Hyundai Motor Company hosted the ‘The All-New TUCSON Tech & Experience Day’ at Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang, offering an in-depth look at the core engineering, manufacturing innovations, and technological advancements powering the fifth-generation Tucson.
Since its global debut in 2004, the Tucson has served as a cornerstone of Hyundai’s lineup, surpassing 10 million cumulative global sales. Rather than focusing on track driving impressions, the Tech Day pulled back the curtain on the behind-the-scenes engineering achievements that define the all-new model across six core areas: development concept, design, body stamping technology, powertrains, family-oriented practicality, and crash safety.
1. Advanced Body Stamping: Sculpting the 'Art of Steel'
The all-new Tucson embodies Hyundai's "Art of Steel" design philosophy, characterized by sharp character lines, expansive muscular surfaces, and a prominent clamshell hood. Translating these intricate aesthetic surfaces into mass production required breakthrough stamping and tooling technologies.
To build the expansive clamshell hood—which is 15% longer with a 50% increase in height volume compared to the previous generation—Hyundai developed specialized forming techniques:
Forge Shape Control Technology: Applies a convex shape to surplus metal outside the final cutline. This prevents delicate, curved surfaces from prematurely contacting the die, eliminating surface distortions and ripples across large vertical elevation changes.
Unit Cam Hemming: Re-engineers the hem line where the exterior and interior hood panels join. Using vertical press forces channeled via angled unit cams, the system folds the extended rear edge of the hood cleanly and securely.
For the side outer panels, the volume ratio was increased by 20%, and the rear fender forming angle widened by 13°. To prevent steel wrinkling or tearing across such dramatic contours, Hyundai deployed:
Multi-Directional Tension Control: Pre-draws surplus metal located in the rear quarter glass and rear door openings into deep depressions before trimming, distributing tensile strain evenly in multiple directions.
Multi-Stage Stamping Process: Shapes the complex side outer body across staged progressions, reducing microscopic stress cracks and maintaining smooth, deep-draw fender contours.
2. Next-Gen Hybrid & Powertrain Innovations
The fifth-generation Tucson offers two refined powertrains optimized for dynamic responsiveness and thermal efficiency:
1.6 Turbo Gasoline: Fitted with an enlarged turbocharger, delivering 193 PS (a 13 PS increase). Power is sent through a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission, replacing the previous 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) for a more linear and refined driving dynamic.
1.6 Turbo Hybrid: Pairs a turbocharged gas engine with two electric motors to produce a combined 245 PS(+10 PS over the predecessor). It achieves a combined fuel economy of 17.4 km/L (17-inch wheels, 2WD).
Efficiency & Aerodynamics
Hyundai introduced several smart systems to maximize hybrid performance:
Expanded Regenerative Braking Control: Recovers kinetic energy under higher deceleration forces than standard systems.
Coasting Guide: Analyzes upcoming route topography and slowdowns to advise the driver on when to release the accelerator.
Aerodynamic Refinements: With active air flaps equipped with edge sealings, optimized rear spoiler angles, and underbody airflow controls, the drag coefficient drops from 0.33 to 0.30 Cd.
3. Interior Packaging, Refinement, and NVH Control
Designed as a modern family SUV, the new Tucson expands significantly across all critical dimensions:
Overall Dimensions: Exterior length increases by 60 mm, width by 40 mm, height by 20 mm, and wheelbase by 30 mm.
Second-Row Space: Second-row legroom expands by 14 mm and headroom by 29 mm, while first- and second-row shoulder room each increase by 6 mm.
Cargo Capacity: Gasoline models gain 23 liters of boot space for a total of 645 L, while the hybrid model expands by 29 liters to reach 639 L.
Passenger-First Features
Wide-Open Second-Row Doors: Door opening angles increase from 73° to 83°, easing ingress, egress, and child seat installation.
Cabin Versatility: Includes dual wireless smartphone charging pads, palm-rest hidden storage, rear door trim cup holders, and customizable Hyundai Add-Gear cargo mounting options.
Ride Quality & Acoustic Engineering
The chassis incorporates a reinforced front strut-to-body interface and a rear crossmember stay to sharpen steering response while dampening road vibrations. New variable suspension valves isolate rough pavement imperfections, while the hybrid variant features E-Traction, utilizing the electric drive motor to suppress body pitch and roll.
Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) are minimized through:
5 mm sound-insulating laminated front side glass (+1 mm increase).
Seamless, single-piece door glass channels to eliminate high-speed wind turbulence.
High-density polyurethane (PU) floor carpet foam and extended firewall sound deadening.
Anti-phase rubber flap engine mounts to cancel high-frequency engine vibrations.
A dual-stopper transmission mount—a first for Hyundai—neutralizing start-up kick in the turbo gasoline model and transition vibrations during engine-to-motor handoffs in the hybrid.
4. Crash Structure Rigidity and Passive Safety
The body structure of the all-new Tucson employs 58% ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS) (up from 55.2%), featuring hot-stamped steel rated at 1.0 GPa or higher. Average tensile strength reaches 726 MPa, up 9.7%. Ring-shaped structural connections receive heavy reinforcements of structural adhesives and advanced weld points, elevating torsional rigidity by 20.7% and bending rigidity by 34.5%.
Key passenger protection features include:
Side-Impact Hardening: B-pillar tensile strength is upgraded to 1.8 GPa (previously 1.5 GPa) with thickness expanded to 2.0 mm (from 1.1 mm), expanding cabin survival space by 22.7% during severe side collisions.
Dual-Power Door Unlock: A dedicated backup power circuit unlocks vehicle doors even if the main vehicle battery cuts out in an impact.
Class-Leading Safety Equipment: 9 standard airbags, Acceleration Pedal Misapplication Mitigation, Electronic Shift Lever P-Gear Emergency Braking, Forward Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist for low front blind spots, and Ground View underbody camera monitoring.
The technical innovations showcased at the Tucson Tech Day reflect Hyundai’s shift toward advanced materials, digital stamping precision, and integrated electrification—strengthening the global identity of its flagship mid-size SUV.
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