2026 Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid Review: Expert Insights, Pricing, and Trims
The 2026 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid is the fanciest and most capable version of Hyundai's small crossover. This flagship Tucson only makes sense if it's regularly plugged in and driven on electric power, though . Other plug-in hybrid compact SUV rivals include the Kia Sportage PHEV, Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid, and Mitsubishi Outlander Hybrid. What's New
We don't expect major changes to the 2026 Tucson PHEV after a big 2025. Last model year, the Hyundai scored styling and tech updates that consisted of a new center console and dash with curved screen display, larger touchscreen, standard wireless phone mirroring, and driver-adjustable regenerative braking. What We Think
Although it's not for everyone, we appreciate the Tucson lineup's eye-catching, modern exterior design. Inside, the updated-for-2025 dashboard and center console continue to convey the cabin's modern, tech-focused feel. Upgrades from last year like a larger touchscreen and a newly available head-up display flesh out the theme. We like the Tucson plug-in hybrid overall, but its range doesn't come close to that of the Toyota RAV4 plug-in hybrid, a key disadvantage.
The Tucson Plug-in Hybrid offers a driving experience that's competent and enjoyable, though it doesn't quite match the performance benchmarks set by some competitors.
Standard all-wheel drive adds confidence with planted handling. The Tucson PHEV is a well-rounded option with strong value and a spacious cabin, but iwe strongly suggest considering the Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid, as well. MotorTrend Tested
The Tucson Plug-in Hybrid features a 1.6-liter turbo-four and six-speed automatic transmission with an integrated electric motor, akin to the Tucson Hybrid. Unlike the standard hybrid, the PHEV gets a larger-capacity 13.8-kWh battery (instead of the Hybrid's 1.49-kWh battery) and charge port. Powertrain output is rated at 268 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, and these Tucson variants are offered only with all-wheel drive.
We launched a same-generation 2022 Limited model to 60 mph in as little as 7.1 seconds, making the PHEV the quickest Tucson, 0.7 second quicker than the hybrid and 2.2 seconds quicker than the gas version. It has some ground to make up to catch the more powerful RAV4 PHEV, however, which can cover the same ground in under six seconds. MPGs, Range, and Charging
The mechanically identical 2025 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid rgets 32 miles of all-electric range. This year's ratings should be similar. The 2025 Toyota RAV4 PHEV comes in at 42 while Toyota promises 50 on the new 2026 model.
The Hyundai Tucson PHEV can be charged using Level 1 or Level 2 charging. Level 1 charging takes about six hours to fully charge the battery, while Level 2 charging—which is the type of connection some install in their garages—can reduce that time to around two hours. Safety Features
Entry-level models feature a generous amount of content, including: Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist, and junction detection
Blind-spot monitoring
Driver focus monitoring
Lane keeping
Rear cross-traffic monitoring
Adaptive cruise control
A rear-seat occupant reminder
The remaining driver assists are standard with the top trim. Those include navigation-based cruise control, a blind-spot monitor view, rear automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and surround-view monitor. A Highway Driving Assist self-driving system is also unlocked with the highest grade. Cargo Space and Interior Room
Rear legroom compares favorably to other five-passenger plug-in hybrid compact SUVs like the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid and Outlander Hybrid. There's more cargo capacity in the Toyota, though. The 2025 RAV4 represents the last of the previous model; a new RAV4 with a similar interior makes its debut for 2026. Technology
Every Tucson PHEV features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air updates, a wireless phone charger, and a foursome of USB ports, two front and two rear.
A 12.3-inch touchscreen and heated front seats come with the base model; the upgrade unlocks ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and a 12.3-inch driver display. Bose premium audio, a fingerprint scanner, and heated steering wheel also come with the top model. Top-Ranked Competitors: Toyota RAV4 PHEV
Ford Escape Plug-In Hybrid
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
28 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins NASCAR national series debut as crew chief at Pocono
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR's most popular crew chief. He's certainly an undefeated one. Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway. 'We had a lot of things going our way,' Earnhardt said. Earnhardt — who won NASCAR's most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville. Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday. 'Lot of fun for me today,' Earnhardt said. 'I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don't get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn't really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.' Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad's arms. The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut. Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall. His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International. Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops. Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second. 'Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,' Zilisch said. 'Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.' ___ AP auto racing:
Associated Press
36 minutes ago
- Associated Press
American Rebel Light Virginia NHRA Nationals Pairings
Saturday At Virginia Motorsports Park Dinwiddie, Va. Sunday's Pairings Top Fuel 1. Brittany Force, 3.839 seconds, 327.98 mph vs. 14. Tony Stewart, 8.979, 79.59; 2. Clay Millican, 3.864, 324.90 vs. 13. Smax Smith, 5.979, 107.70; 3. Steve Torrence, 3.877, 324.28 vs. 12. Josh Hart, 5.956, 108.41; 4. Shawn Reed, 3.885, 323.74 vs. 11. Dan Mercier, 4.284, 206.07; 5. Shawn Langdon, 3.891, 325.45 vs. 10. Cameron Ferre, 4.070, 287.60; 6. Doug Foley, 3.896, 310.91 vs. 9. Justin Ashley, 3.950, 305.63; 7. Doug Kalitta, 3.905, 327.43 vs. 8. Antron Brown, 3.944, 312.50. Funny Car 1. Jack Beckman, Chevy Camaro, 3.988, 320.51 vs. 16. Jim Campbell, Ford Mustang, 9.864, 74.26; 2. Austin Prock, Camaro, 4.004, 321.73 vs. 15. Cruz Pedregon, Dodge Charger, 5.867, 118.17; 3. J.R. Todd, Toyota GR Supra, 4.018, 320.05 vs. 14. Buddy Hull, Charger, 5.184, 144.64; 4. Daniel Wilkerson, Mustang, 4.022, 320.74 vs. 13. Dave Richards, Mustang, 4.267, 291.45; 5. Ron Capps, GR Supra, 4.028, 320.81 vs. 12. Chad Green, Mustang, 4.081, 314.17; 6. Matt Hagan, Charger, 4.039, 319.07 vs. 11. Hunter Green, Charger, 4.080, 314.46; 7. Bob Tasca III, Mustang, 4.047, 319.75 vs. 10. Spencer Hyde, Mustang, 4.069, 306.46; 8. Alexis DeJoria, Charger, 4.050, 317.79 vs. 9. Paul Lee, Charger, 4.052, 307.93. Pro Stock Motorcycle 1. Brayden Davis, Suzuki, 6.757, 198.85 vs. 16. Marc Ingwersen, EBR, 6.924, 194.72; 2. Matt Smith, Buell, 6.768, 201.43 vs. 15. Chase Van Sant, Suzuki, 6.907, 196.44; 3. John Hall, Beull, 6.787, 199.97 vs. 14. Chris Bostick, Suzuki, 6.898, 196.50; 4. Gaige Herrera, Suzuki, 6.793, 199.49 vs. 13. Ron Tornow, Victory, 6.898, 198.55; 5. Steve Johnson, Suzuki, 6.801, 197.54 vs. 12. Kelly Clontz, Suzuki, 6.897, 197.62; 6. Richard Gadson, Suzuki, 6.809, 199.73 vs. 11. Hector Arana Jr, EBR, 6.877, 198.09; 7. Angie Smith, Buell, 6.813, 199.70 vs. 10. Dystany Spurlock, Buell, 6.870, 194.66; 8. Ryan Oehler, EBR, 6.848, 198.44 vs. 9. Jianna Evaristo, Buell, 6.863, 199.29. Did Not Qualify: 17. Brandon Litten, 6.960, 192.58. _____
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Dan Ives Says Market Is 'Massively Underestimating' This AI Play, Urges Investors To Look Beyong Mag 7
Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Dan Ives' new artificial intelligence exchange-traded fund (ETF) holds securities beyond the Magnificent 7 stocks, as he believes in looking past valuations for investments in the technology sector. What Happened: The Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF (NYSE:IVES), managed by the Wedbush analyst, started trading on June 4, earlier this month. Ives boasts of the fund by saying that it just doesn't have the top four, five Magnificent 7 names, but stocks which investors wouldn't even thematically consider as an AI name today. "I believe the market is still massively underestimating what the growth is going to look like for the AI revolution in tech," he told CNBC. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — According to him, tech trade remains significant even for the investors who missed out on its growth in the past few years. "If you focus just on valuation, you miss every transformational tech stock of the last 20 years," Ives said. Ives says Oracle Corp. (NYSE:ORCL) will be the 'epicenter' of the AI theme, while highlighting other 'AI 30' stocks which are part of his fund. Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PLTR), International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM), Salesforce Inc. (NYSE:CRM), SoundHound AI Inc. (NASDAQ:SOUN), and Innodata Inc. (NASDAQ:INOD) are a few notable names that are a part of his ETF's 'AI 30' basket. Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT), Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA), and Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) are the top three holdings of the IVES It Matters: The 'AI 30' stocks, which are a part of the IVES ETF, hold the AI plays from multiple industries. They include hyperscalers, cybersecurity, consumer platforms, and robotics. According to Ives, the list was compiled from his deep dives into major AI players. The ETF has $183 million in assets under management as of June 17 close. Ives said that the AI space was experiencing a "golden age." The Dan IVES Wedbush AI Revolution ETF has risen by 2.76% since its inception. A comparable index, S&P Kensho Global Artificial Intelligence Enablers, rose 6.08% on a month-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:SPY) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:QQQ), which track the S&P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, declined slightly on Wednesday. The SPY was down 0.015% at $597.44, while the QQQ was 0.017% lower at $528.99, according to Benzinga Pro data. Read Next: Invest early in CancerVax's breakthrough tech aiming to disrupt a $231B market. Back a bold new approach to cancer treatment with high-growth potential. If there was a new fund backed by Jeff Bezos offering a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends would you invest in it? Photo courtesy: Shutterstock This article Dan Ives Says Market Is 'Massively Underestimating' This AI Play, Urges Investors To Look Beyong Mag 7 originally appeared on
