What is ‘baby mode’? Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle just added it.

LOS OLIVOS, California – The 2025 Hyundai Tucson compact SUV gets a number of welcome changes, including a couple to keep children and pets safer and more comfortable. The Tucson is Hyundai’s best-selling vehicle in the United States.
Exterior changes include wider running lights and updated grille and front and rear fascia.
Hyundai builds a wide variety of Tucsons: front- and all-wheel drive; gasoline-powered, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. It builds gasoline Tucsons in Alabama, while hybrids and PHEVs come from South Korea.
All models of the 2025 Tucson should be in dealerships now. Prices range from $28,355 to $47,090, excluding $1,395 destination charge.
The 2025 Santa Cruz compact pickup gets many of the same updates. It’s on sale now, too.
I drove a well-equipped Tucson Limited hybrid for a day over the hills and highways around sleepy Los Olivos, just north of Santa Barbara.
Source: Edmunds. Prices exclude $1,395 destination charge.
The Tucson’s interior gets a couple of welcome design changes.
A sweeping display in the dash combines a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and 12.3-inch touch screen into a single unit. The display is attractive and easy to read. The touch screen is easy to reach and responsive.
Not everyone’s crazy about screens that stand up rather than being integrated into the dash, as gauges and instruments traditionally are. Hyundai has effectively split the difference: Its curved panoramic screen rises from a shelf in the dash, so the top of the display is roughly even with the trim behind it.
In another welcome design decision, the Tucson regains physical buttons and dials for what Hyundai describes as “frequent use” controls like volume, tuning, temperature, home screen and map. Other controls, including heated and cooled seats, defrost and fan speed still get flat-panel touch points in the center stack.
All in all, the 2025 Tucson user experience took a significant step forward.
The hybrid drivetrain got a few tweaks, also mostly for useability.
The most unusual is “baby mode,” which modifies throttle response and torque slightly for gentler acceleration. The aim is smooth launches that don’t set infants heads bobbling and make pets lose their footing.
Regrettably, Hyundai didn’t provide infants for evaluation, but acceleration in the mode felt different. I’ll know more when my co-driving cattle dogs, Rocket and Quigley, test the Tucson later this fall.
The Tucson also is among the first vehicles to offer what’s poised to be one of 2025’s hot features: interior radar to detect infants and animals left in the back seat.
Precise enough to detect the breathing of a sleeping infant under a blanket, the radar alerts the driver to living cargo left behind.
Happily, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard in all Tucsons. The popular smart phone mirroring systems previously only came on some models.
Over the air updates will now be available for more features.
Hyundai’s phone-as-key feature was improved to work on approach to the vehicle. Previously you had to hold the phone next to the door handle to unlock, which seemed to defeat the feature’s whole purpose.
A finger print scanner is also available to identify authorized drivers.
The 2025 Tucson is arguably the most visually striking compact SUV on the market. It’s dramatic grille and lights, in particular, make an impression.
I got 33.8 mpg without trying in my day’s drive. Those so inclined should have no trouble doing better.
The Tucson is among the roomiest vehicles in its class. It’s comfortable and has easy to use controls. The thoughtful features like radar rear-occupant detection and baby/pet mode add to its appeal.
The Tucson makes a strong case, whether you’re shopping at the low end of the lineup or want the PHEV’s 32-mile range for gasoline-free driving.
Front- or all-wheel drive five-seat compact SUV
Base price: $28,355(All prices exclude $1,395 destination charge)
Model tested: Tucson Limited AWD hybrid
Price as tested: $39,550
Specifications as tested:
Powerplant: 1.6L turbocharged four-cylinder and electric motor
Total system output: 231 horsepower; 271 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
EPA estimated fuel economy: 35 mpg city/35 highway/35 combined. Regular gasoline.
Wheelbase: 108.5 inches
Length: 182.7 inches
Width: 73.4 inches
Height: 66.3 inches AWD (FWD 65.6)
Ground clearance: 8.3 inches AWD (7.1 FWD)
Interior room: 103.8 cubic feet
Roof rails load capacity: 220 pounds
Total passenger volume: 105.9 cubic feet (without panoramic sunroof)
Cargo room: 31.9 cubic feet, rear seats up; 71.8 rear seats folded
Towing capacity 2,000 pounds
Assembled in Ulsan, South Korea
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.