2014 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.4l on 2040-cars

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2019 Hyundai Tucson revised with new styling and convenience tech

The Hyundai Tucson gets significant updates for the 2019 model year, with freshened styling all around to bring its look in line with the brand-new Kona and Santa Fe crossovers, revised engine options, and more of the safety and convenience technology that buyers have come to expect from the small crossover category. Gone is the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine option in the Tucson, replaced by a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter engine with 181 horsepower and 175 pound-feet of torque. This same engine was just announced for the 2018 model year, available exclusively in the Tucson Sport, but the 2019 refresh puts the uprated mill in the SEL, Sport, and Limited trims. A 2.0-liter engine is standard in Value and SE trim levels, where it makes 164 hp and 151 lb-ft. The Tucson gets redesigned fascias front and rear, with Hyundai's latest "cascading grille" design. Unlike the Santa Fe and Kona, the Tucson has traditional single-unit lighting clusters that extend from the top corners of the grille. A smaller, angular set of driving lights sit well below the headlights. Interior changes are less noticeable, but the addition of optional second-row USB charging ports and Qi wireless smartphone charging add convenience to upper trim levels. A seven-inch touchscreen comes standard and includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Forward Collision Avoidance and Lane Keeping Assist are standard on all 2019 Hyundai Tucson models. A surround-view monitor, pedestrian detection, high-beam assist, rain-sensing wipers, smart cruise control with stop-and-go, and a driver attention warning system are optional. Expect to see the 2019 Hyundai Tucson in dealerships this fall. In the meantime, check out our high-res image gallery above, and stay tuned for more — Hyundai is rumored to have an N-branded high-performance version of the Tucson in the works. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

A 247-hp Hyundai Kona N crossover could be a thing

Hyundai's N Performance sub-brand has its sights on the Kona, the automaker's brand-new compact crossover, for its possible next makeover. If it meets with the approval of Hyundai brass, it'll reportedly do 247 horsepower courtesy of the 2.0-liter turbo engine borrowed from the i30 N. Hyundai's N performance boss Albert Biermann tells Auto Express he has instructed his engineers to develop a test mule version of the Kona to consider for production by the end of the decade. "I've told them to build the car and we'll see what happens with it getting approved. It has to be the i30 N powertrain, really," Biermann told the British website, adding that engineers could give the Kona different suspension and steering specs. The i30 N is Hyundai's not-for-America performance fastback and the N division's first offering. It's based off the i30, an overseas version of the Elantra GT, offered in three body styles — hatchback, wagon and "fastback" sedan — and fitted with a six-speed manual transmission. It has two engine options: the aforementioned 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a version generating 271 horsepower that will power the Veloster N, which will come stateside. By contrast, the Kona has two engine possibilities: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 147 hp and 132 pound-feet of torque, or a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that does 175 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. So the N upgrade would represent a significant boost in power over either of those engines. What other features could a Kona N offer? It could go the N route with a large grille, red-trimmed undercarriage, specialty badging and interior trim and suspension upgrades. Auto Express says upgrades could include a rear diffuser, small roof spoiler and exposed rear tailpipes. Hyundai has sold 5,874 units of the Kona through April since going on sale in February. It also plans an all-electric version for 2019 that will only be offered in the longest-range version in America, which is estimated to go 250 miles on the U.S. test cycle. That version will also be offered in Europe where the estimate is 292 miles of driving range. An entry-level Kona Electric will also be available in Europe with and estimated 186 miles of range. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

No N performance models for Genesis, but Hyundai might get a Tucson N

Although Hyundai still hasn't fully revealed its first N product, the i30 N that we will see with an Elantra badge, the company is apparently hard at work at various N-branded follow-ups. The head of the N performance division, Albert Biermann, spoke with Australia's Drive, and revealed some unexpected details about the future of the division. Among the surprises was the revelation that there are no plans for Genesis N models. This is a bit of a shock considering that just last year, Biermann told us that there was a five-year plan in place for N products, and that Genesis vehicles were part of that plan. Among the vehicles that are coming, Biermann said the division is developing a B-segment vehicle and an SUV. The B-segment car is likely the European i20 hatchback. Hyundai uses the i20 for World Rally Championship, so it would only make sense to capitalize on that association. As for the SUV, Drive believes it is the Tucson, since Biermann mentioned the little crossover quite a bit when speaking to the publication. The Tucson would also be the most logical candidate for an N variant, since it's currently the smallest crossover in the Hyundai line-up. As such, it should be the easiest to make sporty, since it's inherently lighter and more maneuverable than other crossovers in the lineup. Biermann also seemingly revealed that the next N-badged car after the i30 N hatchback will be a "fastback" version of the same car, which Drive describes as a coupe. We don't expect this to be a traditional compact coupe, though. Last year, AutoEvolution reported that Hyundai would release a coupe-like five-door version of the i30 in the vein of the Audi A7 and A5 Sportbacks. This also seems more likely than a traditional coupe since Hyundai ceded the segment to the Civic with the death of the previous Elantra coupe in 2015, and its Kia Forte Koup cousin this year. Related Video: