SEMA 2015: Hyundai to toughen up Tucson

Hyundai has released an image of a new concept it will unveil at this year’s SEMA show.

Created in partnership with Californian-based off-road specialist, Rockstar Performance Garage (RPG), the tough new SUV concept addresses any criticism the recently launched Tucson has gone soft.

Sitting more than 150mm higher than the standard car, the new SEMA concept is painted in menacing black paint with new bumpers, smoked lights, tough skid plates, multiple LED bars and light “spikes”.

The tough Tucson is said to have genuine off-road ability and also gains 32-inch off-road tyres wrapped around 17-inch wheels.

To make room for the big tyre/wheel combo RPG had to get busy with the gas axe to carve out some space.

The standard car’s suspension, meanwhile, was ditched for fully adjustable high-lift coilovers.

Under the bonnet, the concept is powered by a significantly uprated version of the 1.6-litre turbo four. It’s not known how much power the new tuned engine produces, nor how the quick (or slow) the butch SUV would be.

Sadly, neither the RPG Tucson or the 520kW Tucson that will also share space at the SEMA show are likely to be green-lit for production.