Spied! Refreshed Hyundai Tucson Caught Covering Revised Grille, Taillights

The Hyundai Tucson has sat on the sidelines as the new Santa Fe and Santa Fe Sport get all the headlines, but that may not be the case for long. A camouflaged Hyundai Tucson, also known as the ix35 in Europe, has been spied testing, suggesting a refreshed model may be on the way.
Although the crossover wears a decent amount of camouflage, we can see a new grille design peeking out from underneath. Don’t be surprised if the refreshed Tucson’s front end resembles the one found on the fuel-cell powered Tucson (pictured below), which means a trapezoidal front grille with chrome horizontal slats replacing the split grille found on the current car. Foglights also appear to have a circular design versus squared-off ones on the current Tucson.
A revised taillight design may also make it on the production 2014 Tucson, similar to the changes spotted on a 2014 Sonata in a commercial aired during the Super Bowl. Based on our sneak-peek inside the Tucson mule, it appears the refreshed crossover may not see major changes. The protruding chrome-lined instrument gauges remain, as does the familiar center stack. Engine tweaks on the U.S.-spec model could boost EPA-rated fuel economy, but for now, we’ll just have to wait and see the freshened-up car when it’s revealed, likely at the Frankfurt show in September.
The Hyundai Tucson could benefit from some changes, considering it finished in ninth place for 2012 sales in the popular compact crossover class. What does the refreshed Tucson need to move up the ranks? Let us know in the comments below.

Photo Source: CarPix