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Hyundai Vision T plug-in hybrid concept previews next Tucson

If you think this dramatic concept vehicle looks like something from the future, you’d be right.


The Hyundai Vision T plug-in hybrid might only have been built as a display model for the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, however it is in fact a large clue about the future design direction for the Korean brand.

As Hyundai designer, SangYup Lee, unveiled the car at the show he said the Vision T is a “core vehicle that will take us to the next level in SUV design”.

He said the “low roof, long wheelbase and short overhangs emphasise it’s dynamic character … for a coupe-like feeling”, making the vehicle ready for “new urban adventures”.

Translation: if you stare at the Vision T for long enough, and imagine it with conventional door handles, side mirrors and smaller wheels, you could be looking at the next generation Hyundai Tucson.

The Vision T’s party trick? The intricately-designed grille opens and closes depending on vehicle speed. As with some cars already on sale today, it is designed to close at freeway speeds to improve airflow and efficiency.

Hyundai is one of the few brands in Australia that offers all three types of electric models: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric.

Plug-in hybrid cars such as the Hyundai Vision T can be driven on battery power alone for about 50km before the petrol engine takes over. They are seen as the stepping stone to full electric vehicles or an option for drivers who need to travel beyond city limits.

Meanwhile, at the show Hyundai restated its commitment to roll out more eco-car technology in the coming years, with a target of 44 electrified or hydrogen-powered vehicles due in showrooms globally by 2025.

Joshua Dowling

Joshua Dowling has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years, spending most of that time working for The Sydney Morning Herald (as motoring editor and one of the early members of the Drive team) and News Corp Australia. He joined CarAdvice / Drive in 2018, and has been a World Car of the Year judge for more than 10 years.

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