So I took a very long test drive of the diesel GLS yesterday, from late afternoon to evening. Checked pretty much everything and took the car everywhere I would go regularly. Home, work, highway, bad roads, worse roads, slight off roading at the farm etc. It took about a couple of hours and the SA was very nice about it. Infact by the end of it he told my brother who was with us that he could come again the next day to have a go himself.
Anyway, here are my initial impressions and observations listed in no particular order:
First, I've never owned a crossover or an SUV, and I'm used to driving only low to the ground cars. So, this wasn't as direction friendly as the other "cars", yet it wasn't bad. I did quite a few turn ins and the Tucson managed nicely. The body roll shouldn't be an issue.
The power is more that adequate. Turbo lag below 1500 rpm but after that there's a punch and it goes nicely. 0-100 is quick. The speed is masked and you don't realise how fast you're going unless you look at the speedo.
The gear box is a limitation and like with other Hyundais, it is best suited for sedate driving. The shifts take time. Even in manual the downshifts take about a second to register. Pretty much the same as on auto mode. Atleast that's what I felt. Sport mode takes care of the lethargic gear box to a large extent as the upshifts happen at about 3000 RPM, and there's no "gap" to the power. Normal mode feels lethargic and I didn't even bother with the eco.
I think there was something wrong with the supervision cluster or the on board computer, or maybe it wasn't calibrated but the DTE figure was only dashes, i.e, there was no actual figure. And even though the SA put ₹500 worth of fuel, the fuel warning light stayed on. The mileage displayed was 7.2 kpl.
There was some engine noise within the cabin but play some music and you won't hear a thing. The cabin is a
nice place to be in. There's enough space in the back seat and recline is a very handy feature. As with the Creta, the window lines are high. The sunroof would've been amazing to have.
Tucson manages bad roads very nicely. The roads I took had some giant craters in them, and even though I took it slow, they didn't rattle the car. It can manage "regular bad" roads with ease.
GC is less than that of Creta using the bottle test. Felt like about an inch lesser.
Brakes are excellent. Went from 100-0 in a very short distance with absolutely zero drama. Even though i warned my co passengers that i was going to brake hard, my bro sitting in the rear seat said that that gave him a headache.
Sound quality is very decent for an oem. I like thumping music systems so make of that what you will. Phone pairing took a minute but operating and streaming was instant. Phone call quality was satisfactory. Reconnection after going out and getting back in was instant. Carplay requires a cable connection. Meh.
The AC is an absolute chiller.
Headlamps felt adequate though I expected them to have better illumination. Auto headlamps light up too soon. Cornering lamps work very well. Interior lighting are your regular old bulbs. I expected LED.
Wipers on washer are a lot faster than any other car I’ve seen.
Glove box is on the smaller side, non illuminated and no lock.
Front parking sensors are handy. Can switch them off. Electronic parking brake is a neat party trick for about 3 seconds. Auto disengages when you put the car in D or R. Tested hill hold for about 10 secs on a steep incline. Car didn't move.
Horn is a nice dual sound.
The car looks great. Got a lot of looks from people around. People were clicking snaps etc.
The front arm rest is too low for the highest seat setting. Does not slide (!)
Steering felt a little small for the space and the car.
Pedals, scuff plates aren't metal. Scuff plates are not illuminated.
Boot is smaller that I would've liked. Can set the height to which the boot opens. Manual shut force won't bother the tailgate. It is designed to be able to take manual shutdowns. Spare is a full size alloy.
Overall I liked the car for about 25, maybe even 26 on road. At 28.5 it comes dangerously close to 30 which is a figure I'm not comfortable with.
I wish to take TD of the petrol once just to see how it is like, since it will be a good 4L less expensive on road. If anyone knows where a petrol Tucson is available for TD in Delhi NCR or nearby, please let me know. Thanks.
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