Hyundai Tucson Review: The quintessential SUV, made of money

Here’s a little analogy for you, imagine, if the Hyundai i20 was a plain t-shirt, then the i20 N Line would be the same t-shirt but with your favourite F1 team’s logo on it. So if the Creta, is a crisp white shirt, the new fourth-generation Tucson is a three-piece suit! Launched at Rs. 27.70 lakh, ex-showroom, the Tucson has declared and very unabashedly, I must say, a price for it. Especially for the higher variants, but we’ll come to that in a bit. Let’s take a moment to marvel the inspired bodywork. 

Hyundai Tucson: Designed for luxury

The new Tucson is bigger, taller and wider than its predecessor and being the new long-wheelbase version, will be an attraction for the chauffeur-driven Indian market along with the bougie family man/woman. Hyundai has managed to mix edgy and contemporary with its sharp bodywork, LED parametrics, a dark gray grille and toning it down with subtle bodypaint. 

From the side, one might even mistake it for a coupe-SUV, due to a brushed metal trim piece that connects the front to the rear. It stands on 18-inch alloy wheels roofed under almost square-shaped arches and offers a ground clearance of 181mm. 

The rear gets busy and beautiful, much in cahoots with the front. It has a smartly hidden rear wiper tucked under the roof-mounted spoiler. There’s a slim band of LEDs running across the width of the tailgate that opens with a single-touch button.

Hyundai Tucson: Spaced out

The Hyundai Tuscon gets an interior that oomphs space and technology. There’s a bunch of mixed materials all across like the gloss black centre console, that holds the 10.25-inch digital dial screen that holds all your major touch controls such as for the AC, music, etc. As a crusader for physical buttons, I find the all-touch mechanism a little restrictive. Especially when you’re driving and wish to turn down or change the aircon, one has to look down and locate the switch. 

Nevertheless, the two-tone cabin is a bright place to be and the almost Rs. 30-lakh product placement of the new Tuscon shows in the quality. The seats are light gray leatherette and they show stains quite easily. The driver’s seat is power adjustable in 10 ways while the passenger seat gets 8 adjustments. They are comfortable, and supportive and get ventilation and heating as well. 

The rear offers ample leg room to stretch out, even for tall passengers. The huge panoramic sunroof makes the cabin light up well and gives a sense of even more space. The shoulder room is enough for a maximum of two adults. Although it misses out on blinds, it gets rear AC vents, and cupholders at the centre and there are no points deducted for the cushioning as well. The passengers sit nice and low but if you’re one of those who prefer looking out and ahead, you’ll find the seats a bit low. The under-thigh support could’ve been better as well.  

The boot is a capacious 590-litres that can be further increased by folding the seats in a 60:40 setup. 

Hyundai Tucson: Safety 

The Tuscon is all about the Level 2 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) that offers adaptive cruise control,, lane departure warning and assist, emergency auto braking, blind spot warning lane watch camera, driver attention monitor, 360-degree cameras and much more. As per Hyundai, the system is tailor-made for Indian road conditions and most of the system features aren’t intrusive. 

 Here’s an in-depth review of Tucson’s ADAS system below. 

Hyundai Tucson: Choice of engines, gearboxes and performance

Just like its predecessor, the 2022 Hyundai Tucson get a 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol mated to a 6-speed torque-converter automatic, and a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel mated to an 8-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. There’s no manual gearbox and the option of an AWD is limited to the top of the line diesel variant.

We drove the diesel 4WD and this powertrain produces 186bhp and 416Nm of torque and the engine is loud. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an entirely bad thing. It’s a well-toned sound, far away from being brash. The 8-speed automatic is unbelievably smooth and does its duty without a hint of any jerk. There’s no paddle shifters with the Tuscon, and I didn’t miss them for a minute. Since it is capable of being a family SUV, it likes a driver with a relaxed foot. But, in case of an overtake, it growls with a promise that it was never asleep. There are 4 drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Smart that don’t offer a lot of differencein the driving style.

Hyundai Tucson: Rides looking like a tank, handles like a jet

The big 18-inch 235/60 tyres give the Tucson a very aggressive and confident stance that will put a smile on your face. Yes, you will move around the cabin while smiling (bodyroll FTW), but you will be glad for sure. Potholes and speedbreakers are absorbed well and Hyundai being known for its nimble and easy-to-maneuver handling, does a pretty good job both in the city and up on the highway. It’s high-speed stability is commendable, although I would’ve preferred a wheel that weighs up post hitting the 80kmph mark. 

Hyundai Tucson: Verdict

Expensive. Expensive. Expensive. Yes, the Rs. 27.70 ex-showroom price looks lucrative but the top diesel AWD that holds most of the sporty-SUV fit and feel will make you shell out more than Rs. 35 lakhs. At this price it’s more expensive than the top trims of the Jeep Compass and even the Volkswagen Tiguan. But Hyundai has something no one does, a massive list of deliverables and an iron-clad delivery network. From safety tech to creature comfort, potent engines and the Korean trust, it has everything. All it asks, do you have a big enough wallet for it?