Hyundai Tucson facelift and new interior

New Hyundai Tucson (2024)* in a hurry

• Erstes Facelift of Hyundai Tucson
• New interior and new infotainment
• Looks slightly sharpened
• It is also available as a diesel
• Market launch in late spring 2024

*(Car comparison not yet complete at time of publication; usage figures not yet available)²

Hyundai has created a real bestseller with the fourth-generation Tucson, which was introduced in September 2020. The angular design seems to have convinced many customers and after less than four years of construction, almost 750,000 examples are already on the road around the world. In Europe, the SUV is very attractive to Spanish and German customers – Hyundai managed to sell almost 20,000 units in this country alone in 2023. To ensure that it stays that way, the first facelift will go on sale in the spring. In addition to major interior changes and optical retouches, there are also new support systems. Crosswind assist is designed to help the driver stay in line and ensure no children or animals are forgotten in the back seats, now there’s a radar-based passenger alarm.

The Tucson gets a new interior with the Ioniq 5 infotainment system

The paradigm shift itself is not unexpected. Hyundai teased a Tucson facelift in South Korea in late 2023 – but then it was all about the interior. This will be completely rebuilt, receiving a new dashboard and infotainment system (upgradable over the air) with two 12.3-inch displays placed next to each other, as is also known from the Ioniq 5. In addition, the familiar Hyundai logo on the steering wheel is replaced by dots – the printed Morse code should correspond to the letter “H”. There’s also a redesigned climate control panel with two rotary controls, more physical buttons and the gear selector is moved from the center console (which now has a large inductive charging pad) to the steering column. A new head-up display will also be installed, and Digital Key 2.0 will be introduced later this year. Digital technology turns your phone into a car key.

In addition to the new interior design, the Koreans also worked on the exterior design. The bumpers are now integrated directly into the lower protection, and Hyundai itself likes to talk about “more flexibility and presence” when it comes to the redesign. The large daytime running lights are still there, which already gave the Tucson a very special look. Redesigned matrix headlights, new wheels and color finishes around the exterior – among others, Ultimate Red Metallic, Ecotronic Gray mineral effect, Cypress Green mineral effect and Sailing Blue mineral effect are now available to order. Reserved for the N Line are specially modified aprons, a modified radiator grille and special 19-inch wheels.

Hyundai is bringing back the diesel

On the car side, the Tucson remains wide even after the facelift. The SUV is still available as a petrol engine (with and without 48V technology), hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) they also have a choice between front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive for most engines. Due to the redesigned center console, it initially seemed uncertain whether the six-speed manual transmission would continue to be offered. However, as Hyundai informed us when we asked, a manual transmission option remains in the lineup. Automatic variants use a six- or seven-speed gearbox, depending on the driver.

Meanwhile, the diesel in the Hyundai Tucson is celebrating an unexpected comeback. This was taken out of the program in autumn 2023 only to return with a facelift. It remains with the 1.6-liter four-cylinder with 48V support, which has 136 hp and 320 Nm of torque (vehicle not yet sold, comparison pending)². The Koreans also want to expand the engine range later in the year with an all-wheel-drive hybrid electric car.

Price and market launch

According to Hyundai, the new Tucson should be delivered to dealers at the end of summer, the manufacturer does not want to reveal the price yet. The Hyundai Tucson currently starts at 33,440 euros in Germany. (Text: tv | Photo: manufacturer)