2016 Hyundai Tucson, Elantra Release Date

Hyundai has big plans for the future, including a redesigned 2016 Hyundai Tucson SUV and Elantra sedan, not to mention a subcompact crossover that likely won’t see the light of day in showrooms until 2017.

The redesigned 2016 Elantra should be available to consumers in the second half of 2015, which is about the same time we can expect to see the redesigned Tucson.

The new subcompact crossover will be trying to steal some of the market from the Nissan Juke, according to Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski. He went on to say that the target market for the new vehicle would be the Gen Y crowd. He said that the best way to describe it would be an edgier version of the Juke.

He spoke about how beautiful the Tucson is, but how the new subcompact can’t look anything like it, as the consumer would not care for that.

This is a move that many of Hyundai’s competitors are doing as they dip into the subcompact SUV category.

Included in that group are the Buick Encore and Chevrolet Trax, both of which will hit showrooms before year end. Zuchoski believes that 2016 Tucson will be a step above those other options.

He feels that the styling of the 2016 Tucson will be athletic and aggressive, going on to say that it’s a very, very attractive vehicle that looks bigger because of its styling.

As well as having a new look, the new Hyundai Tucson will also have improved ride and handling. Also included will be a number of technology and safety features that are usually reserved for vehicles in a much higher price range.

Optimism is high regarding the performance of the next-generation Tucson, with Zuchowski saying that US allocation numbers may be doubled.

Speaking of the 2016 Elantra, Zuchowski said that the new vehicle will be “Audiesque,” and will include a coupe and a hatchback.

He refused to go into any more details about the styling of the car beyond those comments, but he did say that the new look will have a more premium feel than the current model.