Driven: 2025 Hyundai Tucson Is All The Family SUV You’ll Need

The 2025 Hyundai Tucson continues to be a leader in the compact SUV segment with an attractive design, multiple powertrains, and plenty of standard and available features. Sitting between the smaller Kona and the larger Santa Fe, the Tucson offers room for the family and their cargo while still being easy to maneuver through city streets.

We drove the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD with the gas engine. This year’s refresh includes enhanced exterior styling, a revamped interior, and new technology that keep the Tucson competitive in a crowded segment that includes the Toyota RAV4 and the Mazda CX-5. Available in multiple trims with gas, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid powertrains, the Tucson aims to have an engine and a trim level for every buyer.

Exterior Looks: Bold And Dynamic Design

The Tucson gets an update that keeps it looking fresh for the 2025 model year. There’s a redesigned grille, sharper lighting elements, and new alloy wheels that create a more commanding presence. We love it in profile with the sheetmetal on the doors featuring a somewhat geometric design that looks fantastic. Adventurous types will like the XRT trim’s rugged aesthetic that includes matte black cladding and bridge-style roof rails. It’s an attractive SUV that, while not a standout, still has plenty of personality.

Interior & On-Board Technology: Just Enough, But Not Too Much

The Tucson’s interior features high-quality materials and an ergonomic design that makes it a comfortable and welcoming space. Available features include dual-zone climate control and a wireless charging pad that firmly holds your device in place. Standard are USB-C ports for all passengers, with two in the front and two in the rear. The Limited trim offers leather seating, a heated steering wheel, and a premium eight-speaker Bose audio system that includes a subwoofer for a rich audio experience.

There’s plenty of room for passengers to spread out in the Tucson. The Toyota RAV4 offers less rear legroom at 37.8 inches, while the Mazda CX-5 comes in with 39.6 inches, both far short of the Tucson.

Infotainment: Seamless Connectivity

The Tuscon boasts a panoramic curved display that combines a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. It’s an intuitive system with sharp graphics and fast processing. Standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay make connectivity effortless, while the available head-up display adds convenience by projecting essential information in the driver’s line of sight.

Performance: Balanced And Efficient

The 2025 Hyundai Tucson is available with three powertrain options. There’s a base gas engine, which offers the weakest performance of the lot and a choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. There’s also a hybrid or a plug-in hybrid, which improves fuel economy and delivers more power with standard all-wheel drive as your only option.

Performance Impressions

We drove the gas-powered model, and while its performance is adequate for daily driving, it’s not especially strong in the power department, which may disappoint some buyers. It takes its time getting up to highway speeds and there’s not much power left for passing slower vehicles, making this a less appealing option for those who truly enjoy driving. For comparison, the Toyota RAV4 gas engine offers 203 horsepower. The Mazda CX-5’s base engine matches the Tucson at 187 horsepower, with an available turbocharged variant delivering up to 256 horsepower for those seeking more robust performance.

Ride and Handling

The Tucson has a smooth and composed ride, and we liked it overall, despite an oddly placed gear shifter that’s half hidden by the steering wheel. The available all-wheel drive system has selectable drive modes all depending on the weather and road conditions. Handling stood out with a smooth, quiet ride and minimal wind and road noise, even at higher speeds. It’s not a sporty vehicle, but it does handle well. We had the chance to drive the Tucson on snowy roads, and it performed exceptionally well, easily managing snow and ice.

Fuel Economy

• Gasoline: 25/33/28 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycle (FWD), 24/30/26 mpg (AWD)
• Hybrid: 38/38/38 mpg city/highway/combined
• PHEV: 77 MPGe, 32 miles electric range

Verdict & Pricing: A Versatile Compact SUV

This is a well-rounded SUV with an extensive lineup and affordable pricing. Gas trims top out at $38,545, which is a great price considering the comfort and features that trim offers. Hybrid models have a more limited lineup with pricing only slightly higher, while the plug-in hybrid takes a big jump that will test smaller budgets. In any guise, however, the Tuscon is a great value.

The 2025 Hyundai Tucson offers something for everyone. There’s a choice of gas, hybrid, or plug-in hybrid powertrains along with the availability of all-wheel drive across the range. It also has great pricing that is easier to fit into family budgets. A comfortable interior, smooth and quiet ride, and easy handling along with a good range of standard and available features makes this SUV a great pick for families.