Hiding behind the concept car cues is likely a new Tucson.
HyundaiWe're just a couple of weeks out from the 2019 LA Auto Show and automakers are starting to preview what they have in store for the west coast's premier auto show. At Hyundai, the brand has revealed it will show a new SUV concept that more than likely hints at the next Tucson.
Hyundai on Wednesday released a handful of teaser images showing the unnamed concept SUV. Although it didn't specifically say this preview the Tucson, context clues are valuable, readers. For instance, the company said this is a "compact SUV design," winking at the current Hyundai Tucson's segment.
Like several Hyundai concepts that came before it, this SUV will be doused in the company's "Sensuous Sportiness" design language. Such ethos has brought us concepts like the Le Fil Rouge, which is certainly a looker. It also clearly previewed the direction the 2020 Hyundai Sonata took -- also handsome.
As for the design, the shadows make it hard to see much. We do see, though, that any major design line connects with an exterior element. Every chisel and crease finds its way back to a light or trim piece, which Hyundai said allows light to reflect to form an "extreme sense of tension." Up front, there's an air-shutter grille design that sees grille elements open while driving to benefit aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
While most of the short announcement was filled with jargon, the company did share this concept will feature a plug-in hybrid powertrain. We're likely to see more and more electrified models from Hyundai as it promised last week it has 13 electrified models in the pipeline. They're slated to launch by 2022 and seven of them are SUVs.
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