The Hyundai Tucson is now in its fourth generation. I just got a brand new car in California, USA. The midsize SUV is popular in many global markets and sells in high volumes especially here in the United States. We are yet to receive the 4th gen in India, and that is why this becomes a very important and exclusive review for you to read. Unlike in Europe, only petrol or petrol-hybrid models are available here in the US.
design
The big standout for me on the new Tucson has to be the design. It is very similar to the Vision T concept showcased at the 2019 New York show. It has a lot of design cues, notably the front grille, parametric DRLs (daytime running lights), and the sharp angular lines and cuts you see. in metal. Those DRLs in particular are a topic of discussion and expect to see more of these in future Hyundai models – not the least of which will be the facelift on the current generation Creta. The lights are built into a geometric grille pattern, so when they’re off, it only looks like a large dark grille. They come to life when the car is turned, and form a 6-piece design set on either side.
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The Tucson comes with LED DRLs built into a geometric grille pattern, so when they’re closed, it only looks like a big dark grille
Black colored dark chrome grille and Hyundai logo, and they’re courtesy of the sharp two-tone alloy-wheels top-end trim—called the Limited in the US market. I also love its panoramic terrace. The back of the Tucson is also very well defined and distinctive. The claw-like continuous taillights are a cool signature, and really stand out in traffic, especially at night. The tailgate on this variant is electric, and with squarish wheel arch cladding, the SUV completes the stance.
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The claw-like continuous taillights of the Hyundai Tucson are a cool signature, and really stand out in traffic, especially at night
Cabin and Tech
Inside, the Tucson is spacious and the car is bigger than you would expect from the outside. But then I want to point out that on this gen, Hyundai is offering a great car in the United States. At 4630mm, the US spec is 130mm longer than the Tucson in Europe and other markets. Its wheelbase is also 75mm more and more space can be found in the rear seat. The US model is now built from this generation onwards – at Hyundai’s US plant in Montgomery, Alabama. The China model is also larger, but now has the L suffix in its name. My test car was the Limited top-spec variant remembered, which also meant everything was standard!
The big highlights inside the new Tucson’s cabin are the large 10.25-inch touchscreen and the climate control touch panel dominating the dashboard design.
Tucson’s new central console with a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen and a nearly integrated-looking climate control touch panel dominates the design, and is standard on the top-end. China has a large, vertical touchscreen across that segment. But what I got to see was also well done. Touchscreen functionality and menus are very similar to what we now get on the top-spec in India Creta Or alkazari, But the overall layout is new on Tucson. Below the climate control are a wireless phone charger and USB inputs. Functions such as seat ventilation or heating, a steering heat option, external cameras, hill assist and parking sensors can be manipulated using a set of flush buttons along the top of the lower central console. You have a longitudinally aligned set of dual cupholders, with the gearshift to the left. No sticks or dials, but a set of buttons for the automatic gearbox. There’s also a Drive Mode button.
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The Tucson also comes with a fully digital instrument cluster, wireless phone charger, rear AC vents and instead of a shifter lever, you get a set of buttons for the automatic gearbox.
As we’ve seen on the Alcazar, the instrument cluster is virtual, and you can customize its look. There are three different themes (Classic A, Classic B, Classic C) and a “cube” look where the round dial is replaced by a 3D cube with numerical data only. But a new feature on Tucson is the ‘Sounds of Nature’ function. You can choose from vibrant forests, calm sea waves, rainy days, open-air cafes (a little noisy for my liking), heated fireplaces, or snowy villages. Each has a similar image that pops up on a touchscreen with ambient sounds to match those themes or settings. So from the sound of insects in the woods, to crackling on the stove, they provide a natural sound to your drive. I liked the Lively Forest option, and overall this feature could be interesting or fun for a while, I must say! So I kept on to the sounds of the woods as I began my early morning drive to the outskirts of Los Angeles.
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Display
The Hyundai Tucson we were driving was powered by a 2.5-litre Smartstream petrol GDI engine mated to an 8-speed torque converter gearbox.
The Tucson in the US has three drivelines – 4 variants with the 2.5-litre SmartStream petrol GDI engine, or a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. Both the hybrids use the 1.6-litre turbo-GDI engine. The car I was driving is a 2.5 with an 8-speed torque converter gearbox. 184 bhp is good but it only hits at very high engine speeds. But the peak torque of 242 Nm in the hand is also quite healthy. My test car also had optional paddle shifters. The gearbox isn’t as sporty as I’d like, and I felt it could have gone much, much faster. This is a bit surprising since you expect a DCT from a Hyundai. Other markets have that option but here you also get a 6-speed torque converter on the 1.6 T-GDI or the hybrid variant that uses the turbo engine.
The new Tucson is sportier than the previous-gen model, and it’s quicker to make up for some of the drivetrain’s shortcomings
That said, the 8-speed’s handling is smooth, and it adapts comfortably to city traffic. It’s only on the highway or on those winding mountain roads that I drove where you feel left out. However, the new generation is sportier than the previous one. And where the drivetrain is lacking, the dynamics makes up for well. It corners very well, and the ride quality is great too. The overall drive on the car is fun, as is its inherent sense of refinement and comfort. You get different drive modes and I drove the car longer in Sport and then Eco mode – and managed a pretty healthy mileage of over 30 miles per gallon, or about 13 kmpl. And that was when I decided I wanted to drive this car some more.
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The new Tucson also comes with ADAS, and its semi-autonomous drive modes, which include lane keeping and adaptive cruise control, work really well
So I decided to make a little road trip out of it. The next day, I left Los Angeles far behind, and moved to Death Valley, although still in California. Death Valley is known for its astonishing desert-like (or should I say Ladakh) vistas, rocky terrain, lack of vegetation, salt flats in the valleys and many points that sit far below sea level. It is also known for its scorching summer heat – which is why most global OEMs test their hot weather in Death Valley – where temperatures regularly exceed 50 or 55 degrees Celsius! Fortunately, with the onset of winter, I had a pleasant 20 degree temperature during my time there. The distance I covered to get there was about 370 miles, or about 600 kilometers, because I had driven there through Las Vegas. What helped with the long journey are a lot of ADAS or advanced driver assistance systems as standard in the limited edition as well. Its semi-autonomous drive modes, which include lane keeping and adaptive cruise control, work really well.
the protection
The Hyundai Tucson also comes with H-Track, Hyundai’s all-wheel-drive or AWD, which is efficient and easy to use
Collision avoidance, blind spot detection and camera view, ABS, ESC, traction control, 7 airbags, and more are all available on the Tucson. Considering that it is the top spec, it also gets another important feature. One that helped the last generation sell in India as well. You see, once you enter Death Valley there are a lot of elevation changes. And there are many different types of roads to contend with (including different surfaces). And so it was helpful to have an H-Track or what Hyundai calls their all-wheel-drive or AWD system, when not necessary. The H-Track is efficient and easy to maneuver, and for the most part the car maintains a front-wheel-drive bias. But the rear gets extra traction when needed.
Decision
Hyundai is expected to launch the new-generation Tucson in India by mid- 2022, and is likely to be priced between Rs 26 lakh and Rs 28 lakh.
0 notes
The Tucson is a very comfortable car – and its practicality as well as ease of use will make it very popular, not to forget its basic design which will also help. I drove this car for 3 days, and about 800 km. And you get to know a car really well in that amount of time and distance! This is one of the recent Hyundais that has impressed critics and buyers alike, and me too! So I can’t wait for it to come to India. I expect it to launch by mid-2022, and with a similar spec to the car I showed you today. Prices should be around ₹ 26-28 Lakh ex-showroom.
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