Oh what, you thought the Elantra was out there? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Hyundai isn’t slowing down. Just a day after revealing the cute new 2022 Kona, the Korean automaker has teased its bigger brother, the reborn Tucson SUV. We’ll see the real thing in full come September 14.
SEE ALSO: 2022 Hyundai Kona Gets Cute Facelift, Hotter N Line Model
The compact Tucson is the oldest model in the company’s lineup. For 2022 it looks to be getting a dramatic reimagining, judging by the teaser images Hyundai released late Wednesday. The front-end draws plenty of inspiration from last year’s Vision T concept; unsurprisingly, given that car’s name. It’s impossible to miss the distinctive DRL profile, which Hyundai is calling “Parametric Hidden Lights”. It isn’t clear from these teasers how much the design borrows from the Sonata—which also hides its DRLs within its brightwork—nor how exactly the headlights look without them on. Brightening the image, it seems the outer-most triangles will be the headlamps, with everything else being grille. No matter what, the new Tucson will be easy to ID at night.
There’s another unique lighting treatment around back, with twin-bladed taillights connected by a full-width light bar. The flanks show a hint of the angular Elantra, with a strong character line going up and over the rear wheel well. 19-inch wheels sit pretty snug in there, too. Hyundai’s design team has also extended the new Tucson’s window-framing brightwork right into the D-pillar, with a pair of subtle strakes to keep things interesting. The whole package is longer and wider than before as well. Judging by what we see so far, the Tucson should certainly stand out in its class.
SEE ALSO: 2021 Hyundai Elantra N Line is an Angular 201-HP Sport Sedan
The changes keep a-comin’ inside too. The lone sketch Hyundai has provided shows a two-layered dash design, which the company is calling “Interspace”. The main section sits in front of the drivers and curves into the doors, while the top layer appears to float above it, before flowing into the main infotainment setup in the center console. With clear space behind the screen, there’s a distinct sense of depth to the layout. Hyundai has rid the Tucson of the traditional instrument panel, using a flat digital display not unlike the new Elantra. The Tucson will also borrow the 64-color ambient lighting system from its compact sedan sibling.
SEE ALSO: 2020 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Review
Like the VW Tiguan, the Tucson will come in two wheelbase sizes. The longer model is destined for our shores, with a smaller Tucson for Europe. Hyundai hasn’t announced drivetrains or any other specs yet—expect those and more at the digital reveal event, streaming live on September 14 at 8:30 p.m. EST.
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