The next Hyundai Tucson could look a little like the new hydrogen-powered Nexo, which will lend its styling cues to more popular models in the brand's range.
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Future Hyundai models will draw inspiration from the blocky, chiselled styling of the new hydrogen fuel-cell-powered 2026 Hyundai Nexo revealed last week.
That's according to Simon Loasby, Hyundai senior vice president and head of its South Korean design centre, who says the next models with the Nexo's new 'Art of Steel' design language are due as soon as late 2025.
"It actually helps that customer group that they've got something special," Loasby told Australian media including Drive, when pressed on why Hyundai would "waste" distinctive styling on such a niche, low-volume model.
"It is unique, it is special. It's hydrogen fuel cell, whoa. It doesn't have to look like everything else."
While the Nexo will wear unique styling cues, he acknowledged: "You will see [more of] this design language of Art of Steel through late this year, next year – you'll see more examples of that."
Asked if the next Tucson – expected next year – will be one of them, Loasby said: "I'm not going to tell you, but you will see.
"And so it's not wasted at all. I understand what you're saying because it's a small volume, but it's part of our design criteria for the future. And you'll see. Let's have this conversation in 18 months."
The next-generation Venue is Hyundai's next major petrol SUV launch for Australia – due to be revealed this year – ahead of a new Tucson, as the Palisade, Santa Fe and Kona are all yet to reach the mid-point of their lives and therefore not due for styling upgrades.
Art of Steel styling cues could alternatively flow down to Hyundai passenger cars, with the next-geneation i30 Sedan and i20 city hatch due in 2026.
Not every new model in the Hyundai range will adopt Nexo-esque styling, just as Ioniq models today look different from the rest of the line-up – and even within their own model family.
"I would think chess pieces. We've got our chess pieces where we deliberately… We have a base which connects them. The base can be Art of Steel, it can be pixels, that connects," said Loasby.
"But the typology, it can be very, very different between the vehicles – deliberately – and that will carry on. So you will see some spices which are the same, but the rest of the dish is quite different sometimes, for different customers."
Loasby said Hyundai will not adopt a 'family' look across its line-up – as adopted by many rivals including, to a certain degree, sibling brand Kia – and acknowledged it is a "challenge" to link the range together.
"It gives a challenge where, okay, how do we still make them connect? Most companies don't do it like this. Most companies have one look and it goes across the whole portfolio.
"And for us, we have such a big portfolio that we want to make sure both regional, and for customer groups, we can offer something different, but unique, where the son or daughter might come in and say, 'Oh yeah, mine looks different to yours, but it's in the same brand. I don't necessarily want to drive my dad's car in small [size].'
"And that's just one way we're doing it. [I'm] not saying the others are wrong or we're right. It's just our philosophy."
Revealed at the Seoul motor show last week – on the sidelines of which Loasby spoke with Australian media – the new Nexo promises more than 700km of driving range in lab testing, from a more efficient fuel cell and larger hydrogen tank.
It is due in Australia in the first half of 2026, but it is yet to be confirmed if it will be offered only to select businesses through a lease – as with the previous model – or will be sold to the general public.
There are 35 examples of the current Hyundai Nexo on Australian roads, but only nine hydrogen stations – with eight more known to be in planning.
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Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
