It’s been a long time coming, but Hyundai has finally confirmed the Tucson Hybrid is on track to arrive in Australia during 2024.
The mid-sized SUV rival to the rampantly popular Toyota RAV4 hybrid will touch down locally in the first half next year.
Pricing for the car hasn’t been confirmed, but it’s likely to be aligned with that of the 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol based on how Hyundai has positioned the smaller Kona Hybrid.
The brand says it’s pushing towards offering more electric cars, but will also offer options for buyers who aren’t ready to make the leap just yet.
“We want everyone to march forward with us to an electrified state, but if you can’t get there how can you make sure you have a true ICE offering that’s price competitive, and then within that a step up to hybrid if you feel your first step to electrification is hybrid but not a full EV,” Hyundai Australia COO John Kett told media.
“We want to see the volume that we’re getting today on Tucson, and see if hybrid can actually grow it – not necessarily cannibalise it,” he said.
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Non-hybrid Tucson
Power in the Tucson Hybrid comes from a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine with a 44.2kW electric motor and a 1.49kWh battery pack.
Combined, peak power is 169kW and claimed fuel economy is 5.7 litres per 100km.
Along with the Toyota RAV4 hybrid, the Tucson Hybrid will take on the Nissan X-Trail e-Power and the related Kia Sportage Hybrid, the latter of which is also on track to arrive in Australia next year.
When it arrives, the electrified Tucson will join the smaller Kona and larger Santa Fe in offering hybrid power locally. Reports from overseas suggest the biggest Hyundai SUV, the Palisade, will also offer a hybrid option when it’s replaced in 2025.
Above the Palisade hybrid will sit the Ioniq 7, a fully electric seven-seater sharing its bones with the Kia EV9.
It’s on track to arrive Down Under in 2024.
