Hyundai launched its next-gen Tucson in September this year – watch the video if you missed it – but a plug-in hybrid spec had been missing from the lineup until now.
The car shares the gasoline engine with the mild/non-rechargeable Tucson Hybrid, specifically a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder rated at 180 PS (178 hp / 132 kW) and 265 Nm (195 lb-ft) of torque. Its main difference from the mild spec mentioned above comes in the form of a powerful electric motor built into a six-speed automatic transmission. The motor adds 91 PS (90 hp / 67 kW) and 304 Nm (224 lb-ft) of torque to the total, resulting in 265 PS (261 hp / 195 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) hitting the wheels at full thrust.
Another big difference lies in the battery department. While the entry-level Tucson Hybrid makes do with a tiny 1.49-kWh battery, the PHEV benefits from 13.8 kilowatt-hours of power storage. The source lies under the cabin floor and is liquid-cooled for efficiency. WLTP-rated driving range on pure electric power amounts to 50 kilometers, or 31 miles.
By default, the car supports on-demand AWD with the coupling on the rear axle. Trunk volume amounts to 558 liters (19.7 cubic feet) with the rear seats raised and 1,737 liters (61.34 cubic feet) with the seats folded down. The mild spec is somewhat roomier with 620 and 1,799 liters (21.9 and 63.53 cubic feet), respectively.
Sales in Europe will start this spring, with other countries scheduled to follow later.