2019 Hyundai Tucson: What’s New And What’s Not? [Video]

The 2019 Hyundai Tucson gets a facelift and loses its 1.6-liter turbocharged engine.

While the Tucson is still a fairly fresh model – the third generation debuted in 2015 – Hyundai refreshed the model for the 2019 year. With that, the company has revamped and repositioned to hit a wider price brand than the outgoing 2018 model. So what all is new, and what has stayed the same? In the video above, Roman walks around the 2019 Hyundai Tucson to chart all the changes.

Since Hyundai facelifted their compact crossover, you’d expect it to have a new face, and you’d be right. There’s the company’s new signature cascading grille, as well as a new headlight and daytime running light design. The rest of the front and rear fascias were also revamped, and there are new 18-inch wheels on the SEL. An electronic parking brake is now also standard across the range.

On the inside, the 2019 Hyundai Tucson has a revised center stack, climate control vents and a standard 7.0-inch infotainment display, rather than the old 5.0-inch system. Hyundai SmartSense, with forward collision assist, lane keep assist and driver attention warning also comes standard. As before, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support is available, though this time it’s also available on the base SE model.

Trim level changes

The 2019 Hyundai Tucson lineup changed its trim levels from the outgoing 2018 model as well. There are only slight differences, but the shifts in trims and standard equipment has also affected the pricing. The base SE model stays, while Hyundai dropped the SEL Plus trim. The SEL is now the “Value” trim, while the former Hyundai Tucson Sport is now the SEL, and the former Value trim is now the Sport. The Limited model also remains, while the Ultimate Package becomes its own Ultimate trim for the 2019 model year.

The base 1.6-liter turbocharged engine is gone, while the 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter naturally aspirated units remain. The 2.0-liter still makes 164 horsepower and 151 lb-ft of torque. The larger 2.4-liter unit comes with 181 horsepower and 175 lb-ft of torque. Both come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

SE and Value models get the 2.0-liter engine as standard equipment. All other trim levels – SEL, Sport, Limited and Ultimate – get the 2.4-liter engine instead.

If you’re looking for a less expensive Tucson, the 2018 models are significantly cheaper. The 2019 Hyundai Tucson sees a price hike across the whole lineup, with the exception of the Limited and Ultimate AWD trims. The refreshed model does come with more standard equipment, but you’ll have to spend at least $650 more. In some cases, the price difference between trims – despite the shifts – comes in at $2,125 more for 2019 than 2018.

2019 Hyundai Tucson Photo Gallery (Photos: Hyundai)

1 of 18

2019 Hyundai Tucson Pricing (Includes $1,045 destination)