The new Hyundai Tucson, gearing up for its global premiere, found itself at the center of an unusual incident: during testing in the Austrian Alps, the pre-production crossover's front brakes overheated, causing a fire, according to infohub.kz.
According to The Korean Car Blog, Hyundai engineers were testing the braking system's effectiveness under extreme conditions. To do this, the prototype was driven up a mountain serpentine with a trailer, creating maximum load. First, thick smoke poured from the front of the car, then flames erupted on the front axle. The team had to use several fire extinguishers to put out the fire. The high temperature also caused both front tires to burst, so the test had to be stopped.
At first glance, the situation looks awkward for Hyundai. However, such incidents occur precisely during factory testing when engineers deliberately create conditions that an average driver would almost never encounter. The purpose of such tests is to identify weaknesses before the vehicle hits the market.
The new-generation Hyundai Tucson (NX5) will focus on hybrid versions. According to media reports, the crossover will feature a new TMED-II powertrain, a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of about 100 km, as well as an N version with over 300 hp. An off-road XRT Pro variant is also expected. The global premiere is scheduled for late 2026.
Earlier, the new Tucson was first shown from the inside. It was also reported that Hyundai will radically change the appearance of the Kona crossover in the new generation.