21:00 05-08-2026
Hyundai Tucson NX5: physical buttons survive the switch to a massive Pleos screen
Spy shots from Alpine testing show the next Tucson pairing a large touchscreen with real climate and media buttons.
The new Hyundai Tucson has kept physical buttons for climate and media controls despite moving to a large central display. That's the main takeaway from fresh prototype photos taken during testing in the Alps: the cabin already looks close to production-ready, though Hyundai hasn't officially confirmed the claimed 17-inch and 9.9-inch screen sizes.
According to Korean Car Blog, the images also reveal a different steering wheel, redesigned front seats and new door panel elements. The outlet places the car in the fifth-generation Tucson, internally coded NX5, though the automaker has yet to unveil the model or disclose its specifications.
The digital overhaul itself is officially confirmed. Hyundai Motor Group unveiled Pleos Connect on April 30, 2026: the system pairs a large central screen with a compact driver display, supports physical buttons, an app store and over-the-air updates. The Gleo AI voice assistant can process several commands at once, handling navigation and climate while accounting for who in the cabin is speaking.
Pleos Connect combines touch controls with conventional buttons, so the layout seen on the photographed prototype fits Hyundai's broader strategy. That said, it still doesn't confirm the screen sizes claimed by the outside source.
The powertrain side carries more uncertainty. Hyundai has officially developed the next-generation TMED-II hybrid system with two electric motors in the transmission and confirmed an upcoming 1.6-liter turbo hybrid, claiming an efficiency gain of more than 4% over the previous setup in a mid-size SUV — though Tucson hasn't been named among the confirmed models.
So predictions of a 100 km electric range for the plug-in hybrid, a Tucson N with over 300 hp, Level 2.5 driver assistance and an XRT Pro trim should still be treated as rumors for now. Hyundai has confirmed TMED-II development and its Level 2+ assistance roadmap, but not the new Tucson's specific configuration.