2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: Upgraded Interior, Enhanced Performance, and Growing Market Share

Review: 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid Eyes Sustainable Future

The 2025 iteration of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid marks the fourth year of its current generation. Hyundai has refreshed the interior and introduced minor tweaks to the exterior design.

The company has also made adjustments to its hybrid system, enhancing its power a bit and introducing two versions: a “Blue” variant and a standard Hybrid, both of which come with mechanical all-wheel drive as a standard feature. Additionally, a Plug-In Hybrid model is expected to be released later this year, though we were not able to test it yet.

Hybrid vehicles are becoming a significant part of Tucson sales, accounting for 25% of all Tucson vehicles sold last year. Hyundai anticipates this proportion will increase. Due to stricter emission regulations for cars from model years 2026 to 2035, offering hybrids at competitive prices could be the most straightforward strategy to comply with these standards. Hyundai plans to introduce additional plug-in hybrid models and will also launch 21 new electric vehicles in the next few years. Both types of vehicles will be manufactured at Hyundai's upcoming Georgia "Metaplant" near Savannah.

In late August, we took the latest 2025 Tucson Hybrid for a spin through Santa Barbara's picturesque hills and canyons. It impressed us in nearly every aspect, leading us to believe that the hybrid model will capture an increasing share of the compact SUV market, which is now the most significant segment in the U.S. automotive industry—surpassing even full-size trucks.

The interior of the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid Electric

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: Major Interior Updates, Minimal Exterior Alterations

At first glance, distinguishing the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid from its 2024 version might prove challenging. Hyundai has made the grille and headlights slightly more vertical to enhance the vehicle's "dynamic" appearance and convey "toughness." However, these modifications are noticeable primarily when comparing the two models side by side. The new bumper cover, featuring a skid shield, extends the car's length by less than half an inch, while all other measurements remain unchanged.

The vehicle's sleek design and pronounced side contours are intended to evoke the image of a galloping racehorse. While this is an appealing concept, the Tucson appears less modern and more subdued when compared to the newer, more angular design of the three-row Hyundai Santa Fe, which shares similarities with the rugged Land Rover aesthetic.

For 2025, the most significant updates for the Tucson are found within its interior across all trim levels. It now features Hyundai's newest dashboard design, which includes two slightly curved 12.3-inch screens placed side by side on a horizontal platform that stretches from one door to the other. The screen on the left serves as the instrument cluster for the driver, while the center screen functions as a touchscreen accessible to both front-seat passengers. This layout, which exudes a sleek and contemporary aesthetic, has already been implemented in the Ioniq 5 and 6 as well as the latest Santa Fe.

A flat surface is now positioned in front of the front passenger, while the center console extends from the dashboard down to around ankle height, providing a large, flat area with a rubberized pad for holding mobile devices. The armrest beneath the front passengers' elbows conceals a storage compartment, and in front of this is a broader space featuring two large cupholders and a flat pad for wireless phone charging. This design creates ample space between the upper console and the dashboard, allowing passengers to easily access items stored in the lower trays.

Overall, the cabin is highly functional, offering ample space for items like water bottles, phones, notepads, and purses. Impressively, Hyundai took customer feedback into account and reintroduced physical knobs and buttons for controlling the ventilation and audio systems. Additionally, they swapped out the pushbutton drive selector on the console for a rotating lever on the column, similar to those found in the Ioniqs and Santa Fe models.

2025 Hyundai Tucson XRT Model

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: Now with More Power and a 'Baby Mode' Feature!

The Hybrid (and PHEV) version of the Tucson continues to utilize a 1.6-liter direct-injected inline-4 engine, coupled with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Situated between the engine and the transmission is a 47.7-kw (64-hp) electric motor. This combined powertrain now delivers a total of 231 hp, an increase of 5 hp compared to last year’s model. This boost is attributed to the slightly higher power output from the 1.5-kwh lithium-ion battery, as explained by Andre Ravinowich, senior manager of product planning.

While driving, the electric motor in the 2025 Tucson Hybrid delivers sufficient immediate power to maintain pace with traffic effortlessly. The power transition is generally seamless, whether it's the engine, battery, or a combination of both driving the wheels. Typically, the activation of the engine is barely noticeable. However, it can be surprising to experience the transmission shifting gears multiple times even when the car is operating solely on battery power—this adjustment aligns the motor speed with the road speed. This is an inherent limitation of Hyundai's single-motor hybrid system.

Nevertheless, the Korean manufacturer has invested significant effort into perfecting the drivetrain and the software algorithms that manage it. This hard work has yielded positive results. Back in late 2010, I test-drove an early 2011 Hybrid Sonata with such a displeasing powertrain that I opted not to write a review. The company has made substantial progress since those days. In comparison, Mazda's new plug-in hybrid system is as unsatisfactory to drive as that initial Hybrid Sonata was.

The latest Tucson hybrid comes with a new "Baby Mode" in its powertrain control system. This feature leverages the electric motor to gently manage rapid acceleration and deceleration, enhancing comfort for a baby seated in a rear-facing car seat. Additionally, it employs subtle motor power adjustments or regenerative braking to smooth out lane changes, evasive actions, and the vehicle's pitch.

The winding canyon roads and countryside paths north of Santa Barbara revealed that the Tucson Hybrid prioritizes comfort rather than sporty accuracy. This isn't necessarily a downside, but on uneven roads and through bumpy turns, the ride can feel a bit unstable—a trade-off for a smoother experience. Will this concern potential buyers? Probably not. In summary, the Tucson Hybrid offers comfort in nearly all scenarios, but it won't outperform a BMW on winding roads—and it doesn't aim to.

Hyundai aims to secure a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Given that last year's model achieved this recognition, it appears to be an attainable goal.

2025 Hyundai Tucson N Series

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: Silent interior, attractive design, top rear legroom

Though the front seats offer great comfort, the rear section truly sets the Tucson apart. With a wheelbase longer than any other compact hybrid SUV, the Tucson provides rear passengers with a larger door entrance and a seat positioned further back. According to Hyundai, this results in 41.3 inches of rear legroom, surpassing major rivals, and 40.5 inches of headroom, matching the best in its class. After sitting in the back, we agree with these claims.

The materials used are nice, featuring high-quality soft-touch surfaces and appealing plastics. The redesigned dashboard creates a more spacious and open atmosphere in the cabin, which is particularly beneficial for all-black interiors. Interior color options include black, grey, and a unique three-tone combination of green and gray that is more visually appealing than it might initially seem. Additionally, two new paint colors—an extremely dark shade called Atlantis Blue and an olive-like hue known as Rockwood Green—add some excitement to the otherwise standard choices of white, black, and a variety of four different grays and silvers.

The noise reduction in this vehicle is outstanding, making the cabin impressively quiet for its category. However, the electric parking brake stands out as an exception, producing a notably loud sound when activated or deactivated. This is especially evident due to the lack of engine noise to cover it up.

The revamped interior of Hyundai’s latest model now includes their cutting-edge multimedia system, which supports over-the-air updates. Each Tucson variant continues to feature the highly acclaimed Hyundai BlueLink+ connectivity suite. Unlike some other manufacturers, Hyundai has committed to providing this connectivity at no extra cost for the original owner of the vehicle. Over-the-air updates for the system are complimentary for the first three years. Standard features still include device mirroring through Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Select models also come with Hyundai Pay, digital-key functionality, and other sophisticated features.

Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2025

The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid, which is available in four all-wheel-drive trims, has a price range from $34,000 to $42,000. The entry-level Blue model is priced at $34,510. Upgrading to the SEL Convenience model costs an extra $3,000, while the N Line appearance package adds another $1,750. The top-tier Limited trim, starting at $42,340, features 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats, an 8-speaker Bose audio system, a shift-by-wire column-mounted gear selector, and a head-up display. All these prices include a mandatory delivery fee of $1,395.

For the 2025 model year, the Hyundai Tucson plug-in hybrid starts at a minimum price of $40,775.

Automotive journalists often conduct road tests in conditions that don't reflect typical driving, so we refrained from making any assumptions about actual fuel efficiency. The Tucson Hybrid SEL improves its fuel efficiency ratings from 26 mpg for the all-wheel-drive (AWD) version or 28 mpg for the front-wheel-drive (FWD) version to 35 mpg combined, all with standard AWD. Although this isn't as high as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid's 41 mpg combined or the Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD's 37 mpg combined, it still offers significant fuel savings, reducing gas costs by several dollars for every 100 miles driven. The base model, Tucson Hybrid Blue, performs even better at 38 mpg combined but sacrifices some features like leather upholstery and a standard 12.3-inch driver display, which becomes an optional feature.

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Hyundai covered the costs for flights, accommodation, and food, allowing Green Car Reports to deliver this firsthand driving review.

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