Here's What's New at Hyundai for 2026

Though the changes among most of the 2026 Hyundai model lineup aren’t particularly dramatic, there are still some important introductions. The biggest news at Hyundai for 2026 is the all-new Ioniq 9 three-row electric SUV and the redesigned Palisade three-row SUV. Also new is a high-performance version of the Ioniq 6 electric sedan and a redesigned second-generation Nexo fuel-cell electric vehicle. (Pricing and specs for each vehicle will be announced closer to their respective launch dates.)

Related: 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Review: A Worthy Flagship EV

The 2026 Hyundai lineup includes the following models:

• Elantra/Elantra N
• Ioniq 5/Ioniq 5 N
• Ioniq 6/Ioniq 6 N
• Ioniq 9
• Kona
• Kona Electric
• Nexo
• Palisade
• Santa Cruz
• Santa Fe
• Sonata
• Tucson
• Venue

What’s New for Hyundai’s SUVs for 2026?

Kona

The Kona was redesigned from the ground up for 2024 and undergoes mostly detail changes for 2026. Its trim levels are reconfigured: The previous SEL and N Line trims are discontinued and replaced by new SEL Sport and SEL Premium variants, which come standard with accoutrements like a 12.3-inch touchscreen, heated front seats and wireless device charging. The SEL Premium gets additional upgrades like standard synthetic leather upholstery, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, 64-color ambient interior lighting and a power driver’s seat with two-way lumbar.

All Konas now come standard with a larger console tray and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, as well as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and junction turning. The culling of the Kona N Line trims is a logical move, since there was a bit of confusion around what the N Line badge represented across the Hyundai model line. As with the Tucson N Line, the Kona N Line trims didn’t offer actual performance upgrades such as more horsepower or a sport-tuned suspension like the Sonata N Line and Elantra N Line do.

Palisade

Hyundai’s popular three-row mid-size SUV gets a ground-up redesign to kick off its second generation, gaining all-new styling, a larger backseat, an off-road-oriented XRT Pro trim and its first hybrid powertrain. The 2026 Palisade debuted at the New York International Auto Show earlier this year; check out our Up Close article for detailed first impressions.

The Palisade has been one of our favorite SUVs — it nabbed the top spot in our 2024 3-Row SUV Challenge and was also crowned our Best Family Car of 2025 — and the new one looks to be another winner. The new XRT Pro trim is in keeping with current SUV trends; adventure-focused touches like a 1-inch higher ride height, all-terrain tires, hill descent control and orange tow hooks are genuine off-road upgrades, though we suspect many owners will choose the XRT Pro primarily as a fashion statement.

The 2025 Palisade’s sole engine is a 291-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 that delivers ho-hum fuel economy, so the new hybrid powertrain will likely be the 2026 Palisade’s biggest asset. It’s a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder that pairs with two electric motors for a total output of 329 hp and at least 30 mpg on the highway, according to Hyundai. In addition to the hybrid powertrain, a 287-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 engine will be available.

We’ll be getting our first test drives of the 2026 Palisade soon, so stay tuned for our drive impressions.

Santa Fe

The Santa Fe mid-size SUV underwent a radical transformation with its 2024 redesign, switching from conventional, slightly swoopy SUV styling to an aggressively boxy shape that was polarizing but also functional — it opened up enough interior room for a decently spacious (and newly standard) third row within its relatively tidy exterior footprint.

The Santa Fe’s biggest change for 2026 is a switch from an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission to a conventional eight-speed automatic on conventional gas-powered models. This should be a welcome update — dual-clutch automatic gearboxes can sometimes feel clunky and sluggish at low speeds in everyday driving, so the new automatic is likely to provide at least a slight improvement in powertrain smoothness and refinement.

The Santa Fe Hybrid’s powertrain is unchanged for ‘26. We would not be surprised to see Hyundai introduce a plug-in hybrid version of the SUV, like the previous-generation version offered for 2022 and 2023, but so far the company has not announced one.

Other than the new transmission, the Santa Fe’s updates are limited to minor changes to trim and standard equipment. The off-road-look XRT gets a Terrain Mode feature that includes Mud, Snow and Sand settings, and its grille switches from a dark-chrome finish to gloss black. The Limited trim now comes standard with second-row captain’s chairs, with a bench seat available as an option, and select trims get standard USB ports for the third row and dual wireless charging pads.

Tucson

After a comprehensive refresh for 2025, the Tucson compact SUV sees trim-level alterations and a couple of other minor changes for 2026. The Tucson Hybrid gets a new entry-level Blue SE trim that is positioned below the model-year 2025 Blue trim (which is renamed SEL for 2026), and the Hybrid’s sport-appearance N Line trim is discontinued. Finally, the Tucson Plug-in Hybrid’s charging cable is upgraded from Level 1 to a combo Level 1/Level 2 unit.

The regular gasoline-engine Tucson’s towing capacity is increased from 2,000 pounds to 2,750 pounds when properly equipped, as well, and the off-road-look XRT gets a Terrain Mode feature that includes Mud, Snow and Sand settings. The Tucson Hybrid came in third out of seven contenders in our 2025 Compact SUV Challenge; it scored well in our objective tests, but our testers had gripes about its driver comfort, interior trim and touch-sensitive climate controls.

Venue

The pint-sized, penny-pinching Venue is widely considered a subcompact SUV even though it isn’t available with all-wheel drive; it comes solely with front-wheel drive. This likable, low-buck urban runabout hasn’t seen any major changes since its debut for the 2020 model year, and that continues to be the case for 2026. The line-topping Limited trim level is discontinued, though some of its features — namely heated seats, heated mirrors and wireless device charging — are now standard on the SEL trim, which also receives an available two-tone roof. The Venue is about due for a ground-up redesign; we wouldn’t be surprised to see a second-generation version unveiled in the near future.

Read More About Hyundai’s SUVs:

• 2026 Hyundai Palisade Goes Greener, Grittier With New Hybrid, Off-Road Models
• 2025 Hyundai Tucson Review: Smart, Subtle Changes
• 2025 Hyundai Venue Still Incredibly Affordable, Priced From $21,395
• Is the 2024 Hyundai Santa Fe a Good SUV? 6 Pros, 2 Cons
• 2024 Hyundai Kona Review: Bigger, Bolder, Better

What’s New for Hyundai’s Electric Vehicles for 2026?

Ioniq 5/Ioniq 5 N

After its refresh for 2025, the regular-line Ioniq 5 is carried over almost entirely unchanged for 2026; the only change of note is an upgraded charging cable. The high-performance Ioniq 5 N gets a bit more attention; it now comes with a Combined Charging System to North American Charging Standard (Tesla-style) port adapter, auto down/up rear windows and the same upgraded charging cable as the regular Ioniq 5. Also, the Ioniq 5 N’s N Drift Optimizer Pro drive-mode feature is enhanced; instead of a single mode, Hyundai says it now includes 10 selectable stages, allowing for more tail-out, high-performance driving fun — responsibly, on a closed course, of course.

Ioniq 6/Ioniq 6 N

The swoopy Ioniq 6 electric sedan debuted for 2023 and is receiving a refresh for 2026. Hyundai hasn’t given details on the regular-line Ioniq 6 yet, but it has released preliminary information on the new-for-2026 Ioniq 6 N high-performance variant. As expected, that hot-rod version shares its potent 601-hp AWD powertrain with its Ioniq 5 N sibling. Both the Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 6 N should go on sale sometime in 2026.

Ioniq 9

Alongside the redesigned Palisade, the all-new Ioniq 9 is Hyundai’s most significant introduction for 2026; it’s a three-row electric SUV based on the same platform as the Kia EV9. The Ioniq 9 went on sale earlier this year; check out our Ioniq 9 Research page for more information, including our full drive report, Car Seat Check and the results of our charging test on Tesla’s Supercharger network.

Kona Electric

The Kona Electric was redesigned along with its gasoline-powered sibling for 2024, and its trims are drastically pared down for 2026. The SEL, N Line and Limited trims and their 201-hp electric motor and 64.8-kilowatt-hour battery are all dropped, leaving only the base SE trim and its 133-hp motor and 48.6-kWh battery. Also, the SE gets the same larger interior console tray that its gasoline-powered Kona counterparts do.

The Kona Electric’s cut-back lineup indicates that Hyundai is positioning this entry-level EV even more as a budget-friendly offering and focusing more on its Ioniq lineup as the core of its EV product strategy. That’s a bit disappointing for some EV shoppers, as the now-discontinued Kona Electric trims offered more power and driving range (up to 261 miles of EPA-estimated range versus 200 miles for the SE trim) in addition to their higher levels of standard equipment. This makes the Kona Electric less compelling as an option for EV shoppers who prefer a more conventional control layout and driving experience in their EV.

Nexo

Hyundai unveiled the second generation of its Nexo hydrogen fuel-cell EV at Korea’s Seoul Mobility Show earlier this year, and it’s slated to go on sale (almost certainly in California only) by the end of 2025. Hyundai will be releasing more details in the near future, but here’s what we know so far.

Read More About Hyundai’s EVs:

• Video: 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Supercharger Test
• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6?
• 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric Quick Spin: An EV Without a Learning Curve
• Hyundai EVs Get Plug-and-Charge, In-App Payments for Major U.S. Charging Networks
• 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Review: Still Got It

What’s New for Hyundai’s Pickup Truck for 2026?

Santa Cruz

Like the Tucson SUV with which it shares its platform, the Santa Cruz compact pickup truck was refreshed for 2025. As the Santa Cruz’s optional turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is shared with the Santa Fe SUV, it receives the same updates for 2026: Instead of eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, the Santa Cruz now has a conventional eight-speed automatic, and the XRT trim gains a Terrain Mode feature that includes Mud, Snow and Sand settings.

Read More About the Hyundai Santa Cruz:

• 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz XRT Quick Spin: A Touch (More) Truckish
• Here Are the 10 Cheapest Pickup Trucks You Can Buy Right Now
• 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Up Close: The Korean El Camino Gets a New Face
• Baby’s First Face-Lift: Updated 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Starts at $28,895
• 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz Gets Interior Upgrades, More Rugged XRT

What’s New for Hyundai’s Cars for 2026?

Elantra/Elantra N

Hyundai’s compact car carries over for 2026 with no changes of note other than an SEL Sport Premium trim level. The Elantra was redesigned for 2021, gained a high-performance Elantra N version for 2022 and got a mild refresh for 2024.

Sonata

Hyundai’s mid-size sedan was redesigned for 2020, significantly refreshed for 2024 and sees trim-level tweaks for 2026. The Sonata Hybrid gets a Blue trim level that, if it follows the format of other Hyundai hybrids, should be an entry-level version that slots below the SEL trim (which now gets a panoramic moonroof). An SEL Sport trim debuts in both FWD and AWD forms for the gas-powered model; it comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and wireless device charging.

Read More About Hyundai’s Cars:

• Is the 2025 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid a Good Car? 6 Pros, 3 Cons
• 2025 Hyundai Sonata N Line Review: Banish Boring
• What’s New for the 2025 Hyundai Elantra?
• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2025 Hyundai Sonata?
• 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid Vs. 2024 Hyundai Elantra Hybrid: Effortless Efficiency Compared

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