Hyundai's next-gen Tucson adopts 2 wheelbases with bold makeover

TOKYO -- Hyundai's next-generation Tucson crossover will feature a new design language, a waterfall-inspired center stack and two wheelbase options, short and long.

Teaser images of the redesigned vehicle -- Hyundai's bestselling nameplate in the first half -- depict angular exterior styling with fender flares that cue off the Vision T concept shown at last year's Los Angeles auto show. Hyundai dubs it an "avant-garde 'Parametric Dynamics' design theme."

"We want our customers to feel moved," SangYup Lee, senior vice president and head of global design for Hyundai, said in a statement. "With the all-new Tucson, we are introducing its ultimate evolution and a definitive statement about Hyundai's unstoppable forward momentum."

Hyundai said the fourth-generation Tucson will be the first nameplate in the compact-crossover segment to be offered with two wheelbase options.

(From 2013 to 2018, Hyundai sold two versions of its midsize crossover -- the two-row Santa Fe Sport and the three-row Santa Fe.)

U.S. sales of the Tucson fell 12 percent to 57,941 in the first half, ranking it No. 8 in the compact-crossover segment behind such heavyweights as the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox.

The exterior design aims to convey a "kinetic jewel-like surface," highlighted by an intricate grille accentuated by a daytime running light signature that juts out from the center like a pair of wings.

The updated Tucson is bigger and wider than the outgoing version. The long hood and short overhangs lend a coupe-like profile. Designers aimed for a taut, athletic look.

Inside, the Tucson receives a striking flying-buttress center stack with a large digital touch screen. Hyundai says the console descends from the dashboard ridge like a "mighty waterfall." The company also did away with a traditional gauge cluster and moved the instrument display lower.

Hyundai will fully unveil the next-generation Tucson in a Sept. 15 online global premiere.

The redesigned crossover is expected to land in the U.S. next year for the 2022 model year. A hybrid version could also be on tap, as Hyundai moves to further electrify its lineup.

The Tucson topped the compact-crossover segment in J.D. Power's latest annual report card on new-vehicle quality. It edged the Kia Sportage and Equinox in the closely watched Initial Quality Study, which measures the number of problems reported over the first 90 days of ownership.