Compact crossovers are all the rage right now, as their presence on our roads has never been higher. Among the many choices for buyers in this packed segment, is a popular offering from Korea - the Hyundai Tucson.
Hyundai launched this compact crossover in 2004, and it was named after the city of Tucson in the mountainous region of Arizona, USA. Currently in its third generation, the new Tucson is now larger, more comfortable, safer, and is better designed when compared to its first avatar. Key rivals for this new Hyundai include the likes of the Kia Sportage, Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, and Mazda’s CX-5.
Exterior
The 2019 Hyundai Tucson features the carmaker’s Fluidic Design language and thus comes across as very stylish crossover. There are plenty sharp lines and creases, along with a fair enough usage of contours and elegant curves. The front of the new Tucson gets a dynamic-looking large hexagonal grille, a large bumper with smartly integrated fog lights and a faux skid plate, and a pair of sleek headlamps.
There’s a fair dose of body-hugging plastic cladding all around, and also present on the sides are distinctly flared fenders. The top-trims with their diamond-cut alloy wheels look smart too, and overall, the side profile is pretty stylish. Adorning the rear are slender, wrap-around LED taillamps, and a diffuser that houses the dual-exhaust pipes.
The new Tucson now measures in at 4.480 meters in length, 1.850 meters in width, 1.655 meters in height, and boasts a wheelbase of 2.670 meters. With seating for five, the boot space is a relatively cavernous 515 liters.
Interior
The suave fluidic deign theme of the exterior is carried on to the interior as well. The swooping lines and subtle contours make this cabin look appealing and modern in comparison to some rivals. Generally speaking, the quality of materials has improved along with the overall fit & finish. However, you will still find plenty of cheap, hard plastics throughout the cabin.
Being a modern Hyundai, the features list isn’t shabby at all. There are automatic xenon projector headlights, rain-sensing wipers, LED daytime-running lights, automatic climate control, heated and cooled front seats, a panoramic sunroof, leather seats, a leather-trimmed multifunction wheel, remote keyless entry with push-button start, power-adjustable driver’s seat, a power tailgate, 19-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, electric parking brake, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation.
The Hyundai Tucson is also a pretty safe car as it comes with ABS with EBD and brake assist, blind spot monitoring, a tire pressure monitoring system, an auto-hold function, hill-descent control along with centre-differential lock (on AWD versions), and of course, the obligatory multiple crash airbags are there too.
Engine and performance
The Hyundai Tucson can be optioned with one of three engines – a base 1.6-liter four-cylinder, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, or a punchy 2.4-liter four banger. While the smaller engines will get you the best bang for the buck as far as fuel economy is concerned, they simply lack the grunt out on the open road. As for the larger 2.4-liter mill, peak power is rated at 173 HP and peak torque is 226 Nm.
Top speed for the 2.4-liter Tucson with AWD and a 6-speed automatic tranny is 180 km/h. The sprint from 0-100 km/h takes a rather lethargic 10.0 seconds. Irrespective of which engine you go for, the Tucson is quite frugal, and the 2.4-liter variant should return a decent average of 9.5L/100 km.
Verdict
The new Hyundai Tucson range starts at AED 78,500, and tops out at AED 110,000 for the fully-loaded AWD variant with the larger powerplant. Insurance costs range between AED 1,766 to AED 2,475.
Editor's Pick:
Also See:
