[Omkar]

2022 Hyundai Tucson Review

Hyundai Tucson Pros

• A futuristic-looking, well-engineered premium SUV
• Complete urban package with comfortable suspension, light steering and a smooth automatic
• 2.0L diesel engine is not just refined, but punchy too
• 540 litres of boot space is enough to haul holiday luggage
• ADAS safety features like autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor and lane-keep assist are cool & work reasonably well
• Loaded with features like a panoramic sunroof, multi-air mode AC, ventilated and heated front seats, connected car tech, wireless charging, boss control for the front seat etc.
• 5-star Euro NCAP rating. 6 airbags, ESC, VSM, downhill brake control, TPMS, 360-degree camera & more

Hyundai Tucson Cons

• Edgy looks & funky styling may not be to everyone's liking
• At ~43 lakhs on road for the top-end variant, the Tucson is expensive!
• Not as engaging to drive as the Kodiaq or Tiguan
• Naturally-aspirated petrol isn't as punchy as the competitors' turbo-petrol units
• Other crossovers & SUVs offer a 3rd-row of seats. Tucson is a 5-seater only
• Some missing features such as paddle shifters, rear sunblinds...
• Hyundai badge lacks the snob value that many 40-lakh rupee customers are looking for

This review has been jointly compiled with Vid6639. Thanks to him for the expert observations!

Introduction

The Hyundai Tucson has always been a perfect example of a sensible buying decision. It has always scored high on practicality, comfort and performance. However, the previous generations found it difficult to find customers in the premium SUV segment. Hyundai will be hoping that this fourth-generation car is a game changer. Just look at the competition. You have the Jeep Compass, Volkswagen Tiguan and the Citroen C5 Aircross. All these cars have something missing that the Tucson offers. Tiguan isn't offered with a diesel engine, while the Tucson gets a 183 BHP, 2.0L diesel engine with an 8-speed AT. The C5 Aircross doesn't get a petrol engine, while the Tucson is offered with a 154 BHP, 2.0L petrol engine with a 6-speed AT. The Compass is too off-road focused, lacks the premium feel and Jeep's dealer and service network is limited, while the Tucson is a softroader that feels premium and is backed by Hyundai's competent aftersales service and wide dealer network. So far it seems like a recipe for success, but will it really attract more buyers?

Hyundai Tucson Price & Brochure

While the 2022 Tucson appears to be an all-rounder, pricing is still an important deciding factor for its success. Hyundai has priced the fourth-generation Tucson from Rs. 27.70 lakh for the 2.0L petrol variant going up to Rs 34.39 lakh for the top-end AWD diesel variant (click here to check the variant prices).

A look at the prices and you will notice that it's quite a jump from the previous-generation car, which was priced at ~ Rs. 22 lakh to Rs. 27 lakh (ex-showroom). Even when compared to the competition, it certainly doesn't appear value for money. The top-end diesel AWD variant is the priciest in the segment. In comparison, the Compass Trailhawk is more than Rs. 3 lakhs cheaper!

You can download the 2022 Hyundai Tucson brochure here: Hyundai Tucson Brochure.pdf

Exterior

Design & Styling

One thing is for sure, no one is going to mistake the fourth-generation Tucson for the outgoing car. Based on the Vision T SUV concept unveiled at AutoMobility LA in 2019, the Tucson's design is super edgy and almost too futuristic. Vidd6639 pointed out that while the design looks great now, it somehow doesn't feel timeless. Only time will tell how this design will age.

The big parametric radiator grille that is finished in dark chrome with LED DRLs nicely integrated into it, looks great in person and attracts quite a lot of attention on the road. Some other notable features are LED MFR headlamps, LED tail lamps, roof rails and 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. There are 5 monotone colour options to choose from - Polar White, Phantom Black, Amazon Grey, Stary Night and Fiery Red. You can get a black roof with the Polar White and Fiery Red colours.

The fourth-generation Tucson is offered with 2 wheelbase options internationally based on the customer needs and expectations of the different regions. The European market gets the short wheelbase (2,680 mm) version and for India, Hyundai has brought in the long wheelbase version (2,755 mm). The Tucson measures 4,630 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width and 1,655 mm in height. Compared to the outgoing car, the new Tucson is a size bigger.

Build Quality, Fit & Finish

The 2022 Tucson is based on the N3 platform developed by Hyundai and Kia. This is a modular platform which underpins some of the international models like the Hyundai Sonata, Santa Fe and Kia Carnival. The car is solidly built and the doors & tailgate have a good heft to them. There's not much flex in the body panels and the doors shut with an assuring thud. However, in these areas, competitors such as the Jeep Compass, Volkswagen Tiguan and Citroen C5 Aircross fare slightly better. Overall fit & finish is satisfactory.

Wheels & Tyres

Hyundai is offering 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels as standard in both variants. The old 225/55 R18 tyres have now been replaced with 235/60 R18 tyres which are wider and taller. Interestingly, the petrol variant gets a full-size alloy spare wheel while the diesel variant gets a 17-inch space saver steel wheel with a T135/90 D17 tyre. The recommended tyre pressure is 35 PSI all-round.

Ground Clearance

The Tucson has a ground clearance of 192 mm which is healthy enough for Indian road conditions.

Standard & Extended Warranty

Hyundai is offering 3 years / unlimited km warranty with roadside assistance as standard with the Tucson. You also get 3 years / 30,000 km of complimentary maintenance and a home visit within 30 days of delivery. Hyundai is offering an extended warranty of up to 5 years, and we strongly suggest taking it.

Safety

Just like the previous generation Tucson, the fourth-generation car has a 5-star Euro NCAP rating (related report). There are a host of safety features on offer such as 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, ESC (electronic stability control), VSM (vehicle stability management), hill start assist, downhill brake control, TPMS and 360-degree camera. Apart from this, the Signature variant is offered with Hyundai SmartSense which is an Advance Driver Assistance System (ADAS). There are plenty of safety features in this system like forward collision avoidance assist, Blind spot collision avoidance assist, lane keep assist, high beam assist, etc. (more on this later).

[Omkar]

Interior

Cabin Design & Quality

Hyundai has been using a light grey and black interior colour scheme on some of its cars, which gives the cabin a premium feel. The Tucson gets the same treatment. The overall design and layout of the dashboard feel very uncluttered and straightforward. There are swooping chrome lines running from the sides towards the centre console forming, what Hyundai likes to call, a waterfall-like design.

The top portion of the dashboard and doorpads get soft-touch plastics, while the lower portion get hard plastics. There are fabric inserts in between to add a bit of variety. Overall, the quality of materials used is good and the fit & finish is also up to the mark. The only gripe here is that the soft-touch plastics felt of average quality and not the usual high-quality material.

Space & Comfort

The Tucson is set at a comfortable height, which makes ingress & egress quite easy. You can walk up to the car and just slide into the seats. Also, since the Tucson is the long wheelbase version, there is more space on the inside. The legroom has gone up by 80 mm and the headroom by 21 mm compared to the outgoing model.

The leather seats are broad and comfortable. Even the cushioning is on point - neither too soft nor too hard. There's good back support and the side bolstering is fine too. At 5'10" I would've liked for a little more under-thigh support though. Still, I didn't find the seats uncomfortable.

Driving Position & Ergonomics

The driver's seat gets 10-way power adjustment, while the passenger seat gets 8-way power adjustment. The driver seat also comes with a memory function with 2 settings. The steering wheel has rake & reach adjustment, which makes finding your perfect driving position super easy.

Overall visibility from the driver's seat is pretty good. Even the rearward visibility isn't bad with the quarter glasses helping matters. You can always depend on advanced driver assistance systems and high-definition cameras to get out of tough spots. These are quite reliable.

Cabin Storage

There are a good number of storage spaces to keep all your stuff. The doorpads can hold a 1L bottle and some other knick-knacks and there is a well-sized glovebox for all the important documents and other stuff. On the centre console, there is a wireless charging pad to dock your phone and a bit of additional space for loose change. There are two cupholders next to the gear lever and the centre armrest also has deep storage bin underneath.

Air-Conditioning

Hyundai has put in some extra thought while designing the air-conditioning system. The Tucson gets dual-zone climate control with auto defogger. What's interesting is that the auto climate control also has 3 settings - low, medium and high, which changes the blower settings. There's also a multi-air mode, which is pretty cool. The dashboard has small holes across its length that blow out cool air upon pressing the 'Diffuse' button. This helps in creating a uniform airflow across the cabin and it feels very pleasant. During our drive, the weather was overcast and we didn't feel the need to use the A/C on full blast. But overall, the A/C managed to keep the cabin cool and pleasant and not make it cold.

Features

Unique & Noteworthy Features

In this segment, you would expect a feature-loaded car and the Tucson is no exception. Noteworthy features include a panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, powered front seats with memory function, ventilated and heated front seats, 10.25-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, satellite navigation, wireless phone charger, ambient lighting, boss controls for the front passenger seat and a hands-free tailgate. The car also comes equipped with all-LED MFR (reflector) headlights, LED DRLs, LED static bending lights, LED tail-lamps, shark fin antenna, auto headlamps and auto wipers. There are also features from Hyundai's 'Bluelink' connected car technology along with a home-to-car (H2C) feature that allows you to stay connected with the car with Alexa and Google voice assistant. This essentially allows you to switch on the car's A/C from home by just telling Alexa to do so. While the Tucson is pretty well loaded, we would've liked to see some features like heated ORVMs & ventilated glovebox (offered on outgoing Tucson), rear sunblinds, wireless Android Auto & Apple CarPlay and cushions for rear headrests like in the Creta.

Audio System & Sound Quality

The Tucson is equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit mated to an 8-speaker Bose sound system with a subwoofer and an amplifier. The touchscreen has a crisp display and a very easy to use interface. The operation is also very slick and you'll get used to it pretty quickly. In terms of audio quality, the system is decent enough for someone who just wants to listen to some good music. If you're an audiophile, it will sound just average. It sounds very flat and doesn't provide an immersive sound experience.

Rear Passengers

Rear Seat Comfort & Space

Just like in the front, getting in and out of the rear seats is very easy. Once in, you'll find that it's a pretty comfortable place to be. The long wheelbase has added a bit of legroom and the overall comfort level is quite high. There's good legroom for a 6-footer seated behind another 6-footer. For chauffeur-driven folks, you have boss controls on the front passenger seat to push it forward and get more space. The headroom is also pretty decent despite the panoramic sunroof. We would have appreciated it if Hyundai offered soft cushions for the rear headrests as they do in the Creta (reference image).

The cabin width is pretty healthy and 3 adults abreast can be seated for short drives. Passengers can adjust the backrest angle as well, which is extremely convenient. The seats are well contoured and keep you in place nicely over twisty roads. The under-thigh support is alright even for 6-footers. There is a centre armrest with two cupholders and rear A/C vents. The rear door pockets can only hold 500 ml bottles, and there's no extra space.

Boot Space

The Tucson has a very accommodating 540-litre boot. It's more spacious than the Jeep Compass (438 litres) but not as spacious as the Citroen C5 Aircross (580 litres).

The Tucson has a "Smart Power Tailgate" function. This feature opens the boot automatically when it senses the SmartKey within the sensing zone for over 3 seconds. Very useful if you are carrying luggage in both your hands.

[Omkar]

Driving the Hyundai Tucson 2.0L Diesel Automatic

2.0L turbo-diesel produces 183 BHP and 416 Nm, which are slightly higher figures than the outgoing car. It is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission and is RDE (Real Driving Emissions) compliant:


This 2.0L diesel is an all-aluminium, 4-cylinder block with 16 valves and two overhead camshafts. It comes with a variable geometry turbocharger and develops a healthy output of 183 BHP (@ 4,000 rpm) and 416 Nm (@ 2,000 - 2,750 rpm). Fire up the engine and you will appreciate its refinement. Slot the gear lever into D, lift your foot off the brake pedal, and the car gets off the line smoothly. Throttle response is good and power is delivered in a linear manner with a gentle foot on the accelerator. Since the Tucson has a very urban feel to it, we made sure that we spent enough time driving the car in the city traffic. And despite the Bangalore ring road traffic being excessively unpleasant, the Tucson wasn't. Driving in D, the engine was calm and provided power smoothly. Going on and off the throttle was also a smooth affair, which means that your passengers also won't have to worry about a jerky drive. The gearbox goes up the ratios pretty quickly. You won't feel the upshifts as the transition is very smooth. Put your right foot down and you will experience some lag as the torque converter does take a second to respond. But after that, you get a strong surge of power that will help you make those quick overtakes and close those gaps in traffic. Overall, 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, where you can stretch the car's legs, the Tucson is impressive. It accelerates quickly, and with the good insulation, you may not even realize the speeds you are doing. Put your foot down and the AT downshifts to get you going. Overtaking on the highways is a breeze, but it's better if you anticipate and prepare for the slight delay in downshifting. Even with foot hard down, the AT doesn't let the engine rev beyond the 4,500 rpm redline (in manual mode too). The engine feels quite relaxed cruising for long distances. In 8th gear, at 100 km/h, the engine spins at a comfortable 1,500 rpm, while at 120 km/h the tachometer reads 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. Overall, it’s a very refined experience & your passengers won't even notice the changing gears. The transmission is never jerky, even if you get aggressive with it. We didn’t encounter a single situation where the gearbox got confused or was hunting for gears. The 8-speed unit has been tuned conservatively for smooth operation. So, when you want to purely extract performance out of the powertrain, the torque converter lacks the eagerness of a DSG. There's a manual mode too, but it doesn't allow you to shift aggressively. What we really missed are steering-mounted paddle shifters! It's the only fly-in-the-ointment in an otherwise very smooth AT.

The Tucson gets 4 driving modes: Comfort, Sport, Eco and Smart. 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 noticeably heavier, and the AT holds on to gears a little longer before upshifting.

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

• Smart Mode: The car analyses your driving pattern and chooses the best mode for you.

The Tucson comes with a convenient 'auto hold' feature which owners will love in the city. While the vehicle is waiting at a signal, the driver can lift his foot off the brake pedal and the vehicle will stay in place. No need to keep the brake pedal continuously pressed.

Like the previous Tucson, you also get the H-Trac all-wheel-drive system. As is usually the case with such crossovers, in normal conditions, the system sends power to the front wheels only. If road conditions require more traction, it will send the necessary amount of torque to the rear wheels. Interestingly, you can see the amount of power being transferred to the rear wheels on the MID! Very cool. We did a couple of hard launches to check it out and were pleased to see that the power was sent to all wheels during the launch. The system monitors which of the four wheels has the most traction and can send torque to that wheels. If slippery roads make a wheel lose traction, the system hits the brake on that wheel and transfers the remaining power to the other wheels.

There are also multi-terrain modes that adjust the powertrain to suit the terrain conditions. You can choose from the following settings - Snow, Mud and Sand. The AWD and terrain modes will help you when touring remote parts of the country and over the likes of slush, muck & sand. Remember that the Tuscon is no offroader like the Fortuner or Endeavour.

Noise, Vibration & Harshness (NVH)

As you would expect in a premium SUV like this, refinement levels are overall satisfactory. The engine idles softly and there's no diesel clatter audible. At high revs, the engine can be heard in the cabin, but it doesn't sound bad. Surprisingly, the wind noise started to creep in at 100 km/h. Road noise is well controlled. We noticed that it is more audible in the rear seat than in the front.

Advanced Driver Assistance System

The Hyundai Tucson comes equipped with a level 2 Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). This is a segment first and adds to the safety of the car with the assistance of cameras and Radar. Here's a video explaining the features of the ADAS system in the Tucson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjJlH0-BhIU

We tried out some of the features on our test drive and some of them worked well when the conditions were ideal. For instance, on the highways, where the lanes were marked properly, the Lane Following Assist worked nicely with the car staying in the middle of the lane and maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle ahead. The Blind Spot Collision Warning detected bikes precisely. However, the Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go didn't work in Bangalore traffic, since all the bikes and cars were too close to the Tucson. IMO, the system must've gotten confused with so much chaos around the car.

A feature that I appreciate immensely was the Forward Collision Avoidance Assist. This feature applies the brakes when the car feels that you are too close to the vehicle ahead and haven't slowed down enough. This feature is perfect for rash drivers who brake very late and try to cut at the last second. The system forces you to drive responsibly and safely. Want to put some sense into your friend who drives rashly? Make him drive your Tucson.

You have to appreciate the engineers for making the mechanism to replace the air filter so convenient:


The bonnet gets healthy insulation underneath. It is very heavy and we would've appreciated it if Hyundai offered pneumatic struts:


The Tucson was pleasant to drive even in heavy Bangalore traffic:

Suspension

Ride Comfort

The Tucson has McPherson struts at the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear. The shock absorbers are of gas type and do a nice job absorbing bumps in the road. The setup is on the softer side making it quite absorbent, especially when compared to the likes of VW Tiguan, Jeep Compass, or even the Skoda Kodiaq.

At low speeds, the suspension is very compliant and works silently. Small bumps are dismissed with ease and you don’t even feel them. Even the expansion joints on the city flyovers don't register themselves inside the cabin. It takes larger bumps well; you may feel them, but you won't hear the suspension giving out a loud noise. Over bad roads, the suspension does feel a bit busy though. There is always some body movement.

The Tucson rides on 18-inch wheels shod with 235/60 section tyres. These tyres are wider and taller than the previous Tucson's 225/55 R18 units. The shorter side profile was one of the reasons for the old car's slightly stiffer ride. The recommended tyre pressure is 35 PSI and we didn't find the need to lower it as the car rides well in the city as well as on the highway.

Handling & Dynamics

The handling of the Tucson is similar to recent Hyundais. It's neutral and predictable. The straight-line stability is good and while cruising on the highways, the car is quite composed. It's not very bouncy at high speeds and passengers will be comfortable in the front as well as rear. However, at high speeds, the suspension doesn't feel flat like the Jeep Compass. Still, overall, the Tucson is a capable long-distance cruiser.

Curves taken at higher speeds won't make passengers uncomfortable. Even quick lane changes are executed well. The handling is predictable, while body roll is well-controlled through the corners. The Tucson holds its line well and feels planted on the curves. There's ESC & VSM to help you deal with an emergency situation, should one arise. The 235/60 MRF Wanderer Ecotred tyres provide average grip. We'd suggest switching to a different (more premium) make if you want better grip.

Steering

Inside the city, at low speeds, the steering is light and nice to use, which makes driving in traffic and parking easy. However, the steering does have some play at the centre. It also feels artificially heavy from time to time (especially in Sport mode). In some situations, I wished the assistance was a bit less. It also feels disconnected from the road (ol' Hyundai trait). While the EPS does weigh up at speeds, on long bends on the expressway, it feels rather vague.

Braking

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 and without any drama. ABS with EBD works very well and it is reassuring to know the vehicle will stop from high speeds when you want it to. Room for improvement? The pedal feels spongy after the initial bite (this has been observed in other Hyundai cars too).

[Omkar]

Hyundai Tucson Exterior Images

Big parametric grille is the first thing you will notice on the Tucson for sure. It is imposing and looks good in person. The overall front feels very aggressive and edgy:


Rear is comparatively more subtle barring the LED light bar that runs across the tailgate. On the road, it makes the Tucson stand out in a crowd:


In profile, it has a very van-like design and looks like a seven-seater, which it is not:


The Tucson measures 4,630 mm in length, 1,865 mm in width and 1,665 mm in height with a wheelbase of 2,755 mm. The fourth-generation car is a full size bigger than the outgoing one:


Prominent body creases give the design muscle and character. Body panels don't flex much when pressed with a thumb and the car feels solid:


LED DRLs that are a part of the parametric grille. These are definitely a highlight of the front of the car:


LED MFR headlamps are placed below. The housing also contains LED static bending lamps:


Parametric grille is finished in dark chrome and looks excellent. We appreciate the fact that Hyundai hasn't used shiny chrome anywhere on the front. Radar sensor is placed in the middle of the air dam at the bottom. There is a faux skid plate below:


Good to see a healthy bit of underbody protection:


ADAS camera sits at the top of the front windshield, behind the IRVM:


Prominent creases on the bonnet give the front a muscular look:


Sharp body creases add character to the vehicle. From an ownership point of view though, it would be almost impossible to repair medium-sized dents on these doors. The service centres will be pushing for panel replacements:


ORVMs have a sleek design with a brushed silver insert in the middle. Turn-indicators have been nicely integrated:


Side cameras for the 360-degree view are mounted below the ORVMs:


Request sensor even on the passenger side door. Black coloured button on a white car looks a bit odd though:


Window line rises quite sharply towards the rear, but the glass area is quite adequate:


Vid6639 likes the design of these 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels. I think it's too busy. They're shod with 235/60 section MRF Wanderer Ecotred tyres:


The Tucson gets disc brakes all-round. Check out the funky design on the cladding of the squared wheel arch:


Healthy bit of wheel well cladding in the front as well as the rear:


Panoramic sunroof is quite large and offered as standard. Roof rails are aesthetic, but feel quite sturdy:


Quarter panel gets a nice brushed silver element. Also, check out the spoiler extending from the roof:


Rear wiper and washer are neatly concealed in the spoiler:


At the base of the rear windshield, there's this 3D-looking Hyundai logo which, IMO, looks odd:


A look at the LED tail-lamps. Thick black border around the lights emphasizes the red element of the lights:


'Tucson' badge sits on the left while the 'HTRAC' badge sits on the right. There's no badge indicating the engine type or the variant:


With all the lights in action. Single reversing light is placed on the left, while rear fog lamp is placed on the right. Faux rear skid plate doesn't look out of place:


Fuel tank capacity has gone down from 62 litres to 54 litres. The earlier Tucson also had sporty-looking twin exhaust tips. Here, you get a simple exhaust:

[Omkar]

Hyundai Tucson Interior Images

Dashboard design looks fresh and has a premium feel to it. Black and light grey colour scheme lends an upmarket feel to the cabin:


Leather-wrapped 4-spoke steering wheel is lovely to hold. It offers a good grip and is adjustable for height and reach. Buttons for the infotainment system, telephony and voice commands are placed on the left spoke, while the right spoke houses buttons to toggle through options on the MID and to operate functions of the ADAS:


Wiper controls on the left and light controls on the right. The Tucson is offered with auto wipers and auto headlamps. Knurled finish on the knobs feels very premium:


10.25" floating type digital cluster is similar to the one we've seen on the Alcazar. It has a crisp display with some neat customisations options:


Display theme can be set to change according to the drive mode selected. You can even choose from 3 terrain modes:


Centre portion displays the usual information. You can even have it display a compass. You can check the urea level of the diesel particulate filter and see how much power is being sent to each wheel. Upon engaging the left or right turn-indicator, you can see the feed from the ORVM camera in the respective dial on the MID:


Side A/C vents are sleek. Check out the small holes (next to the vent) that are activated when you press the 'Diffuse' button:


On the driver's right-hand side is the traction control off button. Next to it, is a switch to operate the tailgate and a headlamp leveller:


Simple engine start-stop button sits plush on the left behind the steering wheel:


Black and light grey colour scheme continues on the doorpads as well. The part of the doorpad has soft-touch plastic with a fabric insert around the white portion. Front door pockets can hold a 1L bottle and some other knick knacks:


Memory function switches for the driver seat:


Typical window control console with ORVM controls. Only the front windows have auto up and down:


Front seats are broad and very comfortable. The cushioning is on point and the side bolstering offers good support. They're ventilated and heated as well:


The driver seat is 10-way power adjustable with lumbar adjustment...


...while the front passenger seat gets 8-way power adjustment:


Bose amplifier is placed under the front passenger seat:


Footwell is similar to the previous generation car. Pedals are well spaced out and the accelerator pedal is of the ergonomically-friendly organ type (related thread):


ORVMs are perfectly sized and offer a good view of the action at the rear. They're not heated though like in the outgoing Tucson:


ADAS shows a red warning triangle in the ORVMs when you are changing lanes and there's a vehicle in your blind spot. It detects bikes as well:


Auto-dimming IRVM is wide, but the thick C-pillars restrict the rear view:


Quarter glasses help with the rear view, but you'd rather be using the 360-degree camera and the ADAS blind spot monitoring feature while reversing out of a parking lot:


Centre console looks clean and uncluttered and is visibly tilted towards the driver for a cockpit-like experience:


The Tucson gets a Bose 8-speaker sound system with one speaker sitting on top of the dashboard:


Giant rectangular panel houses the central air vents, a 10.25-inch touchscreen head-unit and HVAC controls:


Touchscreen has a crisp display and is very slick to operate. Visibility is good even under direct sunlight. In the Multi-air mode, there are multiple options to choose from for the climate control settings. You can even have pleasant sounds of nature playing in the background while relaxing in the back seat. There are different settings for the driver assistance system and you can choose to turn off the ones that you don't want to use. Something unique about this touchscreen is that it also has a blue light filter! Very cool:


Audio system has plenty of settings to tune it to your liking as well as speed-dependent volume control. Climate control has unique settings like prevention of washer fluid scent into the cabin and automatic activation of air circulation upon entering a tunnel. Another unique thing is that the screen displays the driver seat adjustments on the screen. There are many navigation settings that will display the info you need on the screen:


360-degree cameras have an excellent resolution! You also get guidelines for maneuvering precisely:


HVAC controls get touch-sensitive buttons. There's a small screen in the middle that just looks like it's lifted from the outgoing car. This is a dual-zone climate control system. Check out the Diffuse button at the bottom; it opens the small holes on the dashboard for an even flow of air:


At the base of the centre fascia are 2 USB ports, a 12V power outlet and a wireless charging pad. There's also a small squarish space on the side to keep loose change:


Very stylish and premium-looking gear lever. The brushed silver and piano black finish go well together:


Centre console houses the switches for the drive mode selector, parking sensors, downhill control, 360-degree camera and auto-hold surrounding the electronic parking brake. Interestingly, the parking brake doesn't show a different colour when engaged. Would've expected it to turn red/orange when engaged:


Next to it, there are a couple of cupholders with a rubber base and spring-loaded guides to accommodate different sizes of cups. One of these guides was broken in our test car:


On the base of the centre armrest are the controls for the seat ventilation and heating:


Centre armrest is wide with a deep storage bin below it:


Glovebox is quite spacious and illuminated. However, it doesn't get ventilation and a pen holder like the previous generation Tucson (reference image):


Sunroof control panel is pretty simple with a single button for the operation of the sunshade and sunroof:


Seems to be a bug in our test car as the sunroof didn't open all the way. We tried to open it more and no matter what setting, it did not slide more than this:


Rear doorpads follow the same black and light grey colour scheme as the front. However, the top part of the rear door pads is hard plastic and the door pockets can only hold a half-litre bottle:


Ingress & egress is easy. Both front seats have seatback pockets:


A look at the maximum and minimum legroom available:


Boss controls to push the front passenger seat forward and even change its recline angle:


Vid6639 (6'1") getting super comfy with the front seat pushed all the way forward and the backrest reclined to the max:


Here's him wondering if he should've waited and bought the Tucson instead of his Kodiaq. With the front seat adjusted to his driving position, he still had enough legroom. Headroom is also healthy and the centre armrest is set at a comfortable height. This is one of the best rear seats in the segment:


Rear bench isn't wide enough for 3 adults to travel comfortably. Although it's good to see that the middle passenger gets a headrest and a 3-point seatbelt too:


The rear passengers get A/C vents and...


...two USB ports:


Roofliner feels premium. Sunroof and adequate glass area make sure that the cabin doesn't feel claustrophobic:


Retractable luggage screen is useful to hide the stored cargo. Very nice. You can't place anything on top as it will slide around (can't hold a lot of weight either):


540 litres of boot space is good for carrying a family's weekend luggage:


Folding the seatbacks down gives you much larger cargo capacity:


Spare wheel is a 17-inch space saver shod with a T135/90 D17 tyre:


In the old Tucson, if you didn't want the luggage screen, you could place it on the boot floor and lock it in place in the slots on the sides. In the new car, the locks are at the bottom. So, if you have to lock the luggage screen, you cannot do so without removing the spare wheel - a design flaw:


You can fold the rear seats down by pulling this lever in the boot. There's a 12V socket and a single boot lamp on the left of the boot:


Tailgate gets full cladding on the inside:


Black bar at the top of this picture is the request sensor to open the tailgate from the outside while the button below is to close the tailgate. You can close the tailgate using the request sensor as well. Grabrail seems redundant on the signature variant with two buttons to close the smart tailgate. Platinum variant gets a manual tailgate, which is where you would need this grab handle to close the boot:


Disclaimer: Hyundai invited Team-BHP for the Tucson test-drive. They covered all the travel expenses for this driving event. Also, credit for some of the images goes to Hyundai & their team of photographers!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[TejasV]

Thanks for the great review. The first question in my mind was if I can get an X1 by spending just a few lacs more, would I buy this? Its a great car but I think it is overpriced by 5 lacs atleast to make a mark.

[automowheels]

Exceptionally detailed review as always, thanks a ton! Reading this review and having gone through a couple others, it doesn't appear that the car has been able to garner a lot of excitement as have some others (like the XUV700 or Scorpio N) in the recent times; which is disappointing. But surely, there's a lot for most of us prospective buyers to consider with the prices being much higher than expected.

[sunikkat]

Thanks for a detailed review.

Honestly nothing exciting about the car, for me. For this price, I was expecting more or equally fun to drive than Germans. Also softer suspension set up is another turn off personally. Now this is again like other Hyundai’s- jack of all trades and master of none. Anyway I am planning to go for a test drive after the initial rush.

But I am sure for someone looking at futuristic, tech laden and premium SUV with great features this will be a good buy. But with the pricing and brand value of Hyundai, not sure how this will perform in the long run.

[revver]

Excellent review. Even though I am not a fan of the design, I must say the exterior shots taken are so good. Appreciate the photography

Seems to be a well engineered product. Nice to see the convenient air filter accessibility. Thanks to point it out & its only in T-BHP reviews that we see such details .

[fhdowntheline]

I wonder if an Alcazar would be a better choice for those who want a petrol engine as it offers most of the feel good features and then some more in terms of flex seating/ boot space. I think Hyundai should have provided a turbo petrol engine for the Tucson to differentiate.

[achyutaghosh]

Lovely review of a lovely looking car, that is probably let down only by optimistic pricing and the overall customer brand perception.
Now look forward to some good ownership reviews!.

Frankly, pricing of cars today looks like real estate land grabs so nothing to say on that. But Hyundai will really need to work on their customers to make them spend 40 big ones on the Tucson. They have been in India for 25 years now and still have not been able to crack the 15 lakh+ segment. Case in point- Creta which has long waiting periods, but Alcazar which is available off the shelf, even though its a few lakhs more than the Creta.

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by TejasV

Thanks for the great review. The first question in my mind was if I can get an X1 by spending just a few lacs more, would I buy this? Its a great car but I think it is overpriced by 5 lacs atleast to make a mark.

I think the tucson is overpriced too but you will have to pay around 8-10l more for an X1. The X1 is severely overpriced in my opinion, especially since BMW got rid of the discounts, the AWD model and did a lot of cost savings in order to make it more profitable post 2020. The interiors are also severely outdated. Just step into the new 2 series or 3 series and compare that with the X1. It is a generation old and the completely new model has already been revealed internationally. Overpaying for an outdated, inferior product just for the badge value doesn't seem very appealing.

[TusharK]

Hyundai Tucson commands a waiting period of up to 10 months

The fourth generation Hyundai Tucson was launched in India earlier this week. The carmaker has now revealed the waiting period for the SUV, which stretches from 8-10 months.



The Tucson is available in two trims: Platinum and Signature, with prices starting at Rs. 27.70 lakh (ex-showroom). Hyundai aims to sell 5,000 units of the SUV in India, which is about 400 units per month.

The Tucson is powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine that makes 154 BHP and 192 Nm and a 2.0-litre diesel that makes 183 BHP and 416 Nm. While the former comes with a 6-speed automatic, the diesel engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission. An all-wheel-drive system is available on the Signature Diesel variant.

Link to Team-BHP News

[ajayc123]

A very balanced review. Thanks.

When are the deliveries starting? And how many cars are they planning to deliver per month ? That will give us some real sense about the ground situation on the 8-10 m waiting period claims juxtaposed with demand.

With the projected ability to deliver 500 cars per month, and 3000 pre-bookings, the 8-10 months waiting period is hard to arrive at.