Spy Shots: Camo-free 2010 Hyundai Tucson on U.S. soil!
by Sam Abuelsamid on Sep 5th 2009 at 12:07PM 
2010 Hyundai Tucson - click above for high-res image gallery
Just last week, Hyundai revealed the new ix35 compact crossover in its home market of South Korea. When it arrives at U.S. dealers late this year, it will retain the Tucson nameplate used on the current-generation model. This week, we stumbled across what looks to be a production-ready Tucson here in Michigan, completely devoid of camouflage and missing only its badges.
As we saw in the photos from Korea, the new Tucson is very similar to Hyundai's ix-onic concept shown in Geneva last March. The biggest exterior differences are the front foglights, the rear taillamps and the CUV's lower fascia. From what we were able to see of the interior, the design of the concept is also carried over verbatim.
We expect for the Tucson to make its official U.S. debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show this November.
Gallery: 2010 Hyundai Tucson undisguised
Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
VW GTi 12:13PM (9/05/2009)
It doesn't look half bad.
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G-Money 12:31PM (9/05/2009)
It looks a lot like the Ford Kuga, but with more rounded edges. The rear looks like a Subaru Tribeca, the side looks like a Nissan Rogue and the wheels look like they were lifted off an '09 Murano. Not much about this design is original. Not to single out Hyundai on the "copycat" styling issue, as many other automakers do the same thing. Case in point, the new Kia Forte borrows heavily from the Civic, and the new Legacy all but copied the BMW 3-series' taillights, the G35 sedan's profile, and the Mazda 6's wheel arches.
fmwso 12:35PM (9/05/2009)
I second you, I think that this is 100% better than the Crosstour.
James 1:07PM (9/05/2009)
This Hyundai is more appeasing to look at compared to the "migraine" eliciting Crosstour.
Steve 1:16PM (9/05/2009)
Dear G-money,
Thousands of automotive design students & automotive design professionals all over the world are going to read your message & have a big laugh.
To give you an idea, go take a picture of the new Kia Koupe to any car design professional or any senior student in an Automotive Design course & ask them if they think the Kia Koupe is a copy of the Civic. I can guarantee you that they will all say NO. Try not to sound like your grandmother who says a VW beetle or a Mazda Miata looks like a Porsche Boxter, & so the VW & Madza must be a plagarized copies/ designs of the Porsche... Design ignorance brings laughter for all(especially for all the automotive DESIGN professionals everywhere)....
com 1:30PM (9/05/2009)
@G-Money
The Ford Kuga copied one of the concepts that Hyundai made back in 2006.
madox75 1:24PM (9/05/2009)
I agree with G-Money. Looks a lot like the Ford Kuga. And thats not a bad thing.
futurama 1:28PM (9/05/2009)
Well.. Steve. I absolutely agree with you.
However.. it seems most of people with untrained eyes only see graphics of the car and immediately thinks it's a copy. It's just a sad phenomenon that developed even more with internet and voicing your opinion to the world. Also, it is generally worse for non premium brand due to people's perception with brands. Everyone is entitled to speak up their opinion, but obvious ignorance and lack of proper understanding is, unfortunately, unstoppable.
It just makes me laugh as well....
Josh 1:39PM (9/05/2009)
I totally agree, doesn't look half bad. Which is a big step up from mediocre for hyundai - they have been on the ball lately.
Chris O 1:57PM (9/05/2009)
It wasn't too long ago that the Hyundai 'utes were a bit too quirky in their styling. This doesn't look offensive to me, and I would expect that many others would agree. It's certainly safer than the love-it-or-hate-it styling of something like the Flex in that it certainly won't evoke as much debate.
The nose looks a little GT-R'ish to me.
PJ 2:36PM (9/05/2009)
The detailing gives it a much more "premium" look than the current Tucson, but the proportions now have that Hyundai "egg" syndrome, same as the Elantra and new Sonata.
I don't see any design plagiarism here, but it does look vaguely like something Ford of Europe, or maybe Renault, would have come up with--just viewed through a fish-eye lens.
Kreator 2:48PM (9/05/2009)
Are you guys comparing this with the Crosstour?
nm00486 2:51PM (9/05/2009)
Here's an idea...
Instead of jumping right to, "Well, it looks like they copied.....", how about you just state whether or not you actually like the car? Who gives a crap if the back window looks like something Nissan or Toyota did 10 years ago? You can only do so much with a vehicle...
I for one think it's a great looking little SUV! Kudos to Hyundai, they've really come a long way.
jsjs 2:54PM (9/05/2009)
@g-money and other idiots
First off, the Ford Kuga is hardly "original" - plenty of similar European designs have predated the Kuga.
Second, the new Tuscon takes a lot styling cues from the Hyundai HED-2 and HED-3 concepts dating back to 2006.
http://www.supercarnews.net/hyundai/picture/2006-hyundai-hed-3-arnejs-concept-scn-net-6682-19643/
http://www.supercarnews.net/hyundai/picture/2006-hyundai-hed-2-genus-concept-scn-net-057-16657/
And the Forte did not borrow heavily from the Civic - the A4 maybe (due to the designer being a former Audi designer).
zamafir 3:26PM (9/05/2009)
@VW GTi - nope, not at all. I'd take it over the tiggy :)
click.kas 3:46PM (9/05/2009)
It looks good , but it looked better in the previous set of pics and it looks way way better than honda crosstourer.
http://www.indianautotalk.com
psu48187 4:11PM (9/05/2009)
I wouldn't be so much of an issue if Hyundai had a few original designs here and there, but the problem is they don't. Look at the new Sonata, inside and out everything has been copied:
Exterior - MB/VW
HVAC - Volvo
Navigation Setup - Infiniti
And now you have this which looks exactly like a Ford S-Max from the front. Sorry but until I see something original, I will pass. FWIW Honda/Acura designs might be polarizing but at least you know what they are from a distance.
Rar 11:04PM (9/05/2009)
New Tucson designed by Hyundai european team.,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YoQTxBsEoE
CarlChong 2:24PM (9/26/2009)
Look better than Kia Sorento
http://www.autoblog.com/gallery/2011-kia-sorento/#2
James 12:20PM (9/05/2009)
Well that's certainly a million times nicer on the eyes than the Honda Crosstour...
But I always liked the Tuscon because it looked small and cute -- like something your teenage daughter would look adorable driving.
And now it looks like it's been on steroids...
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