2025 Hyundai Tucson Makes Family a Priority With Three Special Features 

Lots of crossover SUVs are marketed as being family-friendly, but the 2025 Hyundai Tucson lives up to the billing with the addition of three clever features that make the SUV worthy of a closer look. The crossover has long been noted as a standout in its class, with the hybrid model nabbing the top spot on U.S. News & World Report’s list of the best two-row SUVs for 2025. But while the Tucson has been lauded for its peppy performance, spacious cabin, and impressive efficiency, it’s the crossover’s family-focused tech that really sets the model apart in the competitive segment.

Hyundai is doubling down on its domestic appeal with a few new features that prioritize comfort and safety for your most vulnerable passengers and make a compelling case for checking out a new Hyundai Tucson for sale. A new, first-of-its-kind Baby Mode adjusts the Tucson’s driving dynamics to prevent sudden jolts, while an advanced backseat radar ensures that no one gets left behind as you go about your errands. Add in a built-in ambient noise system that provides a sort of natural lullaby, and the 2025 Tucson might be one of the most kid-focused models on today’s market. Read on as we explore these unusual features and learn how the Tucson is creating a real niche in the two-row segment.

#1 – Baby Mode

With up to 268 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque on tap, the new Hyundai Tucson hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions can provide a fun, engaging driver experience—especially when selecting Sport Mode from the SUV’s My Drive powertrain options—but this sort of speed isn’t always a selling point when you’re hauling the most precious of cargo. The 2025 Tucson sees the debut of Baby Mode, a new selectable drive mode designed to soften the Tucson’s throttle response to make for a smooth driving experience that won’t interrupt your little one’s precious nap time.

There’s nothing worse than getting an infant down for some much-needed shuteye only to have it cut short by an abrupt jolt from an overeager vehicle, but Hyundai has engineered around this problem with this cunning new feature. The system should go a long way towards promoting peace and quiet, but it’s not just designed with human children in mind. Baby Mode can also provide a little extra comfort and safety for your furry friends, subtly accelerating to prevent them from toppling over or losing their balance when you hit the pedal.

Like all of the Tucson’s drive modes, Baby Mode can be activated by using the handy My Drive switch located on the center console. The SUV’s selectable drive modes, which also include Normal, Sport, and Snow settings, will be displayed on the Tucson’s 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and can be easily engaged or disengaged while the vehicle is in motion. The addition of Baby Mode makes the Tucson something of a trailblazer when it comes to child-focused tech, but Hyundai is already considering adding the feature to upcoming crossover models like the three-row Palisade.

#2 – Sounds of Nature

If getting your child to drift off for a little mid-ride slumber is proving a little difficult, simply navigate through the Tucson’s infotainment display and select Sounds of Nature from the Media menu. This unique system provides drivers with a full suite of sounds that can be piped through the Tucson’s standard six-speaker setup or the optional eight-speaker Bose audio system. From Lively Forest and Rainy Day to City at Dawn and On a Sailing Ship and more, the Sounds of Nature system turns the Tucson’s cabin into a tranquil retreat that, when combined with the SUV’s smooth, comfortable ride, should be more than enough to help any passenger hit the hay.

Hyundai has even teamed up with award-winning music director Jae-Il Jung, whose work has been featured in popular TV series and films like “Squid Game” and “Parasite.” Jung crafted an expansion for the Sounds of Nature system, adding to the current offerings with contributions like “Peace at the Cathedral” and “Communicating with Space.” “I really liked the current ‘Sounds of Nature.’ So I was very excited to add my music to it,” said Jung in a recent interview. “I felt that the music was well absorbed into the space without standing out.”

Of course, the Sounds of Nature system can almost be a little too effective. Lulling fussy backseat passengers to sleep is one thing, but getting the driver into a zen-like state runs the risk of inattention or even drifting off to sleep. Luckily, the 2025 Tucson comes packed with a generous assortment of advanced safety features designed to keep drivers alert—and awake—no matter how peaceful the ambient nature-inspired soundtrack might be. The Forward Attention Warning (FAW) feature uses a steering column-mounted infrared camera to track the driver’s eyes and attention levels. Hyundai has also built in a failsafe in the form of Driver Attention Warning (DAW), which analyzes steering patterns, lane keeping, and vehicle positioning. If it detects any anomalies, it’ll display an alert on the Tucson’s instrument panel.

#3 – Backseat Radar

Baby Mode is not the only comfort and convenience feature that sets the Tucson apart in the competitive compact crossover segment. The SUV is also one of the first vehicles in its class to offer a radar feature that automatically detects whether kids or pets have been left in the back seat. Forgetting to retrieve your baby or furry friend from the second row isn’t a common occurrence, but the new radar feature helps drivers avoid the worst-case scenarios that can come with a busy day full of running in and out of shops and appointments.

Hyundai has long been a leader when it comes to this sort of safety technology, debuting one of the world’s first rear occupant alert systems in 2017. The original ultrasonic Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) used a sophisticated sensor to monitor the back seat and keep tabs on any passengers. When the driver powered off their vehicle and opened the door, the ROA system would display an alert on the dashboard and play a short audio warning. If these warnings were ignored, the system would kick into action and provide elevating levels of alerts should it detect a forgotten passenger. The vehicle would flash its lights and honk its horn, sound its alarm system, and even send drivers a text-based alert through Hyundai’s Blue Link service.

While the ultrasonic system was certainly an ingenious bit of engineering, there is always room for improvement. The system couldn’t always account for acoustic interference or temperature changes and was less effective when children were all wrapped up in blankets or otherwise covered. These limitations led Hyundai to develop a new version of the backseat reminder technology that uses high-resolution radar sensors to detect minute passenger movements. A 57-66 GHz radar sensor module with multichannel high-frequency antennas works to penetrate blankets, clothes, or any other materials that might interfere with an ultrasonic sensor and can even detect blood flow and the rising and falling movements of one’s chest. The radar system is also resistant to electromagnetic interference from high-voltage power lines and the like.

Keeping the Tucson Fresh

The 2025 Tucson is available as a traditional gas-powered model, a hybrid, or a plug-in hybrid vehicle. Each model has its advantages, but it’s really hard to go wrong when picking between these powertrains. The traditional gas model ups the convenience factor and delivers an estimated 25 MPG in the city and 32 MPG on the highway, but the hybrid is tough to beat at 38 MPG combined. While the plug-in hybrid excels in both performance and efficiency, with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine and electric motors combining to produce 268 hp, it’s the PHEV’s estimated 80 MPGe fuel economy rating and 33 miles of electric-only driving that’ll really win you over.

Factor in the SUV’s 108 cu.ft. of passenger volume and 80 cu.ft. of cargo space, and it’s easy to see why the Tucson has become one of the go-to options in the two-row crossover segment. Hyundai has strived to keep the Tucson fresh with every passing model year, treating the 2025 version to a thorough mid-cycle refresh that includes updated bumpers, fresh wheel designs, a new dual-screen infotainment setup, and more. With all this, plus a new slate of family-friendly features, the 2025 Tucson should have no problem retaining its place at the top of the two-row crossover segment. Contact us today to schedule a test drive and see it all for yourself.

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