Hyundai Motor's flagship sport utility vehicle, the Tucson, has sold 10.6 million units worldwide over the 22 years since its 2004 launch. Hyundai Motor (005380) has transformed the Tucson from an export model into a global model built at overseas plants, lifting the share of sales outside South Korea to 91%. The automaker plans to launch the fifth-generation Tucson in its core North American and European markets next year to extend the run of its best-selling car.
The Tucson has recorded cumulative global sales of 10,616,102 units, excluding China-only models, from the launch of the first generation in 2004 through August this year, according to Hyundai Motor's investor relations data released on the 30th. It is the third model in Hyundai Motor Group to pass 10 million cumulative sales, after the Avante and the Accent, and the first domestically developed SUV to do so.
Sales have surged with each new generation. The first-generation Tucson, launched in 2004, sold 1.62 million units through 2016, while the second generation sold about 2.5 million units over the decade from 2009 to 2018. The third generation, sold from 2015 to 2022, had a shorter run than its predecessor but posted a 25% increase in volume to 3.125 million units. The fifth generation has sold about 3.373 million units from 2020 through August this year, the highest of any generation.
That growth came as the Tucson shifted from an export model in its early years to a global model produced at local plants. In 2005, overseas plants accounted for only 4.0% of sales outside South Korea. That share climbed to 44.2% in 2010 and 73.1% in 2016, and expanded to 76.0% in 2023. On a cumulative basis, 5,858,926 of the 9,663,073 Tucsons sold outside South Korea, or 60.6%, were built at overseas plants. As a result, markets outside South Korea now account for 91.0% of total Tucson sales.
North America has been especially critical to the Tucson's growth. Cumulative sales since its U.S. debut in 2004 total 2,227,154 units, or 19.9% of the total. That means one in five Tucsons sold to date has been sold in the United States.
Hybrid versions have led the push in the U.S. market. Since a hybrid was first offered on the fourth-generation model in 2021, its share of sales rose from 12.3% in 2021 to 32.5% in 2024. The share has held near 30% since, at 31.0% last year and 27.8% this year.
Building on the success of the fourth-generation model, Hyundai Motor plans to step up its push into global markets with the fully redesigned fifth-generation model unveiled recently. The fifth-generation Tucson moves away from the streamlined styling of its predecessor to a traditional boxy SUV look that reflects Hyundai Motor's new design philosophy, "Art of Steel." The body is larger and the vehicle comes with the latest connectivity features, including Pleos Connect.
The automaker plans to launch the new Tucson in major global markets including North America and Europe starting next year. Its strategy is to build on local production and strengthen the hybrid lineup to sustain sales growth worldwide.
"Over 22 years, the Tucson has evolved from an export model into a global strategic model based on local production," a Hyundai Motor official said. "Having become the first domestically developed SUV to pass 10 million in cumulative global sales, it will firmly establish itself as a global best-seller on the strength of its product competitiveness."
