The 2027 Tucson Gives Curves The Cold Shoulder
Square nose and tons of straight lines gives the next Tucson a connection to its Santa Fe big brother
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by Chris Chilton
Hyundai’s next-generation Tucson has been spied testing in Europe.
The disguised compact SUV has a boxy front end and clamshell hood.
Korean media says the hybrid-focused lineup will debut in fall 2026.
Hyundai’s three-row Santa Fe and hydrogen-powered Nexo have both received radical design overhauls in the last couple of years and now it’s the Tucson’s turn to get the same treatment. New spy shots of the next-generation compact SUV show it too has ditched curves and embraced boxy to give it a tougher demeanour.
The 2027 Tucson was spotted testing in Europe wearing a fairly full complement of black disguise, but Hyundai still left enough glass, metal and plastic on display to give us some major clues as to how it will look when it makes its debut. That’ll happen in the third quarter of 2026, Korean media reports.
Sharper Lines and Familiar Cues
Most obviously, the new Tucson has a much squarer nose with a vertical front fascia and flatter hood than the current SUV. In that respect it’s similar to the bigger Santa Fe, but this one features a clamshell-style hood that wraps over the tops of the front fenders.
Like the Santa Fe, those fenders feature pronounced straight lines that echo the outer shape of the plastic arch trims, while the inner section of the trim is rounded.
Also: Hyundai’s Facelifted Tucson Hybrid Is Good, But Is It Good Enough?
The door frames also ditch curves for straight lines, again, like the Santa Fe, and the waistline rises at a much shallow rate as it heads rearward. But since the portion after the C-pillar is hidden it’s possible that it still kicks upwards in the last 300 mm (12 inches), giving a visual connection to today’s Tuscson.
The rear hatch will also retain a visible crossover-like slope, rather than being mounted vertically as on the bigger Santa Fe.
More Electric Range, Fewer Engine Options
Hyundai will push the hybrid angle hard with this NX5 Tucson, Korean Car Blog claims, with the plug-ins capable of 62 miles (100 km) on electric power. And regions like Europe, who still buy (an admittedly shrinking number of) diesel cars, will have to live without that option this time.
On the tech front, the new Tucson is likely to feature enhanced driver assistance systems, including Level 2+ hands-free driving capabilities. But most importantly of all, it’s also set to debut Hyundai’s updated Pleos infotainment system, which will incorporate the new Gleo AI assistant for improved in-car interactions.
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