The next-gen Hyundai Tucson will introduce a controversial feature common in Chinese and European cars as part of a tech-heavy overhaul due next year.
Family Cars
The interior of the next-generation 2027 Hyundai Tucson has been spied for the first time, ahead of the family SUV's global debut later this year.
New spy images, shared by Korean Car Blog, confirm the 2027 Tucson will become the next Hyundai model to feature the new Pleos Connect infotainment software, integrated into a larger central touchscreen.
It appears to be similar to the recently unveiled 2027 Hyundai Grandeur sedan, with a 17-inch central touchscreen and a 9.9-inch digital instrument cluster, replacing the dual 12.3-inch integrated setup – and the 6.6-inch climate control touch display – in today's Tucson.
A row of physical buttons will be retained below the touchscreen for key vehicle controls, including media and climate settings, as well as conventional steering wheel buttons.
However, right-hand-drive versions of the new Tucson are likely to include a controversial feature common in Chinese, European and American vehicles.
As seen in the new Ioniq 3 electric hatchback and Grandeur, the stalk controls for the windscreen wipers and the lights/indicators have been merged into a 'multi-function switch' on the left-hand side.
A Mercedes-Benz-style column-mounted gear selector 'stalk' will now feature on the right-hand side, instead of the light/indicator stalk common on many vehicles sold in Australia.
The current Tucson includes stalk controls on each side of the steering wheel, with a column gear selector mounted on the lower right-hand side.
Other features likely to appear in the new Tucson include a magnetic MagSafe/Qi2 wireless smartphone charger, a built-in dashcam similar to the latest Toyota RAV4, faster USB-C charge ports, and downloadable applications.
The 2027 Tucson could also become one of the first mass-market vehicles worldwide to feature Apple CarPlay Ultra – currently limited to Aston Martin models – to extend key vehicle controls into the smartphone-like interface.
Hyundai, Kia and Genesis remain committed to rolling out CarPlay Ultra, despite resistance from other car manufacturers, with a new model from one of the Korean brands set to introduce the feature "in the second half of this year," according to Bloomberg.
The 2027 Hyundai Tucson will debut later this year, ahead of Australian showroom arrivals expected in the second half of next year.
It is likely to focus on hybrid and plug-in hybrid power, similar to the RAV4, while it is also expected to grow in size and feature Hyundai's new 'Art of Steel' design language first seen on the Nexo and Ioniq 3.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
