[Aditya]

The 2020 Hyundai Tucson Facelift is on sale in India at a price of between Rs. 22.30 - 27.03 lakhs (ex-showroom, Delhi).



Since the Hyundai Tucson has already been reviewed by Team-BHP, this report will only focus on changes made to the 2020 facelift. To read the full test-drive, click here.



Despite being a very competent crossover, the Hyundai Tucson hasn’t been a strong seller. It lies in the bottom half of the D1 segment in terms of sales. To spice things up and to bump up sales, Hyundai has given the Tucson a facelift + some additional features. The diesel variant also gets a fantastic new 8-speed automatic transmission, and an optional HTRAC AWD system with advanced traction cornering control.

The updated Tucson comes with Hyundai Premium Assurance Program (HPAP) and Wonder Warranty. The HPAP offers 3 years / 30,000 km free maintenance, Blue Link (telematics) / map subscription, roadside assistance and premium care visit. The Wonder Warranty gives the customer an option of choosing a warranty of 3 years / unlimited km, 4 years / 60,000 km or 5 years / 50,000 km.

So, what's new on the outside?

Handsome front end features a new cascade chrome radiator grille, projector LED headlamps, LED daytime running lights and a reworked bumper:


At the rear, there are new LED tail-lamp clusters, a redesigned tailgate and a new bumper. Foglamps are now integrated in the tail-lamp cluster. We prefer these Hyundai designs compared to the new themes seen on the Creta & gang:


On the side, the refreshed Tucson gets new rims and a reshaped fuel flap:


Headlamp clusters consist of 5 projector LEDs, an LED strip at the top for the pilot lamp and turn-indicators. Projectors come with static bending function:


With all the lights in action:


Cascade radiator grille with thick chrome border on the sides and bottom replaces the outgoing model's hexagonal unit. It gets 4 horizontal slats (instead of the old car's 3) and glossy black honeycomb mesh detailing:


Front bumper gets prominent crease lines. LED DRLs are L-shaped now and border the foglamps on two sides:


Redesigned halogen foglamps with new, L-shaped LED DRLs have glossy black housings. Front parking sensors are nicely hidden on the glossy black portion below:


Redesigned 18" diamond cut alloy wheels look attractive. 225/55 section Nexen tyres are retained:


One of the biggest feature additions to the Tucson is this panoramic sunroof (standard on all variants) which owners will love. Roof rails are now finished in glossy black:


Tail-lamp clusters consist of LED pilot lamp strips, rear foglamps, turn-indicators and reversing lamps:


Tailgate is reshaped to accommodate the new tail-lamps. The number plate housing has been redesigned and the engine badge has been deleted:


HTRAC badge (full form = Hyundai Traction) denotes the all-wheel-drive system. Reflectors are larger, positioned higher than before and have a split design:


New bumper has a reworked skid plate and loses the honeycomb mesh detailing seen on the outgoing car:


Twin exhaust tips have been reshaped:

[Aditya]

So, what's new on the inside?

The Tucson gets all-black interiors with silver, piano black and leather inserts. The new colour scheme makes the interior feel less airy than the outgoing car, but there are enough "black cabin" lovers in the market. The panoramic sunroof definitely helps matters further.

Dashboard has been restyled and looks more modern than the outgoing car's. Soft-touch plastic has been used on the top and there is a leather insert with white stitching on the passenger side. As expected from Hyundai, the quality, fit and finish are top notch:


A look at the passenger side of the dashboard:


Instrument cluster gets minor changes to its detailing and MID. Distance to empty is now continuously displayed at the top of the MID:


You do not get two trip meters any more. Instead, you have a single trip meter that shows the distance travelled, average consumption and time taken. The MID also shows a summary of the drive:


Gauge to display the diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) level and a TPMS:


While the wiper stalk remains identical to that of the old car in terms of design and function, the lettering at the top has been changed from "INT" to "AUTO":


Side air-con vents have been restyled:


Console to the right of the driver now includes a button for AWD Lock. Traction control button is smaller than before:


Fuel flap is now connected to the central locking system; you no longer get a release lever on the floor:


All-black doorpads. Don't miss the Infinity branding on the speaker:


10-way adjustable driver seat has been retained. Seats are now draped in black leather upholstery. Unfortunately, the Tucson still doesn't get ventilated seats (some cheaper Hyundai cars get this feature):


Passenger seat now gets 8-way electric adjustment. Your spouse will be pleased:


Since the Tucson now gets Blue Link telematics, the IRVM houses 3 buttons - SOS button will place an emergency call to Hyundai customer care, the button with the tow truck will call Hyundai Roadside Assistance and the third button will launch Blue Link. Ambient light sensor for the auto-dimming function has shifted to the other side. However, the compass feature has been dropped, at a time when the vehicle gets AWD!! Yeah, yeah, we know the onboard compass is ornamental, but we're speaking in the symbolic sense:


Sensor console behind the IRVM is much larger than the outgoing car's:


Center fascia sports a tablet-like floating 8" HD touchscreen head-unit with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Voice Recognition:


The Tucson now gets an Infinity 8-speaker sound system. Apart from the already present speakers and tweeters on the doors, there is one on top of the dash and a subwoofer in the boot:


"Hyundai Blue Link", powered by an eSIM and a cloud-based Voice Recognition platform. A detailed explanation of how the system works can be seen at this link:


Using your smartphone, you can remotely start / stop the car's engine and climate control system, lock or unlock the vehicle, flash the headlamps and have the horn blow for 30 seconds (to locate the car), view the status of the doors, lights etc. and get a health report of the vehicle:


More data for the driving geeks:


Out with the old, in with the new! Aux port has been deleted, while a wireless smartphone charger has been added:


Massive cover of the panoramic sunroof is electrically operated:


The sunroof spans the length of the cabin and lets in a lot of light. Owners, spouses, kids, senior citizens - all will enjoy it


The front portion slides over the rear (we don't like this about panoramic sunroofs - looks ugly from the outside):


Rear seat is unchanged, except for the new all-black look:


USB port for the rear passengers to use:


With the addition of the panoramic sunroof, the rear cabin light has been left out. Rear passengers now get individual lamps located next to the B-pillars:


Signs of cost cutting - spare wheel is a space saver with an 80 km/h speed limit! Not cool, Hyundai, not cool. The outgoing car had a full-size alloy wheel. Amplifier for the sound system is placed just ahead of the spare wheel:


Keyfob (we hate the brown) gets a panic notification button at the bottom. Press it with the keyfob within operational distance of the car and an SMS will be sent to 5 pre-saved emergency contacts via Blue Link. Additionally, the car's horn will start blowing and the turn-indicators will blink:

[Aditya]

Driving the 2.0L Diesel AT

2.0L turbo-diesel produces the same 182 BHP and 400 Nm in BS6 guise. The talking point is the new 8-speed AT (instead of the old 6-speeder):


With the brake pedal pressed, hit the starter button and the diesel engine comes to life. The first thought that comes to your mind is that the diesel is refined. You don’t get any clatter inside the cabin at idle, and vibrations are very well-controlled too. Slot the gear lever into D and lift your foot off the brake pedal, the car crawls forward at 7 km/h. On pressing the accelerator, you will find that it is quite sensitive; with the low end torque of the diesel, the Tucson will lurch forward and might catch some drivers by surprise. Urban driveability is overall excellent. The tall seating position, good all-round visibility, light controls and smooth gearbox make the Tucson very easy to drive in the city.

On the open road, once you stretch her legs, the Tucson impresses. It accelerates quickly, and with the good insulation, you may not even realize the high speeds you are doing. Expressway performance is overall impressive. However, the diesel does not revv all the way to the redline. Even in kickdown mode, the AT shifts up anywhere between ~4,000 - ~4,500 revvs. In Manual Mode, you cannot take it any higher. Coming to cruisability, at 100 km/h in 8th gear, the engine is spinning at a lazy ~1,450 rpm and at 120 km/h, it is just above 1,750 rpm.

The 8-speed torque converter transmission is smooth-shifting. Drive with a light foot and it will shift up at just over 1,500 rpm. It’s overall a very refined experience & your passengers won't even notice the changing gears. Want to overtake? Floor the accelerator & the gearbox responds in a reasonably quick time. The transmission is never jerky, even if you get aggressive with it. The gearbox works well on the highway as well, since the AT downshifts eagerly when you step on the throttle. I didn’t encounter a single situation where the gearbox got confused or was hunting for gears. This is an extremely competent gearbox. Manual mode has been provided, but what we really missed are steering-mounted paddle shifters! It's the only fly-in-the-ointment of an otherwise flawless AT.

The Tucson gets 3 driving modes: Comfort, Sport and Eco. These different modes alter the gearbox behaviour, steering weight and throttle sensitivity.

• Comfort Mode: This is the default setting when you start the car. Throttle response, steering weight and gearbox behaviour are just 'regular' in this mode.

• Sport Mode: Throttle response is sharpened. The steering gets a tad bit heavier, and the AT holds on to gears a little longer before upshifting.

• Eco Mode: Throttle response gets dulled and the gearbox upshifts earlier.

NVH levels are excellent. Unless revved hard, engine noise doesn’t intrude into the cabin. It’s only over 4,000 rpm that the motor gets loud. Coming to wind and road noise, both are very well-controlled, even above 100 km/h.

Ride & Handling

The Tucson has McPherson struts up front, and a multi-link set up at the rear. The suspension does a commendable job and is a long way away from the bouncy 'all over the place' Hyundais we had a few years ago. It is on the stiffer side, but I have a feeling a lot of it is due to the 18” wheels on the higher variants which we tested.

At low speeds, the suspension is very compliant and works silently. Small bumps are dismissed off and you don’t even feel them. It takes larger bumps well; you may feel them, yet you won't hear the suspension giving you a loud thud. The suspension does feel a bit busy though, because there is always some body movement. At higher speeds too, the suspension doesn’t exactly flatten out. Still, overall the Tucson is a comfortable long distance cruiser.

What is pleasantly surprising is, in spite of the busy feeling, the Tucson feels very stable at higher speeds. Of course, the vague steering is a fly in the ointment, but you don't realize the speeds you are doing. Hyundai has indeed come a long way. The Tucson isn't bouncy even at higher speeds! The handling is predictable, while body roll is well-controlled through the corners. Curves taken at higher speeds won't make passengers uncomfortable. Further, the 225/55 Nexen tyres provide sufficient grip and even quick lane changes are predictable. There's ESC & VSM to help you deal with emergency situations, should they arise.

The steering does have some play at the center, and also seems to be artificially heavy from time to time (especially in sport mode). In some situations, I wished the assistance was a bit less. Steering feel is lacking, and it feels disconnected from the road (ol' Hyundai trait). Know those long bends on the expressway? The EPS feels rather vague there. Inside the city, the steering is nice to use and makes driving in traffic easy.

The brakes are another strong point of the Tucson. The all-wheel discs do an excellent job and bring the Tucson to a stop quickly...without any drama. ABS with EBD works very well from high speeds and it is reassuring to know the vehicle will stop when you want it to. Area of improvement? The pedal feels spongy after the initial bite (this has been observed in other Hyundai cars too).

Engine cover has been redesigned. It doesn't get silver lettering either:


Gear shifter has been carried over from the outgoing car. You will absolutely love this new 8-speed AT:


Now has AWD! Tourers will be pleased:


The 14L DEF tank:

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[amol4184]

After seeing the exterior pics, thought I will put my comment in first before reading everything: A 2020 model and already manages to look old school (not complaining I like it) especially from the rear.
Gotta blame Hyundai's new-found love for crazy designs.

[shobhit.shri]

This looks like an excellent package, comapred to the other overpriced and cramped alternatives like Karoq/Compass/CR-V. This segment seems to have many cars with their own unique characters. I feel black interiors are claustophobic, but had to see in real to understand it better.

Interestingly, compared to newer Hyundai designs, this car is still understated. It may be a positive for many.

[drmohitg]

Too dated a design now, both in the exterior and interior department. Its own sibling Creta, trumps it in the interior design language. It may have worked in 2018 but would certainly struggle in 2020 competing with the Harrier, Compass and Hector. I don't think this is going to do much in terms of sales here and would just be in the portfolio from the point of optics.

[CEF_Beasts]

The looks of the Tucson are one of the best from Hyundai in the market today; reasons for buying one would be its strong diesel 2L with 4WD and striking looks but then it’s the Creta/Seltos I would pick over this car reasons: more features, more bang for the buck and excellent petrol turbo engines. The Creta Seltos duo offer 70% of the Tucson at 40% prices. I would rather wait for the next gen Tucson to come to India!

[baskar]

Great review. Tucson is a handsome looking cross over. While Hyundai has gone overboard with the design in Creta , Tucson still manages to look sharp and elegant, somewhat like VW. I own a Tiguan 5 seater. - Tucson is better than Tiguan in most respects - Power, Torque, features, ICE, purchase cost, service cost and now the design as well.

Somehow I wish the head unit integrated into the dashboard but modern day cars have a standalone tablet format

It should be good buy for those looking for elegant and practical cross overs with adequate power and features.

[AMG Power]

It's a bit late to the party. The 2021 Tucson is already out.

[d3mon]

T-BHP: Hyundai new design language is terrible.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-language.html (What do you think of Hyundai's new design language?)

Also T-BHP: The Tucson is too old and dated, and needs to be updated.

Personally, I like the current Tucson's design, especially compared to the new-gen monstrosity.

[QuadraticAmoeba]

Thank you for this detailed review. I can't wait to get hold of this car.

Something that may be useful: "the updated Tucson comes with Hyundai Premium Assurance Program (HPAP) and Wonder Warranty. The HPAP offers 3 years / 30,000 km free maintenance". Previously, this included free pickup and drop as well. Apparently, this is no longer the case and this will be a paid service (as per the SA).

[Guna]

If someone is looking for a 30 lac SUV, Tucson is still a practical choice. Something like Karoq may have more upmarket interior or nicer to drive but in Tucson you get more space, reliability, diesel economy, AWD and rear independent suspension (not sure if it gets reclinable rear seats). Only reason (other reason for me would be the lackluster steering) for not going for this SUV is that the new model is around corner. But the year end discount of 2-3 lacs can make it an attractive purchase for many.

[Tachyonites]

Amazing Review T-BHP. You guys are simply experts.

I love the design of this new 2020 Tuscon. Hyundai has done everything to make this already
great package even better.
The 8 speed torque convertor is epic and flawless.
I am a fan of dual tone interiors (black + beige).
Is the new Tuscon available with dual tone interiors?
Honestly this is the only modern Hyundai whose design
is worth appreciating and I quite like it.

Good Job Hyundai!!

[klgiridhar]

Amazing review and attention to details as always

This is the last one left with those earlier beautiful Hyundai designs. The recent ones, and those coming soon, have too many cuts and creases all around, making them look overdone to me.