2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2WD review

Look out, Toyota. Hyundai is coming for the RAV4 Hybrid, and it’s launched with all weapons blazing.

Relatively than one costly variant, hybrid energy is offered throughout the 2025 Hyundai Tucson lineup. Pricing begins simply over $45,000 earlier than on-road prices for the bottom hybrid front-wheel drive on take a look at right here, however you may spend greater than $60,000 if having powered, heated, cooled, and leather-based all the pieces is a precedence.

Though it’s a hybrid SUV that’s roughly the identical form and measurement as a RAV4, the Tucson isn’t a Korean clone.

Its hybrid system combines a turbocharged petrol engine with an electrical motor, and slightly than slurring by way of a CVT it packs a six-speed automated transmission designed to ship a extra pure, partaking driving expertise.

No matter whether or not you go for a hybrid or not, the brand new Tucson has been given a major makeover inside. Gone is the busy, gloss black waterfall between the seats, and as a substitute is a cleaner setup – above which sits a flash new dual-screen show.

In different phrases? This is likely to be a mid-life facelift, however Hyundai has made important adjustments to the Tucson past its hybrid powertrain.

How does the Hyundai Tucson evaluate?

View an in depth breakdown of the Hyundai Tucson in opposition to equally sized automobiles.

Hyundai

Tucson

How a lot does the Hyundai Tucson value?

Need selection? Hyundai affords loads within the Tucson vary, which begins just under $40,000 earlier than on-road prices and extends past $60,000 earlier than on-roads for the primary time.

To see how the Tucson strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparison tool.

What’s the Hyundai Tucson like on the within?

It is a a lot better offered area than earlier than. Gone is the gloss black waterfall of fiddly contact buttons, changed with a clear new dashboard that’s higher to have a look at, and higher to make use of on the transfer.

The brand new dual-screen show setup might have been lifted from one thing German, and even the fundamental digital sprint on this entry mannequin doesn’t cheapen issues.

The basics stay glorious, too. The driving place is accomodating for tall drivers, the view over the bonnet is commanding sufficient to offer consumers the SUV feeling they crave. That is fairly an enormous automobile by mid-sized SUV requirements, however stable imaginative and prescient in each path means it doesn’t essentially really feel it.

High quality is great. The flat-bottom steering wheel appears to be like and feels costly, and all of the locations you poke, prod, or relaxation an elbow are delicate to the contact. As base fashions go, it is a fairly rattling good one.

Hyundai has made large strides ahead with regards to inside know-how. The 12.3-inch touchscreen commonplace right here appears to be like costly, and touches like having the shortcut buttons within the backside right-hand nook of the display screen as an alternative of the highest left make life simpler in right-hand drive Australia.

Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are rolling out throughout the Hyundai lineup after years of being excluded from automobiles with manufacturing facility satellite tv for pc navigation, lastly giving the model’s hero vehicles a correctly up-to-date characteristic set.

Connectivity comes courtesy of a pair of USB-C ports and a 12V outlet, housed forward of an open area on the base of the dashboard.

Storage areas abound. Together with the cupholders and wi-fi telephone charger close to the armrest, there’s an area sufficiently big for a purse beneath it – simply beware, it’s not lined so leaving issues there when the automobile is locked is a danger in some components of city.

Rear legroom and headroom stay Tucson sturdy factors. The doorways are good and enormous, and open near 90 levels to make loading youngsters into seats simpler than it in any other case could be.

Air vents, USB ports, and a fold-down central armrest all characteristic again there, and there are two ISOFIX and three high tether factors for little one seats.

Not like in some rivals, the rear bench doesn’t slide again and ahead. However it does fold 60-40, and when folded it creates a flat load area.

There’s additionally not a lot want for a sliding bench given how huge the boot is to begin with.

It’s a protracted, flat area that’ll simply take a set of golf golf equipment or a big pram – and one which doesn’t require an excessive amount of Tetris if you happen to’re to pack in a weekend’s value of stuff for a household.

To see how the Tucson strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparison tool.

What’s underneath the bonnet?

Three powertrains are supplied throughout the Tucson lineup, headlined by the brand new hybrid you see right here.

To see how the Tucson strains up in opposition to the competitors, take a look at our comparison tool.

How does the Hyundai Tucson drive?

Hyundai takes a really completely different strategy to Toyota and Nissan with its hybrids.

Toyota blends electrical and petrol energy by way of a CVT for a clean, barely slurry expertise, whereas Nissan principally makes use of the petrol engine to cost a battery, which in flip powers an electrical motor.

Within the Tucson, each the petrol and engine function by way of a six-speed automated transmission. On mild inputs, the electrical motor step by step works by way of the gears; put your foot down tougher and the petrol engine kicks in to assist it, revving out in direction of the redline like a standard petrol automobile.

In the event you get pleasure from driving, it’s a extra pure and pleasing expertise. It additionally feels very electrical.

The Tucson will speed up to greater than 50km/h on battery energy if you happen to’re mild with the accelerator, and the petrol engine usually cuts out at an 80km/h cruise. When the engine does fireplace, it does so easily and quietly.

Not like the Kona Hybrid, which feels a bit underpowered whenever you actually put your foot down, the turbocharged petrol within the Tucson packs loads of punch. There’s sufficient grunt to spin the entrance wheels with out an excessive amount of effort within the moist, which can be sufficient to nudge consumers into an AWD.

Mixed with the quiet, environment friendly hybrid system, the Tucson’s mild steering and comfy trip make for a wonderful commuter.

Regardless of its measurement you may confidently slice down tight laneways, and even grandmas will be capable to reverse park it with one hand. Hyundai’s cameras aren’t fairly GWM Haval ranges of clear, however they’re higher than the dross on provide in some rivals.

It’s a settled cruiser as nicely. Trip consolation is great on this base mannequin, with its chubby tyres filtering out pimply metropolis streets higher than the slim tyres and fancy wheels on the N Line above it within the vary, whereas the shortage of any sporting credentials means Hyundai has dialled in a relaxed freeway trip.

There’s a touch of floatiness over huge freeway crests and dips, however for probably the most half the Tucson simply will get on with the job.

I can’t assist however marvel if a seventh gear would make it even higher, by permitting the automobile to calm down additional on the freeway slightly than spinning at round 2000rpm whenever you’re doing the authorized restrict in Australia.

Highway noise is nicely suppressed, and Hyundai’s adaptive cruise management neatly maintains a niche to the automobile in entrance. The lane-keeping help steps in when required to nudge you again between the white strains.

The energetic lane centring stays too energetic for my liking, attempting to seize the wheel out of your palms slightly than working with you.

Hyundai additionally deserves credit score for (virtually) fixing its energetic velocity restrict warning system. Now you can silence the beeps with a protracted press of the mute button, which is way simpler than the earlier sequence of steering wheel buttons and touchscreen inputs.

what could be even higher although? Having the ability to flip it off completely.

What do you get?

There are three trim ranges within the up to date Tucson lineup. On take a look at right here is the entry-level Hybrid 2WD.

Hyundai Tucson highlights:

• 18-inch alloy wheels
• Full-size spare wheel (non-hybrid solely, hybrids have a space-saver)
• Darkish chrome entrance grille
• Roof rails
• LED headlights
• LED daytime operating lights
• LED aspect indicators
• LED tail lights
• Heated and auto-folding aspect mirrors
• Fabric inside upholstery
• 4.0-inch instrument cluster show
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with over-the-air updates
• 6.6-inch local weather management panel
• Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Digital radio
• 4 x USB-C shops
• 6-speaker sound system
• Wi-fi telephone charger
• Digital parking brake
• Leather-based-wrapped steering wheel
• Leather-based-wrapped shifter
• Premium fabric dashboard and door centre trim
• Black fabric upholstery
• Energy driver’s seat lumbar
• Bluelink related companies
  • Distant management of local weather and automobile features
  • Car settings administration

Tucson Hybrid provides:

• E-Movement Drive
• Good regeneration braking
• Paddle shifters
• After-blow system

Is the Hyundai Tucson protected?

The Hyundai Tucson acquired a five-star ANCAP security score in 2021.

Normal security options embrace:

• 7 airbags
• Entrance, front-side, and curtain airbags plus a front-centre airbag
• Autonomous emergency braking (AEB)
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Bike owner detection
  • Junction help
• Adaptive cruise management with cease/go
• Blind-spot help
• Rear cross-traffic help
• Clever velocity restrict help
• Lane-keep help
• Lane centring
• Reversing digital camera
• Rear parking sensors
• Main automobile departure alert
• Second row pretensioner seat belts
• Secure exit warning
• Rear occupant alert
• Tyre stress monitoring
• Hyundai Bluelink connectivity:
  • Automated collision notification
  • Emergency name (SOS) operate
  • Alert companies together with geo-fencing, valet, velocity and time alerts

The mid-range Elite and Premium variants acquire superior rear occupant alert, a navigation-based Good Cruise Management, and Freeway Driving Help, the latter of which mixes the adaptive cruise management and lane-keeping programs.

Premium grades additionally get a blind-spot view monitor, rear AEB and a surround-view digital camera.

How a lot does the Hyundai Tucson value to run?

Operating prices within the Tucson Hybrid are larger than these of the best-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and house owners who drive lengthy distances ought to word the ten,000km service intervals.

CarExpert’s Tackle the Hyundai Tucson

That is what we’ve been ready for from Hyundai.

The Tucson is a bona-fide Toyota RAV4 rival we don’t must make excuses for. It’s supplied in a variety of trim ranges, affords spectacular effectivity, and the worth hike from petrol to hybrid isn’t exorbitant.

Though it’s not fairly a parsimonious as its essential Toyota rival, the Tucson counters with a extra pleasing driving expertise. It’s additionally extra trendy inside, even within the base trim examined right here.

It’s taken its time getting right here, however the Tucson Hybrid was well worth the wait.

Thinking about shopping for a Hyundai Tucson? Get in contact with one among CarExpert’s trusted sellers here

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