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Hyundai hikes Santa Fe, Tuscon prices at home but not in the U.S.

Published: 12 Aug. 2025, 18:08

The 2026 Santa Fe Hybrid [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor has sharply raised domestic prices for refreshed versions of its Santa Fe and Tucson SUVs, even as it has kept U.S. prices unchanged since April.

The 2026 Santa Fe gasoline 2.5-liter turbo two-wheel drive Exclusive — the base model — went on sale on Aug. 7 at 36.06 million won ($26,300), up 1.14 million won, or 3.3 percent, from the 2025 model’s 34.92 million won, according to Hyundai on Tuesday. The hybrid two-wheel drive Exclusive rose 940,000 won, or 2.4 percent, from 38.7 million won last year to 39.64 million won.

Prices increased across all Santa Fe trim levels. The hybrid two-wheel drive Prestige climbed 650,000 won to 42.47 million won, while the Calligraphy jumped 990,000 won to 48.07 million won. When the 2025 model was released last year, Hyundai froze the price of the gasoline 2.5 turbo Exclusive and increased other prices by only 400,000 to 500,000 won.

The Tucson saw similar hikes. The 2026 gasoline 1.6 turbo Modern — the base trim — rose 760,000 won from 27.29 million won to 28.05 million won, while the hybrid Modern increased 650,000 won from 32.05 million won to 32.7 million won. Last year, prices for the refreshed 2025 Tucson were either frozen or raised by only 300,000 to 400,000 won.

Hyundai said the hikes reflect the inclusion of previously optional features as standard equipment, such as a panoramic curved display and 12.3-inch LCD cluster in the Santa Fe and blind-spot collision warning in the Tucson.

“Because last year’s price increases were minimal, the base effect made this year’s increase appear larger,” a Hyundai representative said. With consumer prices up 2.1 percent year-on-year in July, price hikes of 2 to 3 percent were unavoidable, they added, noting that many competitors have raised prices at a similar rate.

The 2026 Tucson gasoline 1.6-liter turbo [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Still, complaints flooded Hyundai-related online forums, with comments like “Hyundai raised prices again” and “Even with the added standard features, the increase is too steep.”

The Santa Fe and Tucson are among Korea’s top-selling models, with 32,252 and 26,671 units sold in the first half of this year, ranking sixth and 10th, respectively. Industry watchers expect upcoming refreshed models, such as Kia’s Carnival, to also carry steep price hikes.

Experts suggest Hyundai may be offsetting the cost of U.S. tariffs by passing the burden to Korean consumers. Hyundai and Kia have faced a 25 percent tariff on U.S. sales since April, reduced to 15 percent after a Korea-U.S. trade agreement took effect Aug. 7. Despite this, the automakers have kept U.S. prices unchanged to maintain market share, while raising domestic prices instead.

Hyundai and Kia held a combined 76 percent share of the Korean car market last year — selling 1.24 million vehicles out of 1.63 million total — giving them dominant pricing power, critics say.

“Hyundai and Kia likely judged that higher prices wouldn’t significantly dent domestic sales,” said Kwon Yong-joo, professor of automotive and transport design at Kookmin University. “It’s highly possible they’re gradually raising domestic prices across other models to make up for the cost of U.S. tariffs, which could reduce benefits for Korean consumers.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom staff.
BY KIM HYO-SEONG [[email protected]]