What is it?
The Hyundai Tucson has been a staple in the Korean brand’s lineup for more than twenty years, and the popularity of this stylish 5-passenger crossover continues to grow. Not only is Tucson one of the most popular SUVs in America, but it is also Hyundai’s best-seller by a wide margin. For the 2025 model year, Tucson gets a number of updates, including refreshed styling inside and out, as well as a range of new features, all of which should help to continue the success of this compact crossover.

Something for Everyone
“The refreshed 2025 Tucson SUV expands the appeal of our full-spectrum eco-powertrain approach, offering internal combustion, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid models in a popular compact SUV design,” said José Muñoz, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America. “With all-wheel drive offered on gas and hybrid models, customers can enjoy all-road, all-weather capability coupled with outstanding efficiency and an attractive variety of trims, including outdoor-focused XRT and sporty N Line models.”

Fresh Look
Styling was dramatically updated in 2022 when the fourth generation of Tucson was introduced, and for 2025, that look evolves but maintains Tucson’s unique look, which incorporates the daytime running lights into the grille. The updated model gets a new grille with revised lighting that gives the Tucson a slightly different look at night. Bodywork has a more chiseled look, better framing the grille and headlights. The rugged Tucson XRT gets additional updates which give it a more aggressive stance, helping to distinguish it from the rest of the lineup.

New Display
While some shoppers may not notice the Tucson’s exterior updates, one look inside reveals significant changes for the new model year. At the forefront is the all-new curved display screen incorporating the infotainment system and digital driver’s display. This elegant presentation appears to rest on a shelf that continues to the right side of the dash, providing an additional convenient storage space for the front passenger.

Clean Style
With the introduction of the new display screen, vents are repositioned lower on the dashboard, providing a wider look. Proving that it’s possible to have a clean, high-tech design while retaining physical controls, the Tucson features actual knobs for volume, tuning, and cabin temperature control. Climate functions are conveniently accessed via soft-touch buttons, and shortcuts to navigation, media, and the infotainment home screen are just above the climate controls.

Good Storage
Another significant change to the Tucson’s cabin is the new gear selector located on the steering column. This frees up space in the center console for added storage as well as a new placement for the wireless phone charger directly next to the driver. Additional storage can be found under the center armrest and below the charger and cupholders.

Updated Infotainment
Not only does the Tucson get a new display, but the infotainment system has also been updated. The Hyundai system was already one of the more intuitive on the market, and for 2025, there are improvements in the presentation and graphics. A faster processor provides a quicker response, further improving the functionality. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, with a wireless connection on all trim levels.

Comfortable Cabin
While changes to the 2025 Tucson’s cabin are primarily focused on the dashboard and center console, the compact crossover continues to offer up a roomy cabin with comfortable seating. The Tucson Limited I drove featured leather-trimmed seats that look stylish and offer great support.

Rear Seat
As was the case the first time I experienced this latest generation Tucson, I was surprised by the spaciousness and comfort of the rear seat. There’s plenty of legroom and headroom; even the middle seat is usable if needed.

Cargo Space
The Hyundai Tucson offers up plenty of utility with a wide cargo area that can hold up to 41.2 cubic feet of stuff. Multiple suitcases or other gear easily fit behind the rear seats, and the space expands to 80 cubic feet with the seats folded. Additional storage can be found under the cargo floor.

Under the Hood
One of the unique aspects of the Tucson is that it is available with three different powertrains. The base-level trims come with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, putting out 187 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, teamed with an 8-speed automatic transmission. Also available are hybrid and plug-in hybrid options that make use of a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine teamed with an electric motor. With a 64-horsepower electric motor, the hybrid delivers a total of 231 horsepower, while the plug-in hybrid gets a more powerful 97-horsepower electric motor, increasing total output to 268 horsepower. Both generate 271 lb-ft of torque.

Fuel Economy
All variants of the Tucson are relatively fuel efficient, but it’s the PHEV that’s most impressive, putting out the most power while rated at 77 MPGe and 35 mpg running both gas and electric. The PHEV can travel up to 32 miles on electric power only. The hybrid Tucson is rated as high as 38 mpg combined for the Blue trim and 35 mpg combined for the rest of the hybrid lineup. Meanwhile, the non-hybrid gets 28 mpg combined (26 with AWD). During my drive in the Tucson Hybrid, the trip computer indicated about 30 mpg – not as high as the EPA ratings, but still respectable for a compact crossover with AWD.

What I Drove
Hyundai invited me to Santa Barbara, California, where they provided me with a 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Limited AWD that carried a base price of $42,340, including the $1,395 destination charge. Hyundai covered my travel, food, and lodging expenses.

On the Road
As I headed out in the Tucson Hybrid, I immediately noticed how quiet and smooth this compact crossover operates. While the throttle response seems a bit slow when taking off from a stop, once it gets moving, the power comes on quickly for respectable performance. Throughout the drive, I never encountered a circumstance where the Tucson hybrid lacked adequate power to handle the situation.

Good Handling
Hyundai routed me through some of the most twisty roads I’ve encountered, which seemed more appropriate for a sports car than a hybrid crossover SUV. That said, the Tucson held its own, delivering impressive handling with excellent steering and a balanced, confident ride. The all-wheel drive provided excellent grip, and while the Tucson does lean a bit when pushed hard in the corners, its performance was quite good.

Quality Cruiser
As good as the Tucson was at tackling winding back roads, it seemed more at home cruising along the highway. The cabin remains relatively quiet, with very little road or wind noise coming through, and the SUV stayed composed, even when the pavement was in disrepair. Sitting back in the comfortable leather-trimmed seats with Spotify streaming music via Android Auto through the high-end Bose audio system, I realized how nice the Tucson would work for a long-distance road trip.

Advanced Safety
Every Tucson comes with a long list of advanced driver assist features that include adaptive cruise control with start and stop, forward collision avoidance assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot collision warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, driver attention warning, and rear occupant alert. My test vehicle was also equipped with Highway Drive Assist which provides semi-autonomous driving. The system works well, providing steering input and maintaining speed and distance from the vehicle ahead, but it is not a hands-free system.

Rating: 9.0
The Hyundai Tucson was already a great option in the compact crossover market, and as one of the best-selling SUVs in America, shoppers seemed to agree. With its fresh exterior styling and significant updates inside, the Tucson should continue to see sales success. While there are some tough competitors in this segment, including the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, with its range of trim levels and engine options, the Tucson is definitely worthy of consideration.