Speculation that Hyundai had discontinued the Tucson after it was delisted from the company website has now been confirmed. Company sources have indicated that the brand’s flagship SUV has officially been axed, with no direct replacement in the pipeline.
- Fourth-gen Tucson discontinued in just three years after launch
- Was offered with both petrol and diesel engines; the latter got optional AWD
- Tucson rivalled the likes of Meridian, Kodiaq
The current fourth-generation Tucson, launched in 2022, never quite managed to crack the premium SUV market. After an initial surge following launch, sales tapered off sharply, sealing its fate in Hyundai’s India line-up.
Hyundai Tucson sales in India
Sales peaked in 2023, buoyed by launch excitement
Launched at Rs 27.7 lakh in 2022, the Tucson was Hyundai’s attempt to move upmarket and establish itself in the Rs 30-40 lakh SUV segment. It came packed with features, safety tech and all-wheel drive capability – everything to justify its premium positioning. But despite being a thoroughly competent product, the Tucson never connected with Indian buyers.
Sales peaked at 3,692 units in 2023, buoyed by launch excitement and pent-up demand, before crashing 58 percent in 2024 to 1,543 units. In 2025, sales have fallen even further, with just 650 units sold so far – putting it back to its pre-pandemic lows. Across nine years (2016-2024), the Tucson never crossed the 4,000-unit annual mark, making it a perennial niche player in Hyundai’s otherwise mass-market portfolio.
Why the Hyundai Tucson failed to click
CKD assembly kept prices high
The Tucson’s undoing was not due to a lack of product strength, but because of where it sat in the market. Priced closer to luxury SUVs like the BMW X1 and Audi Q3, it lacked the badge appeal of those brands. Yet, it was also too expensive for traditional Hyundai buyers, especially when the Creta – sitting a segment below – did nearly 90 percent of what the Tucson offered, at roughly 60 percent of the price. For most buyers, the extra money simply didn’t add up.
In fact, the Indian SUV market has a clear inflection point: above the Creta’s price band, demand falls off a cliff. Models like the Jeep Meridian, VW Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq all operate in a narrow, low-volume niche.
With CKD (Completely Knocked Down) assembly keeping prices high, and minimal marketing support from Hyundai – whose attention was focused squarely on high-volume models like the Venue, Exter and Creta, the Tucson never stood a chance to build sustainable traction.