- Modest changes come to the Tucson’s exterior
- What’s important inside: A new widescreen dashboard brings wireless smartphone connectivity
- Prices have increased, of course: $34,510 for the cheapest 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid
The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2025 is an upgraded version of the current Tucson in its fourth year. Hyundai has revised and updated the interior and made a few modest changes to the exterior.
It also tweaked its hybrid system, making it a bit more powerful and splitting up the “Blue” and standard Hybrid versions—all equipped with Mechanical four-wheel drive is standardThere’s also a Plug-In Hybrid version coming later this year, but we haven’t had a chance to drive it yet.
Hybrids are a growing portion of Tucson sales, accounting for one in four Tucsons sold last year—and Hyundai expects that percentage to grow. Automakers face increasingly stringent emissions limits for cars in model years 2026 through 2035, and an attractively priced hybrid could be the easiest way to meet those goals. Hyundai will more plug-in hybrid cars while it also rolls out 21 new electric cars in the coming years—and it will build both in new locations. Georgia “Metaplant” near Savannah.
We drove a new car. Tucson hybrid 2025 through the rolling hills and canyons around Santa Barbara in late August. We found it hard to fault on most levels, and we expect the hybrid option to account for an increasing share of sales in the compact SUV segment, which is now the largest single market segment in the United States. (That’s right, bigger than full-size pickup trucks.)
Hyundai Tucson 2025 (PHEV interior)
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: Big changes inside, not much outside
From the outside, you might be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid and its 2024 predecessor. Hyundai has designed the grille and headlights to be a bit more vertical and upright—to make the car “more dynamic” and “more rugged”—but the changes are only apparent when parked side by side. A new bumper with a skid plate adds just under half an inch to the length; all other dimensions remain the same.
The streamlined shape and expressive, sharply defined flanks of the car are meant to remind onlookers of a racehorse in motion. That’s fine, although compared to the newer, flat-edged, Land Rover-like Hyundai Santa Fe three-row utility vehicle, the Tucson now looks softer and perhaps a little dated.
Instead, the big changes for 2025 are across all Tucson trim levels. It gets Hyundai’s latest signature dashboard: a pair of slightly curved 12.3-inch screens side by side sits on a horizontal shelf that stretches from door to door. The left screen provides the driver with a gauge cluster; the middle screen is a touchscreen for use by both front seat occupants. This layout has been seen on the Ioniq 5 and 6 and the latest Santa Fe; it looks clean, crisp and modern.
A flat tray now faces the front passenger, and the center console flows out from the dashboard to about ankle height, where it provides a wide flat surface with a rubber pad for holding mobile devices. The armrest under the front driver’s elbow has a bin underneath; ahead of that is a wider area with two larger cupholders plus a flat pad for charging a phone. That leaves enough space between the upper console and the console for the driver to reach whatever is in the lower trays.
Overall, it’s a very functional interior with plenty of room for everything from water bottles to phones, notebooks to wallets. It’s commendable that Hyundai has listened to consumer feedback and brought back realistic knobs and buttons for ventilation and audio controls. It also replaces the push-button selector on the console with a rotary lever on the column—again, just like in the Ioniqs and Santa Fe.
Hyundai Tucson XRT 2025
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: A Little More Power—and With ‘Kid Mode’!
As before, the engine in the Tucson Hybrid (and PHEV) is 1.6 liter direct injection inline 4 cylindermated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Between the engine and transmission is a 47.7-kW (64-horsepower) electric motor. Total power output from the combined powertrain is 231 horsepower, up 5 horsepower from last year’s model—thanks to slightly higher power output from the 1.5-kW lithium-ion battery, according to senior director of product planning Andre Ravinowich.
On the road, the electric motor provides enough instantaneous power to keep up with traffic without making a strained sound. Power delivery is almost always smooth, regardless of whether it’s the motor, the battery, or both driving the wheels. In most cases, the motor kicks in imperceptibly or barely. It’s still a shock to feel the transmission shift up or down multiple times while running solely on battery power—matching engine speed to road speed—but that’s a necessary drawback of Hyundai’s single-motor hybrid system.
But the Korean automaker has put a lot of work into refining that powertrain and the software algorithms that control it. And it’s paid off. In late 2010, this reporter drove an early 2011 Sonata Hybrid, whose powertrain was so annoying that we never wrote a review. The company has come a long way since then. (Compare that to Mazda’s new plug-in hybrid system, which is just as annoying to drive as the first Sonata hybrid.)
The Tucson hybrid now includes a “Baby Mode” feature in the powertrain control software. It uses the electric motor to smooth out both sudden acceleration and deceleration, making it more comfortable for rear-facing children in the back seat. It uses small applications of engine power or regenerative braking in the same way to control lane changes, evasive maneuvers, and even vehicle height.
The winding canyon roads and country roads north of Santa Barbara show that the Tucson Hybrid is set up for comfort rather than sporty precision. That’s not bad, but over uneven surfaces and through undulating curves, it can be a bit bumpy—the price of a comfortable ride. Does that matter to potential buyers of this thing? Probably not. TL/DR: The Tucson Hybrid is comfortable in most situations, but you won’t beat a BMW through the bends—and it doesn’t try to.
Hyundai is hoping to earn a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Last year’s model earned that distinction, so that seems like a reasonable ambition.
Hyundai Tucson N-Line 2025
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid: Quiet cabin, attractive design, best rear legroom
While the front seats are comfortable, it’s the rear cabin that gives the Tucson the edge. It has a longer wheelbase than any other compact hybrid SUV, meaning rear passengers benefit from wider door openings and rear seats positioned farther back. Hyundai says this gives it 41.3 inches of rear legroom, the most of any major competitor—and headroom (40.5 inches) is on par with the best of the rest. We sat in the back, and we’d have to agree.
Pleasant materials, with good quality soft surfaces and attractive plastics. The new dashboard makes the cabin feel more airy. and airier, which is a good thing, especially if your interior is all black. Interior color options are black, gray, and three shades of green and gray (which are more appealing than you might think). Two new paint colors—a very dark Atlantis Blue and an olive-like Rockwood Green—liven up an otherwise predictable palette of white, black, and no less than four shades of gray and silver.
Sound insulation is excellent and cabin noise is minimal for a car in this segment. The only exception is the electric parking brake, which is extremely loud when engaged or disengaged. This is especially noticeable because there is rarely any engine noise to mask it.
Part of the redesigned interior is Hyundai’s latest multimedia system, which is capable of over-the-air updates. As usual, every Tucson trim comes with the top-rated Hyundai BlueLink+ connectivity package. Unlike other manufacturers (GM, cough), Hyundai has pledged to keep that connectivity free for as long as the first buyer owns the car. Over-the-air updates to the system are free for the first three years. Device mirroring via Android Auto and Apple CarPlay remains standard. Some models offer Hyundai Pay, digital key capabilities, and more advanced features.
Hyundai Tucson Hybrid 2025
Tucson 2025: Prices range from $34,000 to $42,000
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid comes in four trim levels, all of which have AWD. They start with base blue price $34,510. The SEL Convenience trim adds $3,000, and the N Line appearance package adds $1,750. Starting at $42,340, the Limited tops the range with 19-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic sunroof, heated and cooled seats, Bose 8-speaker sound system, column-mounted gear selector with wire, and a head-up display. All prices include a mandatory $1,395 delivery charge.
(The Hyundai Tucson plug-in hybrid starts at $40,775 By the way, in 2025.)
Auto journalists’ road tests can be quite different from typical use, so we can’t draw any conclusions about real-world fuel economy. Compared to the regular version, the Tucson Hybrid SEL increases its EPA fuel economy rating from 26 mpg (AWD) or 28 mpg (FWD) to 35 mpg combined (it comes standard with all-wheel drive). That’s not quite as good as the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid (41 mpg combined) or the Honda CR-V Hybrid AWD (37 mpg combined), but it’s enough to save you a few gas dollars every 100 miles. The base Tucson Hybrid Blue gets better performance, at 38 mpg combined, at the cost of losing some amenities like leather trim and a standard 12.3-inch screen in front of the driver (optional).
Hyundai provided airfare, accommodations, and meals so Green Car Reports could bring you this live test drive report.
