Clearly, Hyundai is sticking firmly to the maxim of if it ain't broke, don't fix it. While the Korean car-making giant is breaking boundaries with the styling of cars such as the Ioniq 6 and the incoming new Santa Fe, for the Tucson, it will be very much business as usual in 2024.
Avant-garde styling
That's hardly a surprise - the Tucson has been firmly welded to the best-selling car spot in Ireland since its launch, taking up the reins from its predecessor. When it arrived, the current Tucson was rightly lauded for its avant-garde styling, so Hyundai has left that well enough alone for the incoming 2024 update.
There are some exterior styling changes, but they are subtle in the extreme. The headlamps have been altered, while the grille - with its inset 'Parametric Pixel' lights - has been slightly reshaped. There are also 'skid plates' under the front and rear bumpers, which are supposed to make the Tucson look a little wider and lower, while the alloy wheel designs have also been updated.
There also some interesting new paint options: Cypress Green Pearl, Ecotronic Grey Pearl, Ultimate Red Metallic, Jupiter Orange Metallic and Sailing Blue Pearl.
Bigger changes inside
There are bigger changes inside. The driver's digital instrument display and the central infotainment screen, which were previously separate, have now been combined into one sweeping unit that gently curves around the top of the dashboard. The four-spoke steering wheel has also been replaced by a three-spoke item, which, instead of the Hyundai 'H' in the centre, now gets the four-dot design lifted from the Ioniq models. Four dots are, of course, Morse Code for the letter H...
There's a bigger change, and frankly, it's one we'd quite like to give Hyundai some sort of award for - the climate control panel, which used to be a touch-sensitive one, has been replaced by a new panel featuring... wait for it... proper, physical buttons and rotary dials. We suspect that these will be far easier and safer to use when on the move, and if that turns out to be the case, then it will be medals all-round at Hyundai. Thanks to the centre console changes, there's also a little more storage space. Hyundai has also fitted new USB-C connection points.
While the seats haven't been redesigned as such, they do get some new colour and trim options, and for sporty-looking N-Line models there are unique details such as red stitching, the red ring around the engine start/stop button and a textile suede and leather trim in Obsidian Black.
More high-tech functions
There’s been a tech boost too, with over-the-air software updates, and the option for customers to add some functions and options after they’ve bought the car via an online store. There’s also a new head-up display, which is said to be more informative, and a new digital key option which - when it becomes available later this year - will allow you to use your smartphone as a key, both for unlocking and starting your Tucson.
On the safety front, there are new Matrix LED headlights which adapt automatically to driving conditions, and a Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) with radar which has been especially designed for families. This technology alerts the driver when motion or breathing is detected in the rear seats when you’re getting out of the car. There’s also a new crosswind control function for the electronic stability system.
Engine line-up expected to be the same
Hyundai hasn’t given many details yet on powertrain nor engine options, but we’d expect the current diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid versions to carry-over more or less unchanged. Don’t go expecting an all-electric Tucson just yet, but there will be an expansion of the plug-in hybrid model range to include a more affordable two-wheel-drive version, and Hyundai is introducing a ‘geofencing’ function for its PHEV Tucsons, so that they can automatically recognise when they’re going to be driving through a low-emissions zone and save battery power for zero-emissions driving in those areas. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models will now also feature brake energy recuperation settings that can be altered by using the paddles behind the steering wheel.
The current Tucson has been an enormous success for Hyundai, finding almost 800,000 customers in Europe so far, and it has been a fixture at the top of the Irish sales chart since it was launched. Doubtless, this update will keep it there a while longer yet.