Hyundai have been releasing new models quite often over the past 4/5 years, with various ranges in various segments but the mid-size SUV has been a popular choice for many in this time. When it was first introduced locally, it was known as the Tucson, then changed over to the IX-35 but then reverted back to the Tucson badge in its previous generation. This model proved to be extremely popular with the locals especially with the N Line kit that was offered as their "sport kit", but in my opinion the four tail-pipes was a bit of an overkill. Recently I got to spend time with the latest generation of the Tucson, a model which snuck it's way into the country without making that big of a grand entrance but with a drastic style change, it deserves a lot more noise than what it has received so far. Here are my thoughts on the latest iteration of the Hyundai Tucson.
DESIGN
As mentioned earlier, the design of this car is something else, its very drastic and different from their other designs and seems to be the start of their new design language with some of the other models being based off this. When it comes to design languages though, Hyundai don't play it according to the rule book with models often looking vastly different to each other, so I can't even say for certain that this is what future models will look like, that being said, this week the face-lift Creta was launched and it sports almost and identical front as the the Tucson, so who knows. The front end of the new Tucson is very imposing and sleek with the dominant feature being the new grille with extends into the front headlamps. The grille is finished off with a tile/ scale type design with the segments being winged off at the sides that house the LED lights. It looks very cool and quite iconic. The bottom end of the front end tapers down to the diffuser area and has a brushed aluminum scuff plate and on either side of the front bumper are the LED fog lamps. The side profile of the Tucson is sleek and follows those sharp lines with a lovely side plate at the rear window which is finished off in silver. The rear end is also quite extravagant with sharp edged tail lights mimicking shark teeth, going back to its Tiburon roots, The interior of the Tucson is very similar to the Creta with slightly better materials being used and a few added extras which I'll discuss later in this review. Overall, its quite a stunning design and one of the better ones at the moment from the Korean brand.
PERFORMANCE
When it comes to SUV's, personally I prefer diesel engines, purely to cart the huge chassis along, it's the more the torque that I think is better suited to cars of this size but then again, an adequate sized petrol engine also does the trick. The new Tucson comes in a choice of naturally aspirated 2.0L petrol or a Turbo-charged 2.0L diesel motor in the Elite guise. I had the latter which I thoroughly enjoyed, doing long distance driving in a car like this was simply a pleasure with the engine producing 137kW and 416Nm of torque, the power was substantial for my needs and being a diesel I was getting great kilometers per liter on it. Hyundai's brochure claims 7.9L per 100km but I was getting around 8.5 which still isn't too bad. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission which has decent ratios when driving in normal or eco driving styles, it tends to struggle in sport if you really in a hurry but it's not too laid back as you might think. This car picks up speed quite fast and can maneuver very swiftly along the roads if need be.
COMFORT
Being a medium sized family SUV, there is no shortage of space in the new Tucson with it being capable of fitting 5-fully grown adults with ease. The front passenger and driver get some nice extras with dual-climate control, heated and cooling seats and a function I found myself using more than once, was the steering wheel heater! Yes, in Durban, when spending time with this car, there were some frosty mornings that had me needing to warm my fingers up and this was quite the treat! The large infotainment touch screen was very easy to use and had pre-loaded mobile apps. The reverse camera was in almost HD quality which made reversing a synch. The instrument cluster is fully digital, just like the Kona I had last year, the dials change in colour depending on the driving mode you in. There is two-USB ports up front with a power outlet and wireless charging tray as an optional extra. The panoramic sunroof was a nice added extra with letting in the balmy winter sun on most days or looking at the stars in the night. The sound system isn't the greatest if you like me, picky with how your music should sound but it isn't bad. Maybe Hyundai should look at bringing in a sound partner in this aspect. Safety wise, there is no cutting corners with the Tucson coming with the full range of airbags, including curtain airbags on the side. ABS with EBD, PDC and rear view monitoring to warn you of approaching cars when reversing.
VERDICT
Overall, I was very impressed with the latest Tucson and really think it will do as well, if not better than the previous generation model and that is saying a lot given the success of that one. It's styling is different but not controversial, its a welcome style change to the brand and I like when brands take risks like this on designs that stand out from the crowd. With the incoming onslaught of the Chinese brands in the SUV segment, Korean brands know they have to up their anti with the offerings rolling out from their factories as the quality coming from China is pretty good and during times like this where people are looking for bang for buck cars, they might start to fall short. Like their other models, the Tucson comes with a host of their warrantees and services plans so you know you won't be stranded with issues down the line.
SPECIFICATIONS
