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One of Hyundai’s most popular models, the Tucson plug-in hybrid has plenty of feel-good luxury car vibes, including good ride comfort and excellent refinement. It’s one of the more distinctive-looking family SUVs on the move, too.
Richard AucockElectric Vehicles WriterWednesday 03 December 2025 15:00 GMTComments
open image in galleryImpressive: The Tucson has plenty of feel-good luxury car vibes (Hyundai )
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The Hyundai Tucson is a popular family SUV from this well-liked brand’s range of distinctive-looking models. Arguably one of the sharpest of them all, the edgy and expressive Tucson stands out thanks to its sharp body creases and eye-catching front end that contains LED running lights built into the grille. When you see one on the move, you can’t miss it, as there’s currently nothing else quite like it.
Compared to sister brand Kia, Hyundai is a more luxury-focused car maker – still mainstream, but keen to give buyers a bit more comfort and refinement for their money. The Tucson is a great example of this, with a welcoming interior, excellent ride comfort and plush refinement that means it’s generally hushed at all speeds.
It’s particularly quiet when running in plug-in hybrid guise, something it’s able to do for a fair distance thanks to its lithium ion battery’s 43-mile range. Once the battery is discharged, a rorty 1.6-litre turbo engine takes over – and, when combined, the electric motor and petrol engine serve up effortless performance.
The Hyundai Tucson is offered in a range of specs, including sporty-looking N Line range-toppers. But I rather like the fancy Ultimate grade – yes, it’s expensive, but its indulgent spec seems to complement the upmarket Tucson rather well. It’s always worth noting the five-year Hyundai warranty, too – unlike many, this has no mileage cap, meaning you can drive to your heart’s content for half a decade knowing that you’ll be covered for anything unforeseen.
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How we tested
I spent a week with the Hyundai Tucson soon after it was launched. Its calming, luxurious feel immediately impressed me, and my wife was also impressed by the grown-up family SUV’s refinement.
Hyundai Tucson: From £39,140, hyundai.com
open image in galleryCompared to sister brand Kia, Hyundai is a more luxury-focused brand (Hyundai)Independent rating: 8/10
- Pros: Distinctive styling, excellent refinement, luxury car comfort
- Cons: Prices seem a little high, premium sound system eats into boot space, a Kia Sportage is sportier
Hyundai Tucson Specs
- Price range: £39,140-£44,410
- Battery size: 13.8kWh
- Maximum EV range: 43 miles
- Engine: 1.6-litre petrol
- Claimed battery & engine range: TBC
Battery, range, charging, performance and drive
The Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid has a 13.8kWh battery, giving a range of up to 43 miles. It’s not quite so generous in reality, but you’ll still get a good 30 miles out of it, and probably even more if you mainly drive in town. It’s a shame there’s no DC rapid charging though; this means topping up the battery is best done overnight.
The petrol engine is a 1.6-litre turbo and, when combined with the 91hp electric motor, it serves up a total system power of 253hp. This is an impressive output, although performance is only reasonably electrifying with 0-62mph in 8.2 seconds. The pure electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 is notably faster.
The Hyundai Tucson is, notably, available in both front-wheel drive and grippy all-wheel drive, the latter proving a little less efficient, with a lower 39-mile EV range, but with loads of traction for handling any wintry weather throw at it.
The refinement of the powertrain is complemented by the Tucson’s refined drive. It is light and easy, with effortless controls and low overall noise levels. It’s not the sportiest or most dynamic of cars, but it’s great at simply flowing along in a comfortable, relaxing manner. An absorbent ride quality backs this up, although N Line models are a bit bumpier here due to their bigger and more stylish alloy wheels. The 18-inch wheels of Premium are perhaps the sweet spot.
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open image in galleryJoy of joys, Hyundai still offers proper physical climate controls (Hyundai)Interior, practicality and boot space
The Hyundai Tucson has a practical and well laid-out interior. I like the more minimalist design, particularly when finished in the fancy Cypress Green colourscheme offered in top-spec Ultimate. The full-width, chrome-finished air vents are smart as well, along with the door panels that elegantly flow into the dashboard – the low overall height of the dashboard helps with visibility, too.
Instead of a Hyundai logo on the steering wheel, the Tucson features little squares, or pixels, adding to the feeling of modernity. The big centre console features a standard wireless smartphone charger – and, joy of joys, Hyundai still offers proper physical climate controls. The open-plan feel is aided by the gear selector being moved to the steering column – you twist the silver shifter back and forward to choose drive and reverse.
There’s decent space in the rear, with a good amount of leg and head room. A separate climate control for rear seat passengers is standard in N Line S and Ultimate versions, along with an opening panoramic glass roof.
The entry-level Hyundai Tucson Advance has a 616-litre boot that expands to 1,795 litres with the 40:20:40-split rear seats folded (remote levers in the boot makes this easier). In Premium models and above, boot space drops to 558 litres with the seats up, and 1,737 litres with them folded, due to the premium sound system. Apart from Advance, all models get an electric tailgate.
open image in galleryThe menu structure is generally easy to use, if you don’t mind a bit of swiping (Hyundai)Technology, stereo and infotainment
Dual 12.3-inch displays are fitted to all variants of Hyundai Tucson, with the centre display being a touchscreen. They are high-res and feature crisp graphics, and the menu structure is generally easy to use if you don’t mind a bit of swiping.
The Hyundai Tucson Advance has a regular sound system, but Premium and above feature a punchier Krell setup with eight speakers and a subwoofer in the boot. Although less recognisable in the UK, Krell is one of America’s biggest premium sound system brands.
The Hyundai Tucson has a limited range of options, but one of them is a fancy digital key, available on N Line S and Ultimate. This allows it to be locked and unlocked via a mobile phone – so the physical key can be left at home.
Inevitably, the Hyundai Tucson comes with a broad array of safety assist tech as standard. Some features are more useful than others, but it is easy to disable some of the more intrusive features – there’s a lane-keep assist button on the steering wheel, for example.
open image in galleryCharge each night and you’ll start each day with up to 43 miles’ pure electric range (Hyundai)Prices and running costs
The Hyundai Tucson has premium appeal, but prices arguably reflect this, with only one model dipping below the £40,000 expensive car supplement tax rate. Saying that, there isn’t a single version of its sister car, the Kia Sportage, that comes in below £40k…
Company car drivers will of course save on Benefit-in-Kind tax, and savvy owners will also enjoy cut-price fuelling costs if they’re able to regularly charge at home. This is best done overnight, given the Tucson’s relatively slow charging rate – and it will mean you start each day with up to 43 miles of pure electric range before the petrol engine kicks in. Insurance groups seem reasonable too, with not too much of a hike over the regular hybrid version.
Hyundai Tucson rivals
- Kia Sportage
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- BYD Seal U DM-i
FAQs
How long does it take to charge?
The Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid doesn’t have DC rapid charging. This means charging a flat battery will take around four hours using a 7.4kW home wall box.
How much does it cost – is it worth it?
The Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid has premium pricing, with only one model dipping below the £40,000 expensive car supplement tax rate.
Does Hyundai replace batteries for free?
On top of the five-year, unlimited mileage Hyundai warranty, the Tucson plug-in hybrid has an eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty for its high voltage battery.
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The verdict
The Hyundai Tucson is a plush and luxurious alternative to its sportier sister car, the Kia Sportage. It is refined and relaxing to drive, and the distinctive exterior styling certainly ensures you’ll turn a few heads.
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