Hyundai Tucson 2026 News

Hyundai has recalled thousands of examples of its Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade and Ioniq 9 SUVs, as well as the Sonata sedan.It affects 3445 units for the 2025 model year in relation to a software issue with the digital driver display, according to a notice from the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications Sports and the Arts. “Due to a software issue, the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail to illuminate the visual vehicle speed, fuel level and other critical safety information,” the notice reads.“A loss of safety system warnings whilst driving, could increase the risk of an accident causing injury or death to vehicle occupants, other road users and bystanders.”A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia said there have been no reported instances of the issue in Australia.The brand will contact owners of affected vehicles to arrange an appointment to rectify the issue via a software update. If the vehicle is Bluelink enabled, the update will be delivered automatically over-the-air (OTA).Hyundai has had a solid start to 2026, with models such as the Kona and Tucson some of the most popular SUVs in Australia currently. The brand recently recalled nearly 5000 examples of its Ioniq and Kona EVs earlier this month. 

The mainstream mid-size SUV segment is one of the most hotly contested in the Australian market, as the prevailing family car of choice for so many.We’re truly spoilt for choice, with options available at many price points, and with the choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric, as well as from both old favourite brands and new challengers.While this has generally been a boon for buyers, it has also made this congested segment more difficult to shop in than ever before, so as part of our ongoing 2026 CarsGuide Car of the Year awards, we’ve distilled a top-10 shortlist of our highest-rated Medium SUVs starting under $60K.Our top three and winner will be announced on February 6, but you can see the alphabetically ordered shortlist below.The Cupra Terramar serves as the Spanish brand’s take on the Volkswagen Tiguan formula - a true mid-size SUV, although it offers a truly sporty take over the Tiguan’s more wide appeal.Priced from $53,990, it’s a surprising value player considering its sporty look and feel, although if you want the full performance on offer, you’ll have to spend north of the $70K mark to get the spicy VZ version.Still Cupra continues to impress us with its edgy designs and impressive driving dynamics compared to its other Volkswagen Group relations.Perhaps a candidate for the most improved model on sale in Australia, the new GWM Haval H6 moves up in the world from simply a value player to a more impressive mainstream offering.Packed with standard kit and tweaked across the board when it comes to drivability and tuning, this Chinese rival takes more direct aim at the segment-leading Toyota RAV4 than ever before.Available as a 2.0-litre turbo as well as a 1.5-litre hybrid in plugless or plug-in form, it also covers the gamut of powertrain options Aussie buyers are looking for.While the sharply-priced Lux is impressive value, the plugless hybrids are the pick of the range with their trim fuel efficiency and smooth electrified transmission.One of the original nameplates which kicked-off the mid-size SUV segment altogether, the CR-V continues to this day to be a stellar offering in the segment, with Honda as always doing an impressive job of moving with the times.The CR-V is also one of the better value options in Honda’s current range, priced much closer to its rivals than the HR-V or ZR-V which sit below it.Again, the pick of the range is the e:HEV hybrid, although you’ll have to fork out for the pleasure with the hybrid powertrain still only sitting atop the mid-sizer’s range, priced at $59,900 drive-away.While it exudes quality like other Honda models, it also isn’t as efficient as some of its rivals, and doesn’t offer a plug-in or all-wheel drive in its hybrid form.Another impressive car from Honda, the ZR-V is a right-sized SUV to fill the increasingly large gap between the ever-growing CR-V and the still diminutive HR-V below.Again sporting the same Honda characteristics of great build quality, sharp driving dynamics and a practical interior space, with a smaller overall footprint than some of its rivals the ZR-V should be on any buyers shortlist.However, while it is marginally more affordable than its CR-V sibling, the ZR-V suffers from the same problem of only offering the sleek and efficient hybrid system on only its top-spec LX variant, eliminating savings from its fuel sipping powertrain via a much higher starting price ($54,900 before on-roads).Hyundai’s current-generation Tucson now has a few years behind it, but continues to be a strong seller thanks to gradual updates and price tweaks which keeps it high on the consideration list alongside its Kia Sportage sister vehicle and the segment-leading Toyota RAV4.Now strongest-selling as a fuel-sipping hybrid, the Tucson continues to be offered in a range of variants at many different price-points, with both front- and all-wheel drive options.The latest major updates synced the mid-sizer up with the rest of Hyundai’s range in offering a new interior design approach with fresh software, and even an array of buttons and dials for climate and volume controls we always like to see.Nissan has been embattled by rivals in recent years, but its ever-improving X-Trail continues to deserve a look-in as possibly the brand’s most competitive current offering.Spacious, modern, offered with up to seven seats, and with an innovative electric-first e-Power hybrid option, the X-Trail has a lot to offer buyers as a rival specifically to the RAV4 or Honda CR-V.Plus, it gets ergonomic fundamentals right, as well as a good level of refinement and a solid array of well-calibrated safety kit to keep newcomers at bay.Czech brand Skoda, as always, flies under the radar, and the Elroq is certainly worth your consideration thanks to a myriad of factors, not least of which is its surprisingly sharp starting price of (now) $49,990 drive-away. Did we mention it’s fully electric?On top of that, the Elroq is right-sized, with a modest but well-utilised footprint, which is laden with the brand’s clever touches like plenty of storage areas, an umbrella hidden in the door, and plenty of storage organisation options in the boot.The Elroq rides on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform and is offered with either a long-range 85kWh battery, and now a standard-range 60kWh option. All versions are rear-wheel drive, keeping them efficient, with the longer-range one said to travel up to 529km on the WLTP cycle.The Enyaq is the Elroq’s larger sibling in Skoda’s two-pronged mid-size electric SUV range, offering a sportier look and feel.Recently updated to wear the brand’s latest and more futuristic design language, the Enyaq also inherits a lot of the same brilliant packaging as its smaller sibling. It also offers the same battery variants, which are still relatively long range considering their capacities, with the smaller version travelling 410km on the WLTP cycle, and the larger one travelling up to 548km.Not as affordable as the Elroq, but still good value in the segment, the Enyaq has a lot of the right ingredients to tempt buyers away from other popular offerings in this electric space like the Tesla Model Y or Kia EV5.To be clear here, the RAV4 being considered for our Car of the Year is the current generation, as the next-gen model hadn’t arrived in time for consideration.As dated as this top-seller may be though, it’s remained a top-seller for a reason, namely that it’s well laid out, comfortable, versatile and backed by Toyota’s ever-sturdy reputation.Its quality finish and ever smooth hybrid drive are still some of the best on the market, emulated by many to varying degrees of success.The RAV4 still bests them all in the sales charts though, and some may even argue the styling of this outgoing car is more appealing than the new one, which will also bring with it a long-awaited plug-in hybrid.Zeekr’s long-awaited third model has proven to be its most hyped. The Zeekr 7X is a fully electric premium SUV at the price of a high-end mainstream combustion or hybrid one.Despite its keen price-tag, this is still an impressively specified vehicle, with plenty of high-end features, a big battery with long driving range, and dynamics on par with much more expensive rivals.It also impresses on the design front, with Zeekr’s studio in Sweden next door to those of Polestar and Volvo making the Chinese newcomer feel like much more than a first attempt.

This family SUV will have a game-changing new feature.The updated Tucson SUV will receive a 17-inch central touchscreen display and 9.9-inch digital driver display as part of upgrades to the new model, according to reports.The same screen will feature in the coming Ioniq 3 EV, according to new spy pics published by Korean Car Blog.The 17-inch display is the biggest Hyundai has ever put into one of its cars, and bigger than the multimedia screens found in new versions of its main rivals, the Mazda CX-5 and Toyota RAV4.Along with the new screen there will be a suite of new technology and software, such as over-the-air updates.There is likely to also be Level 2.5 autonomous driving capabilities and an AI-integrated assistant. There are limited official details on the Tucson.There have also been some rumours on the specifications for the new Tucson.It is expected the new Tucson will only feature plug-less and plug-in hybrid power set-ups, dropping petrol-only variants from its lineup all together. The current Tucson comes with a conventional hybrid set-up, which uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol and a motor to produce 172kW and 367Nm.Hyundai offers a plug-in hybrid version overseas already.It uses a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine that makes 185kW and 367Nm.This is paired with a circa 13kWh battery that delivers a pure electric driving range of about 50km.Expect the battery size to grow in the new versions to fend of Chinese rivals that deliver EV driving ranges of 100km or more.Digital renders by GotchaCars have popped up online, which gives us and indication of what the car is likely to look like .The render shows an upright, squared-off front-end, closed-off grille with an LED light bar and an open lower grille.There are blacked out elements on the grille, roof, mirrors and wheel arches, along with a sloping roofline to give the SUV a sleek presence.

Australia’s cheapest car just got more expensive.

One of Australia’s most popular SUVs is gearing up for a new-generation changeover in the next 12 months, and now we have an idea of what it might look like.

Details for the upcoming model year 2026 (MY26) Hyundai Tucson line-up have arisen online ahead of deliveries commencing in September.Pricing for the 2026 Hyundai Tucson line-up is down by as much as $2500 for carryover variants.It now starts at $38,100 before on-roads for the base Tucson petrol automatic, and extends to $59,600 before on-roads for the Premium Hybrid N Line all-wheel drive. A full pricing table is at the bottom of this story.A highlight of this MY26 update is the discontinuation of the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine. This follows the smaller Hyundai Kona ditching the same engine also for MY26.According to sales figures provided by Hyundai Australia, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine was the slowest-selling Tucson engine option. From June 2024 to July 2025 it only accounted for 17 per cent of Tucson sales.For context, the 1.6-litre hybrid engine accounted for 51 per cent of sales and the 2.0-litre petrol engine accounted for the remaining 32 per cent of sales over the same period.Beyond the axing of the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine, Hyundai has also discontinued the N Line package for the base Tucson and Tucson Hybrid. This package is now only offered on Elite Hybrid and Premium Hybrid trims.As a result of these changes, the 2026 Hyundai Tucson is only being offered in nine variants. This is down from 17 variants for MY25.The 1.6-litre hybrid engine now also accounts for almost 80 per cent of the variants on offer locally. It’s still offered in front- and all-wheel drive guises, depending on the trim level.Another change for MY26 includes Digital Key 2 functionality now coming as standard across the line-up. This allows you to use your smartphone as a key for the car.The entry-level Tucson variants now also receive 17-inch alloy wheels, instead of the 18-inch units that are currently fitted. Hyundai hasn’t published any imagery for this new wheel option yet.There’s a new Ecotronic Grey Pearl exterior paint colour option available across the line-up, as well as a new Ecotronic Grey Matte finish that’s exclusive to the N Line variants. These paint finishes cost an additional $750 and $1000, respectively. 

Hyundai isn’t set to go EV-only with its N performance division and a new strategy to keep internal-combustion engines could see them gain a hybrid boost.