Forget the sanitized, bland affair with the oversized grille mouth that we’ve called the Tucson for the past six years. In August 2026, Hyundai officially killed the old style of its best-selling crossover, unveiling the fifth generation in Seoul. The car has radically changed its image—it is now a chiseled brutalism in the Art of Steel style. The engineers erased all the smooth lines of the rubberized body—the body is now composed of sharp facets, as if it were hewn from a solid slab of tank armor with a blunt axe.

The front end was reconfigured: a single icy strip of daytime running lights spans the full width of the grille, while the main headlight units are modestly tucked away in the aggressive bumper below. The rear lighting design became vertical and intense. Furthermore, the coefficient of aerodynamic drag dropped to an ideal 0.3.

The crossover didn’t just get a facelift; it hit the gym and grew significantly across the board. The length increased by 60 millimeters (to 4700 mm), the width expanded by another 40 mm, and the wheelbase was stretched by 30 mm—to 2785 mm. The Koreans squeezed out maximum usability from these figures for the people. The ceiling height above the second row grew by 29 millimeters, and the rear door opening angle is now a massive 83 degrees, up from a meager 73 degrees. Forget about bruised ankles—now you can load the cargo area with sacks of potatoes or your mother-in-law complete with her rocking chair.

The salon underwent deconstruction as well. Instead of a single multimedia panel that would glare in the sun and blind you, they reverted to normal, separate screens. The transmission control was moved from the tunnel to the right-hand lever near the steering wheel, freeing up space for two wireless charging pads and proper cup holders (at last, a liter bottle of Coke will fit). The electronic assistant list now includes the Memory Reverse Assist system—the car automatically remembers the trajectory of the last few meters and can automatically back up along the same corridor, saving you a heart attack when parking in crowded courtyard areas of Khrushchyovka buildings.

Technically, the car has stopped being a pensioner’s ride. The base gasoline turbocharged 1.6 T-GDI engine has gotten a dose of testosterone, now producing 193 horsepower instead of the previous 180. The HEV hybrid version has ramped up to 245 horsepower. The most significant change—the one worthy of a monument to the chief engineer—is the move away from the wretched, jerky seven-speed robot in favor of a classic eight-speed automatic. No more jolts in traffic jams or the fear of overheating the clutch on an incline.

But the icing on this concrete cake is the XRT version. For the first time, we have introduced a factory off-road package for those who love to drive off the pavement. It features a rectangular radiator grille with a massive crossbar in the center, reinforced black cladding capable of taking a moose strike, and special-design wheels that you won’t mind scratching against rocks. Sales in Korea will begin by the end of this year, with the global premiere and launch into worldwide markets slated for 2027.