2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid

Few vehicles make more sense than a hybrid compact SUV, and the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is among the best of the bunch. It takes all the qualities we love about the regular Tucson — excellent tech, a roomy interior, top safety scores, and an unbeatable warranty — and improves the formula with more power, much higher fuel economy, and standard all-wheel drive. Oh, and it’s only $1,500 more than a comparable, non-hybrid Tucson. It almost makes too much sense.

We review the regular, non-hybrid Tucson and the Tucson Plug-in Hybrid separately.

We’ve logged hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of hybrid SUVs, including the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid.

After receiving a modest refresh last year, the Tucson Hybrid doesn’t change much for 2026. There is a new entry point, the Blue SE trim, while the former Blue trim is renamed SEL, and the N-Line trim is gone. Ecotronic Gray exterior paint replaces Titan Gray, while the Titanium Gray Matte color is dropped. And no, we don’t make up these names.

Thanks to that new Blue SE trim, the 2026 Tucson Hybrid further shines in its appeal with a price point below rivals like the Honda CR-V Hybrid, Mazda CX-50 Hybrid, and Subaru Forester Hybrid. The Kia Sportage Hybrid starts a bit lower, but that’s for a front-wheel-drive (FWD) model. The all-new 2026 Toyota RAV4 will be hybrid only. We are still awaiting pricing on that model, but for reference, the 2025 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid started slightly higher than the Tucson Hybrid.

We think the Tucson Hybrid is a terrific value in general. And compared to a standard, gas-only Tucson with all-wheel drive, it’s only $1,500 more. The hybrid model’s fuel savings alone could make up that difference in less than three years, plus it’s more powerful.

The resale value of the Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is about average. Remember: The higher the resale value, the more money you can get when selling or trading in a vehicle, which can mean more money down and lower payments on your next one.

At the risk of repeating ourselves, we’ll again call out the Tucson Hybrid’s power advantage over the standard, gas-only Tucson. The regular model has a just-enough 187 horsepower. The Tucson Hybrid, however, brings 231 horses to the table, plus a potent 271 lb-ft of torque, vs the standard Tucson’s 178 lb-ft. See the advantage you get with both a gasoline engine and an electric motor?

In our testing, we’ve appreciated the Tucson Hybrid’s smooth ride quality, its composure through the corners, excellent outward vision, and the relatively quiet cabin. We’d be more than willing to take a Tucson Hybrid for a long road trip. The standard all-wheel-drive system can adjust how much power goes to each wheel, bringing an extra degree of stability and effectiveness to the Tucson Hybrid’s cornering abilities. It’s not something that’s really perceptible, but still good to have.

The Tucson Hybrid also gets a drive mode not available on the standard gas-only Tucson: Baby Mode. It enables an almost genteel acceleration feel so as not to unsettle any little bundles of joy snoozing in the back.

Fuel Economy

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid earns up to 38 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That’s for the lower Blue trim. The higher trims register a few ticks lower, at 35 mpg combined. The Tucson Hybrid’s best figure is one mpg better than a comparable CR-V Hybrid and one mpg less than the last RAV4 Hybrid. Rivals that offer front-wheel-drive variants, including the CR-V Hybrid and Kia Sportage Hybrid, can do a bit better.

We still appreciate the dashboard makeover the Tucson Hybrid received last year. Higher trims have a curved display unit that includes a 12.3-inch instrument cluster alongside a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. Lower trims receive the large infotainment screen (which is still bigger than the Honda CR-V’s 9-inch unit). We also like the small yet practical touches, such as the shelf above the glove compartment.

There are physical controls for the heating/air conditioning system and the audio system’s volume and tuning functions, along with some touch-sensitive ones for functions such as fan settings. We also like the gear shifter attached to the steering column. To put into drive, reverse, etc., you simply twist a dial at the end. Press the P button at the end for park.

Interior upholstery choices range from cloth at the bottom to leather at the top. The Limited trim brings amenities such as ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, memory driver seat setting, and even heated rear seats.

The cabin of the Tucson Hybrid is as practical as anything in this class, making no meaningful space compromises compared with its gasoline-only counterpart. Rear legroom measures 41.3 inches, matching the Honda CR-V. There’s a generous 38.7 cubic feet of luggage area behind the rear seats, expanding to 74.5 when they’re folded — only a couple of cubic feet shy of the CR-V’s maximum.

The Tucson Hybrid doesn’t scream that it’s a hybrid, and that’s fine by us. In fact, to distinguish it from its non-hybrid counterpart, you’ll have to spy out the little “hybrid” badge in back. Otherwise, this more-efficient Tucson Hybrid has the (we think) great looks of any other Tucson. It’s angular enough without going overboard, and boasts a unique grille embedded with multiple lights that really distinguish a Tucson from any other vehicle on the road.

Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Back in the bad old days, Hyundai could offer wireless phone integration with its smaller infotainment touchscreens, but not with the larger ones. We always wondered why. Every new 2026 Tucson Hybrid gains a large screen and — hooray! — wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. In addition, the infotainment system now receives over-the-air updates and gains USB-C ports.

Highway Driving Assist
We’re always impressed by how well Hyundai’s driver assistance features work (as well as those from cousin brands, Kia and Genesis). Many of our owner reviews say the same thing. Highway Driving Assist makes small steering corrections to keep the Tucson Hybrid in its lane. When used with the standard adaptive cruise control, we’ve noticed that long freeway stretches are less tiring.

Hot stuff
In addition to the heated front seats (available from the SEL trim and up), the 2026 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid offers a heated steering wheel in the Limited trim, along with heated rear seats with more precise temperature control.

Head-up display
A 12-inch color head-up display comes standard in the Limited trim. This helpful feature displays info like navigation directions and can help you keep your eyes on the road.

Blind-Spot View Monitor
This is one of our favorite features in Hyundai models. It shows real-time video in the digital instrument cluster of the rear left or right side of the vehicle when you engage the turn signal. It’s also standard in the Limited model — and another reason to use your turn signal.

Remote Smart Parking Assist
Exclusive to the top Limited trim (which is also one of the more popular Tucson Hybrid variants), this feature allows drivers to inch their SUV into or out of parking spaces while standing outside.

All 2026 Tucson Hybrid SUVs use a turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine and an electric motor, developing a combined output of 231 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. This goes to a standard all-wheel-drive system. We also like that Hyundai uses a 6-speed automatic transmission, vs. a continuously variable transmission that can drone.

The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is rated to tow up to 2,000 pounds.

Unbeatable Warranty

Hyundai’s warranties are unbeatable. New-vehicle coverage is for five years or 60,000 miles, whichever happens first. The powertrain warranty lasts 10 years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai also includes free scheduled maintenance for three years or 36,000 miles, plus five years of roadside assistance at unlimited mileage.

Top Safety Ratings

The Hyundai Tucson has the highest overall safety ratings a vehicle can get. It earns the Top Safety Pick+ accolade from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and a maximum 5-Star overall score from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Standard safety equipment includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist detection, junction turning assistance, adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.