New Tucson set to debut next month in bid to reclaim compact SUV crown

Hyundai Motor plans to unveil an all-new Tucson as early as next month — its first full redesign in six years. The company is enlarging the body, expanding interior space and equipping the model with a next-generation infotainment system to sharply lift its appeal. With sales having slowed in recent months, Hyundai Motor is counting on the new-car effect to push the Tucson past Kia's Sportage and reclaim the top spot in South Korea's compact SUV segment.

According to industry sources, Hyundai Motor is expected to reveal the next-generation Tucson — internally designated NX5 — as early as August and open pre-orders at the same time. Domestic customer deliveries are likely to begin in the fourth quarter of this year.

The new model will be the first full-model change since the fourth-generation Tucson launched in September 2020, a gap of roughly six years. A mid-cycle refresh called "The New Tucson" was released in December 2023, but that update was a partial change only.

According to Carisyou Data Research Institute, new Tucson registrations in South Korea totaled 21,176 units in the first half of this year, down 25.0 percent from 28,233 units in the same period last year. The model ranked ninth among domestic passenger car nameplates.

Over the same period, rival Kia Sportage recorded 31,994 registrations — 10,818 more than the Tucson. The Sportage also fell 19.1 percent year on year, yet held third place among domestic passenger cars and maintained its lead over the Tucson.

Industry observers say the balance could shift once the new Tucson arrives as a full-model change ahead of its rival. The next-generation Sportage is not expected until next year, giving the Tucson roughly a year to capitalize on its new-car advantage. Analysts say the Tucson has a real chance of overtaking the Sportage if it strengthens its design, interior space and hybrid lineup at the same time.

Test vehicles spotted recently at home and abroad suggest the new Tucson will be longer than the current model and take on a more angular, upright shape. Images of a prototype parked alongside an older-generation Sorento confirmed a noticeably longer body compared with the current Tucson. If the wheelbase grows in tandem, rear-seat and cargo space would likely expand as well.

The exterior is expected to reflect Hyundai Motor's new design direction, "Art of Steel," emphasizing straight lines and flat surfaces in a traditional SUV form. The rear is anticipated to feature an LED light bar spanning the full width of the body alongside vertical taillamps.

Interior changes are even more substantial. A large tablet-style display based on Hyundai Motor's next-generation in-vehicle operating system, Pleos Connect, is expected to sit at the center of the dashboard. The screen observed in test vehicles appears larger than the 14.6-inch display in the new Avante and closer to the 17-inch unit found in the Grandeur.

Below the large screen, physical buttons and dials for climate control and audio are expected to be retained. A dual wireless charging pad, a large cup holder and a separate digital instrument cluster were also confirmed through test vehicle sightings.

The hybrid variant is expected to be a key driver of the new Tucson's sales recovery. Based on Hyundai Motor's own sales data, hybrid models accounted for 47.3 percent of domestic Tucson sales in the first half of this year.

Since its debut in 2004, the Tucson has grown into one of Hyundai Motor's flagship global SUVs. Last year, 21 years after its launch, cumulative worldwide sales surpassed 10 million units — the third Hyundai Motor nameplate to reach that milestone after the Avante and Accent, and the first among Hyundai Motor SUVs.

About 91 percent of those cumulative sales came from overseas markets, underscoring the model's global weight. Hyundai Motor now faces the dual task of reviving domestic sales with the new Tucson while defending its position in key markets such as the United States and Europe.

Market conditions also support optimism about a new-car boost. Although new domestic passenger car registrations fell 5.6 percent year on year in the first half of this year, SUV registrations rose 3.4 percent to 447,160 units — a sign that SUV demand held firm even as the broader auto market softened.

The new Tucson is also one of the key models Hyundai Motor has lined up to lift second-half sales and profitability. The company plans to roll out a succession of new vehicles — including the new Avante, the Tucson and the Grandeur Hybrid — and shift its sales mix toward hybrids and higher-margin models to meet its annual operating profit margin target.