The popular Hyundai Tucson mid-size SUV has been updated and made more affordable with price cuts of up to $2500, while the non-hybrid 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine has been dumped.
A rival to the hybrid-only Toyota RAV4 and the Nissan X-Trail, the Tucson is the Korean brand’s second-best seller behind the Kona small SUV, and it’s now priced from $38,500 before on-road costs – $1000 less than before.
For the streamlined 2026 model year (MY26) Tucson lineup, which is available and in showrooms now, the number of variants has been reduced from 17 to just nine, and it’s accompanied by an average price cut of $1722.
The biggest technical change is the axing of the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (DCT).
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“As part of our strategy to simplify the Tucson model lineup, we decided to discontinue the 1.6T powertrain, which is in line with the 2026 Kona changes announced last month,” said Hyundai Australia in a statement provided to CarExpert.
The same powertrain was dropped from the Kona range in Australia last month and now remains available only in the i30 N Line small sedan.
Hyundai Australia said the non-hybrid 1.6-litre powertrain had accounted for 17 per cent of total Tucson sales since the facelifted Tucson was released in June 2024 – so around 3500 annually – which was a number it considered too low, despite the engine becoming available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive formats.
The same engine remains available in Australia’s version of the related Kia Sportage (Kia is also part of Hyundai Motor Group), in which it now comes with a conventional torque convertor automatic.
That move came after Hyundai USA replaced the eight-speed DCT in non-hybrid versions of its larger Santa Fe with a conventional automatic, following multiple recalls and stop-sale orders.
For the 2026 Tucson, equipment levels remain largely the same. The entry-level variant now comes with a digital key, making it standard across the range, and one-inch smaller 17-inch alloy wheels.
There’s also a new Ecotronic Grey exterior paint colour option available with all versions for $750, with Ecotronic Grey Matte paint being exclusive to the N-Line Tucson for $1000.
The largest price reduction of $2500 has been applied to the cheapest hybrid variant – badged as the Tucson Hybrid – which is now priced at $42,600 before on-road costs.
Hybrids have accounted for just over half of all Tucson sales in Australia over the past 12 months, with more than 10,000 sold.
Tucson sales are up 9.9 per cent so far this year in Australia to the end of July, with 12,186 deliveries, and while the segment-leading RAV4 is 9.2 per cent down in the same period, it still dominates the mid-size SUV market ahead of the Mazda CX-5 and Mitsubishi Outlander, with with 28,449 sales rear-to-date.
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