All the good & bad bits of my 2023 Tucson after 10,000 km of ownership

Tucson is an all-rounder which can even face off cars that are 2-3 times more expensive.

BHPian Livnletcarsliv recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I completed my first (10K) service in August 2023 (car purchased on Feb 24th, 2023).

Let me start with the rants first or rather I would say unpleasant surprises.

1. Failure of EGR actuator - In the month of July, one fine day in the morning, when I was driving, suddenly I experienced the RPM/rev counter not working normally. The RPM won't climb above a certain number (IIRC, rpm won't go beyond 1.8K/2K). However, there was no problem with the speed of the car. I reached home with not so much of a fuss. The next day when I drove the car, the issue somehow vanished and it was all normal. In the evening again the issue occurs. Somehow this was happening on and off. On the third day, when I was driving to the SC, finally I got the engine malfunction display warning. The SC took a good 2-3 days (they said they go screening one-by-one as per the SOP) to identify the issue (when they replaced the actuator of my car with that of the demo car for testing). Finally, the replacement part was ordered and fixed under warranty.

Looks like the new Tucson uses a fully electronically controlled EGR actuator which is similar to the Santa Fe that was sold in India. Even the previous generation Tucson was using a mechanically controlled actuator.

Hyundai India (R&D) is now analysing the issue which I think is a fantastic move. This entire episode was handled well by the SC as well as Hyundai. I am satisfied with this. Appreciation to the SC (Kun Hyundai) as well as Hyundai.

2. Rear left suspension issue - In my earlier post, I did mention the noise from the rear left side and how I fixed it. However, my diagnosis was wrong and it did not fix the noise. In fact, the noise got louder when the car was fully loaded (with 5 people or with luggage). Again the SC was brought into the picture. The SC identified the culprit which was the suspension spring and it was dislodged and misaligned slightly. This usually can happen in off-road vehicles as the spring/suspension movement/articulation is high. However, for Tucson, this cannot/should not happen. Again Hyundai is analysing the issue.

Again a fuss-free experience with both the SC and Hyundai.

Overall, these 2 issues are absolutely unpleasant and I was slightly unhappy with the product. However, I should also point out that the SC support and experience were really good enough to just ignore these issues and live to drive. No car is perfect, no brand is perfect, but the experience when something goes wrong is what matters the most. And kudos to Hyundai for that.

Well, here is my overall product and ownership experience in the last 6 months/10K kms and completing the first service.

Must improve in

1. Headlights – It is not bad but it is not good enough either. The throw is very good. However, the brightness/intensity is insufficient. The intensity needs an improvement even in normal conditions, let alone rainy/foggy conditions. Hyundai should fix this. XUV700 probably uses a similar technology but lights up the road well enough with no complaints. I am already looking for an upgrade. While there are good enough aftermarket upgrades available, it is not a simple plug-and-play replacement since the bulb set-up cannot be removed separately in Tucson. So I am still waiting for the right solution and upgrade.
2. Audio system – The Bose set-up is absolutely mediocre and worthless IMO. For such an expensive car, the sound system should have been much better. For comparison, the sound systems in Hector and Harrier are way better and both the cars cost about 50% of Tucson. Apparently, Seltos, Creta and Verna also come with the same sound system.

Very good in

1. Refinement – Many of my friends even asked whether is it petrol or diesel. Hyundai diesels are known for refinement and it shows. The noise insulation is good enough and lets you be cocooned from the world outside. I am sure the petrol Tucson will be even more quieter.
2. Ride – Tucson suspension is on the softer side compared to say a Tiguan (stiffest so far) and Harrier/Compass. This translates to a plush ride at all speeds and absolutely pampers you in all ways. My wife says that she immediately feels drowsy during long drives especially when she is at the back. This also translates to soft handling compared to a Compass/Tiguan. Tucson is not a corner craver like Compass/Tiguan. The highway flyover joints will be felt and make the drive unsettled when driven aggressively. Of course, it is much better than a Hector/Gloster or even the previous-generation Tucson. Please note that I did not touch the C5 (I never liked that car from day 1 itself) as it is known for its ride comfort.
3. Space – Enough space for all 5 and luggage.
4. Power and performance – Always available more than enough. It can easily keep you at triple-digit speeds all day. And overtaking is a breeze.
5. Quality – This is like no other Hyundai in India (except I5). The quality, build, fit and finish are top-notch for the price. In fact, it competes with the luxury segment in all these aspects.

Could have been better in

1. Practicality – Storage could have been slightly better (I comparing this with a Harrier)
2. Interior colour choice – At least Hyundai should give us an option of a dark colour be at a slight premium of 10-20K.
3. Hyundai should update the ADAS feature to permanently keep the emergency braking switched off/warning only when selected appropriately. It is definitely a hassle to switch off every time when we start the engine. The new Seltos already comes with this update. Just a software update will do.
4. There is a slight turbo lag at slow speeds. Especially when kicking down during overtaking inside city limits. Of course, since this is a soft handler and TC transmission, it exceeds its expectations with its inherent character.
5. Rear sun blinds could have been good to have.

Other observations to note

1. Tucson is a true example of a crossover. It neither sits low nor high. In fact, Tucson is closer to a sedan than an SUV in terms of driving style and behaviour. Harrier, Compass, and Tiguan are more SUVish than Tucson, especially on uneven roads.
2. The Trip meter resets every time when there is an engine stop–start. However, in order to get the full trip data during long journeys, the accumulated info can be reset which can give the full trip details (like Trip A/B in other cars).
3. In other countries, the switches of the ventilated & heated seats are placed in front of the gear lever which I think is ergonomically better placed than how it is placed in India. Occasionally, I hit the heated/ventilated switches.
4. During the first service, the SC by default only uses a semi-synthetic oil (which is as per the Hyundai standards). However, I was very specific to use fully synthetic oil (which is again as per Hyundai standards). It cost me an extra of around 8K for the Servo fully synthetic oil. Generally, SCs don't use Shell as it is slightly more expensive than Servo. As long as it is within Hyundai standards, you can use both.

Overall, Tucson is an all-rounder which can even face off cars that are 2-3 times more expensive. And my experience so far with Hyundai (including my previous ownership) and the SC (Kun Hyundai) has been good. Tucson WILL and MUST be a strong contender based on what one is looking for in this segment/budget.

I don’t know if I have covered everything here, but this is just a gist of my experience with Tucson. I am more than happy to clarify anything else if I have missed out.

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