.

Published Sep 20, 2026 9:00 am KST

Best-selling SUV expected to serve as key sales driver with Avante, Grandeur

Hyundai Motor's fifth-generation Tucson SUVs are displayed at an exhibition hall in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Friday. Courtesy of Hyundai Motor

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."

现代汽车周五在京畿道坡州市发布了第五代途胜，旨在提振下半年疲软的销量。这款重新设计的紧凑型SUV与Avante和Grandeur一起，被定位为全球主力车型，在空间、安全配置和数字技术方面均有所提升。现代汽车表示，将于10月公布售价，随后在韩国国内上市。

现代汽车表示，新款途胜将提供1.6升涡轮增压汽油发动机和1.6升涡轮增压混合动力系统。

混合动力版的最大综合输出功率为 245 马力，综合油耗为每升 17.4 公里。

途胜是首款搭载 Pleos Connect（现代集团最新的互联汽车平台）和 Gleo AI（一款生成式人工智能代理）的现代 SUV。

标准安全功能包括双动力车门解锁系统、踏板误操作安全辅助系统和前方停车碰撞避免辅助系统。

现代汽车表示，新款途胜将在10月份公布售价后在国内上市。

发布于2026年9月20日上午9:00（韩国标准时间）

预计最畅销的SUV将成为Avante和Grandeur的主要销售驱动力。

周五，现代汽车第五代途胜SUV在京畿道坡州市的一个展览馆展出。图片由现代汽车提供。

京畿道坡州市——现代汽车寄希望于重新设计的途胜来扭转其疲软的销售势头，并将这款全球最畅销的SUV之一置于其下半年全球销售战略的核心位置。

这家汽车制造商于周五发布了第五代途胜，距离上一代车型推出已有六年之久。途胜与重新设计的Avante和改款的Grandeur一起，被定位为该公司快速复苏的关键车型。

此次新车发布对这家汽车制造商来说可谓雪上加霜。由于旷日持久的劳工罢工导致生产中断，该公司8月份的国内销量同比暴跌41.1%，创下11年来的最低水平。

由于其价格相对实惠、销量大的车型有望更直接地提振其全球销量，因此这款备受追捧的 SUV 的推出对于这家汽车制造商来说可谓恰逢其时。

现代汽车途胜SUV / 图片由现代汽车提供

途胜之所以尤为重要，是因为它的作用远不止于韩国市场。它是现代汽车在全球的主要销量车型之一，使公司有机会利用一款新产品来加强在多个市场（例如美国）的销售。

现代汽车正利用这款经过全面重新设计的车型，在消费者对电气化、安全性和数字化功能的要求越来越高的关键时期，扩大SUV的吸引力。

新款途胜与Avante拥有相似的外观设计，两者都体现了现代汽车的“钢铁艺术”设计语言，赋予这款SUV更加棱角分明、肌肉感十足的外观。

从销售角度来看，更重要的是，现代汽车力求将设计上的变化与消费者能够看到和感受到的升级相结合，包括改进的内部空间和更广泛的标准安全和便利功能。

该车型将提供1.6升涡轮增压汽油发动机和1.6升涡轮增压混合动力系统两种动力选择。据汽车制造商称，混合动力系统最大综合输出功率为245马力，综合油耗为每升17.4公里。

现代汽车韩国国内业务部负责人尹孝俊（Yoon Hyo-jun）周五在京畿道坡州市举行的全新途胜SUV媒体日活动上致欢迎辞。图片由现代汽车提供。

该混合动力系统还引入了“驻车模式”，当车辆静止时，即使发动机关闭，空调和信息娱乐系统也能正常运行。现代汽车表示，这项功能旨在让这款汽油动力SUV拥有更接近电动汽车的驾驶体验。

安全升级是现代汽车提升途胜价值主张的另一项举措。这款SUV配备了双电源车门解锁系统，即使碰撞导致主电源中断，车内人员也能使用备用电源解锁车门。

所有车型均标配踏板误操作安全辅助系统和前方泊车碰撞避免辅助系统。此外，还新增了倒车辅助系统，该系统能够记忆车辆之前的行驶轨迹并自动控制转向，使这款大型SUV在狭窄空间内操控更加轻松。

现代汽车途胜SUV的内饰 / 图片由现代汽车提供

途胜SUV也标志着现代汽车在软件定义汽车战略方面迈出了重要一步。它是首款搭载Pleos Connect的现代SUV，Pleos Connect是现代集团最新的互联汽车平台。

该系统集成了 Gleo AI，这是一款基于大型语言模型的生成式人工智能代理，能够理解连续对话并处理除基本车辆控制之外的功能，包括信息搜索和出行推荐。在途胜之前，现代汽车已将最新的信息娱乐平台应用于改款后的君悦和全新设计的伊凡特车型。

随着现代汽车寻求使其主流车型在与提供日益精密的车载技术的竞争对手的较量中更具竞争力，数字化转型可能会成为一个越来越重要的差异化因素。

现代汽车计划于10月份公布新款途胜的售价，随后开始在国内销售。

现代汽车一位官员表示：“全新途胜此次全面改款，在设计、空间、电气化和数字技术方面均实现了创新。我们将以同级别最高水平的产品竞争力，为紧凑型SUV市场树立新的标杆。”