Hyundai and John Pangilinan Create a Rugged 2016 Tucson for SEMA

The Hyundai Tucson isn’t known for its off-road prowess, though it will tackle the occasional obstacle with relative ease. The SEMA show, however, is all about taking cars and SUVs, and pushing them beyond their limits. For the 2016 running of the show, Hyundai teamed up with John Pangilinan, renowned southern California tuner, to create a Tucson that will haul more than just soccer balls.

According to the team, this Tucson is designed with the weekend adventurer in mind. To help tackle the treacherous terrain one may encounter, Pangilinan and Hyundai installed a custom suspension lift that jacks the crossover up 1.5 inches, a set of Rays Gram Lights 57DR wheels wrapped in Toyo Open Country tires, racing lug nuts and wide tread spacers from Project KICS, and a Wilwood custom brake kit with Army Green-painted calipers.

Hyundai didn’t mention which engine this tuned Tucson uses, my guess is that it’s the turbocharged 1.6-liter. To help boost the output, Pangilinan installed an AEM intake and charge-pipe kit, and a Magnaflow exhaust system. These mods likely didn’t move the needle too far, but they are probably good for an extra 10 horses, or so.

The 2016 Tucson also underwent a full exterior transformation that makes it look ready to tackle just about anything you can throw at it. Its body is coated in an Army Green paint, while a front bull bar and side steps by Aries give it a powerful appearance. Other exterior modifications include a 47-inch aeroblade, a rapid podium foot pack and a fit kit all from Thule, a Treeline Tamarack Constellation Gen2 roof tent, a Goal Zero Nomad 20 solar panel, Rigid Industries LED lights and rock light kit, and S&A Design decals.

The Tucson also received a full overhaul on the inside. Unlike the exterior, however, the interior is a mixture of ruggedness and luxury. In here, the team installed custom Katzkin upholstery, Army Green seat belts, Truck Vault Storage, a Yeti 400 solar generator, Light-A-Life 350 lighting, and a Venture 30 recharger, VLEDS lighting, a CTEK battery charger, and a BP Auto Sound-built Clarion audio system.

Hyundai will fully unveil this off-road-ready Tucson at the SEMA show on November 3rd in Las Vegas.