The Hyundai Tucson continues to be the brand’s best-selling crossover SUV, and for 2025, it gets a significant refresh while maintaining the same dimensions. This new model brings fresh styling, enhanced technology, and more options for hybrid enthusiasts, ensuring it remains competitive in a crowded market.
What’s New for 2025
For the 2025 model year, the Hyundai Tucson sports a redesigned exterior and an upgraded interior. The cabin is now dominated by a large curved screen that integrates both the driver display and infotainment system, giving the dashboard a modern, premium feel. Other updates include physical knobs for essential controls, a relocated gear selector, and a cleaner, more spacious center console.
Powertrain Options
The 2025 Tucson stands out with its diverse powertrain offerings, providing buyers the choice between internal combustion engines (ICE), hybrid (HEV), and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models:
- 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine: This standard engine delivers 187 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
- Hybrid model: The 1.6-liter turbocharged engine combined with a 64-hp electric motor produces a total of 231 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
- Plug-in hybrid (PHEV): This version uses a more powerful 97-hp electric motor paired with the 1.6-liter engine, achieving 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Both the hybrid and PHEV come standard with all-wheel drive.
Fuel Economy
While the official fuel economy ratings for the 2025 Tucson are not yet available, the 2024 model’s numbers give a good idea of what to expect:
- The 2.5-liter engine delivers 25 mpg city and 32 mpg highway (FWD) or 23/29 mpg city/highway (AWD).
- The Tucson Hybrid is rated at 38 mpg combined, while the PHEV achieves an impressive 80 MPGe.
Interior and Technology
The interior of the 2025 Tucson has been significantly upgraded, featuring a new panoramic curved display that houses a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and driver display. Hyundai’s user-friendly infotainment system remains a highlight, now with faster processing, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and enhanced graphics. Physical controls have returned for volume and climate, improving ease of use.
The spacious cabin offers ample legroom, especially in the rear seats, where passengers enjoy up to 41.3 inches of legroom, outclassing competitors like the Toyota RAV4. Hybrid versions maintain this space, but the PHEV loses about 2 inches of rear legroom to accommodate the battery.
Safety and Driver Assistance
While the 2025 Tucson hasn’t been tested by the IIHS or NHTSA yet, the previous model earned top safety ratings, including a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA. The Tucson comes with Hyundai’s comprehensive suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, and more.
Trims and Pricing
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson is offered in seven trims: SE, SEL, Blue, SEL Convenience, XRT, N Line, and Limited. The hybrid is available in Blue, SEL Convenience, and Limited trims, while the PHEV comes in SEL Convenience and Limited. Pricing details are yet to be announced but are expected to be competitive within the segment.
Verdict
The refreshed 2025 Hyundai Tucson enhances an already strong contender in the compact SUV market. With its premium interior, advanced technology, and multiple powertrain options, it continues to set the bar for value and versatility in the segment. While adaptive cruise control is only available on higher trims and its towing capacity is relatively low, the Tucson’s overall package makes it a compelling choice among rivals like the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Kia Sportage.
