The Hyundai Tucson has always been a strong seller for the company, and it was also a model that didn’t change too much when it came to the core essentials (sometimes to its own detriment in certain model years).

But forget everything you knew about the Hyundai Tucson because the 2027 model is completely rewriting everything you knew about the SUV in an attempt to boost its sales and street cred.

A whole new look for a new generation of buyers

Hyundai could’ve made the Tucson fully embrace the boxy look like its bigger teammate, the Santa Fe. But Hyundai chose not to go for the Brinks truck look again, and instead chose to go in a bolder direction. The look is still on the boxy side, but Hyundai designers managed to retain some of the old model’s sporty roofline.

The look is also full of edges, with the SUV being a clear example of letting the designers run wild with a ruler and a machete. The lighting gets narrow light bars front and rear. The look is expressed best by the XRT trim, which also shows off the four new “nature-inspired colors: Kodiak Blue, Ranger Green, Driftwood Grey, and Red Rock Orange.

Tech and comfort reign supreme in this Tucson

The next-generation Tucson is longer and wider than before, and the interior brings most of these changes together. Buyers get more head and legroom, but the center dash is clearly tailored around Hyundai’s new Pleos infotainment system. A 12.9-inch infotainment screen is standard, but buyers who want even more screen real estate can opt for a 17.0-inch display. The instrument cluster is represented by a slender 9.9-inch screen. Hyundai has thankfully retained some physical controls to help maintain familiarity.

Material quality has also gone up, with some models featuring perforated upholstery and wood trim. Plastic quality has also gone up, and Hyundai says it has made changes to the seats to boost comfort, but we will find out how comfortable these seats are when we have a chance to experience them in real-world use.

A trio of performance options

The 2027 Hyundai Tucson will come with three different powertrains, including a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 184 horsepower and can get up to 28 mpg in combined driving. The hybrid model is also carried over and pairs the engine with a reworked hybrid system that now produces 233 hp and gets 42 mpg in combined driving.

The PHEV gets a bigger battery pack and a beefed-up electric motor to produce a combined system output of 288 hp. Hyundai says the PHEV can go up to 50 miles on electricity only before the gas engine kicks in. The PHEV is also the quickest to 60 mph, with this model making the sprint to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. The other two need over 8.5 and 9.5 seconds, respectively, to do the same feat.

When can I buy one?

Like other new Hyundai models, the 2027 Hyundai Tucson is scheduled to hit the South Korean market first. It could reach the U.S. toward the end of the year, but chances are good Hyundai might push the rollout into 2027 to help provide the company more time to get real-world data from South Korean customers.

Hyundai is also preparing for a big rollout of new models, with the next few years seeing the Korean auto giant roll out several new models across multiple segments. They include the revamped Elantra as well as the updated 2027 Hyundai Santa Fe.