4th Generation Hyundai Tucson Review: Does The Flagship Set Benchmarks?

This is not the first time you are reading about the 4^th generation of the Hyundai Tucson, but now that it’s on Indian shores, we had to get our hands on the SUV and tell you all about it. The Tucson has been a much loved SUV not only in India but globally too. With more than 7 million units sold across the globe ever since the first generation model came out, the Tucson continues to rake in the success for Hyundai and now with the new generation becoming even more smart and tech heavy, there are a lot of expectations. Let’s start then with design. 

The Hyundai Tucson benefits with the company's  'Sensuous Sportiness’ design language

Design

Now, Siddharth already gave you an in-depth analysis of the design of the Tucson, so I will stick to the highlights of the car. The DRLs on the parametric grille look fascinating and they give the Tucson a unique look. They light up with the winged design and that’s very attractive, chic and unique. Then you have the hidden rear wiper, which is placed under the rear spoiler. That’s a lovely touch and finally the connecting tail lamps which lend a very futuristic look to the car, yes there’s a bit of Ford Mach-e vibes, but it’s not copied, very unique. The side is very busy with the geometric pattern and yes it does look radical. Now some of you might say, it is so radical that it will be outdated in the next few years. I beg to differ. This in fact, it is futuristic and will age gracefully. 

The Tucson's profile shows off a radical geometric design which makes it look futuristic

The Tucson has grown in size over its predecessor. The length has gone up by 150 mm, width by 15mm and height by 5 mm. 

The Tucson gets 18-inch tyres as standard while the spare is a 17-inch wheel

The 18-inch tyres do justice to its wider stance. In fact, though taller than its predecessor, the design of the car is such, that it squats down and that brings out some aggression. That’s smart designing. 

Interior

There are some very clever touches to the cabin as well. Let me begin by talking about the air vents. The design just blends so well into the dashboard and yes, the air vents are hidden too. The sense of space too is very pronounced because of the large glass areas right from the windshield to the panoramic sunroof. Then you get these two digital screens, one is the 10.25-inch instrument cluster and then there’s the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system which is very intuitive and very driver focused. There’s wireless charging as well but it misses out on wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto which, given the segment should have ideally been part of the list. 

The Hyundai Tucson is spacious and has some clever touches like the hidden air vents

You get ventilated seats, power adjustable front seats and also Bluelink connectivity.  The Tucson gets connected features and this time around the company’s Hyderabad team has been able to incorporate 10 regional languages including Marathi, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada among others to support voice commands. In fact, this time around, there are 104 commands which work without the use of internet. We’ll definitely put all these features to test in our tech review, which will come to you very soon. 

The 10.25-inch touchscreem infotainment system is intuitive but the lack of wireless Apple Carplay, Android Auto hurts

The space at the rear too is good, as you can see, I have great leg room, knee room and shoulder room, and though the roof slopes there is good enough head room, but it could have done with more underthigh support. With a wheelbase of 2755 mm, it is very roomy. You get rear AC vents and USB charging points too. The boot too is extremely spacious with 540 litres on offer. Drop the two seats at the rear and there’s more room for your weekend shopping or house moving plans. 

The rear seat could have done with more under thigh support

How Does The Petrol Drive?

The Tucson comes with the 2-litre petrol engine which punches out 154 bhp and develops a torque of 192 Nm. Now, the same capacity engine makes 2 bhp more in the Alcazar and I really can’t get my head around that. Nevertheless, the petrol engine is refined and silent when you turn it on.

The petrol engine is refined but lacks low-end power

 There are three drive modes that the petrol engine gets – Eco, Normal and Sport – and in both the Eco and the Normal mode, there’s a lag of power. Put it in Sport mode and the steering weighs up, the revs are angrier but somehow the 6-speed automatic gearbox doesn’t keep up with your inputs. There are no paddle shifters either, but you can put it in manual mode for assistance. The petrol does disappoint but it’s the diesel that just grabs your attention. 

The diesel is a powerful unit and is immediately likeable

How Does The Diesel Drive?

The diesel engine too is a 2-litre unit, but there’s more power on offer and more torque too. There’s 184 bhp on offer and 416 Nm of torque kicking in at 2000 rpm. The 8-speed gearbox is clever enough to adjust to your inputs. Put your foot down and the car responds and at no point do you feel the lag of power when above the 2000 rpm rev band. 

The diesel gets the 4WD as an option and gets multi-terrain drive modes

There is some lag in initial acceleration, but it’s minimal and you would most likely ignore it. It is a refined engine as well and what’s significant is that both the automatic transmissions are made in-house. But it’s only on the diesel that you get the 4WD system and there are multi terrain modes as well - Sand, Mud and Snow - and that gives you an added advantage of taking it anywhere and through anything as well. 

Ride And Handling

The squat stance of the Tucson gives it an advantage. It doesn’t feel like a big car. In fact, at the driver’s seat, it very much feels like a hot hatch and it’s very chuckable. Those 18-inchers give it good amount of grip and at no point does it lose its calm. The suspension set up is set to comfort, and it manages to gobble up all the undulations and potholes with ease. 

The Hyundai Tucson is very comfortable and takes on any kind of road

Nothing on the road will disturb the passengers in the cabin and very few cars can boast of that quality. The suspension travel is very less and so the vertical movements are restricted, giving it a sporty appeal. Overall, the Tucson impresses and this also shows Hyundai’s engineering prowess. 

Safety Features

There’s a lot to talk about when it comes to safety. 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC, vehicle stability control, tyre pressure monitoring system and more, the list of standard features is endless and then of course there’s the ADAS tech, which is only available in the top spec and we took you through most of the features last time we saw the car. But we did try some features like smart cruise control, and even lane keeping assist and yes, they worked like a charm. 

Price

With all these features, how has Hyundai positioned the Tucson? 

Price for the petrol begins from Rs. 27.70 lakh going all the way up to Rs. 30.17 lakh (ex-showroom India). The diesel costs Rs. 30.19 lakh and tops out at Rs. 34.39 lakh. The Tucson then is expensive as it’s close to 10 lakh rupees more expensive than it’s direct rival  - the Jeep Compass. This basically throws it into the Meridian and Citroen C5 Aircross space. View it from that angle and you’ll see how big on features and looks the Tucson really is! But we certainly think it should have been more aggressively priced. 

The Tucson could have been more aggressively priced in our opinion

Hyundai Tucson Petrol Price (all prices ex-showroom India)

Platinum – Rs. 27.70 lakh

Signature – Rs. 30.17 lakh

Hyundai Tucson Diesel

Platinum – Rs. 30.19 lakh

Signature – Rs. 32.87 lakh

Signature AWD – Rs. 34.39 lakh

Hyundai plans to sell 5000 units of the Tucson per year

Verdict

Having said all of that, the Tucson does justice to the flagship tag it holds. It looks stunning and is feature rich as well. Yes there are some misses, but the diesel just blows your mind and for me, if you’re looking to buy a midsize SUV, forget everything else, and buy the Tucson diesel!