The new Hyundai Tucson is slated to appear in the showrooms in the coming months. Here’s a sneak peek of what to expect.
How much can you learn about a car in 3km on a closed course? We’ll find out in a moment.
A handful of laps on perfectly smooth tarmac is not the way we would normally approach an important new car.
However, the first is completely new Hyundai Tucson There are still a few more months to the local showrooms in six years, and this final validation prototype is your first chance to get behind the wheel for a sneak peek of what to expect.
This particular example cannot be driven on public roads by anyone outside the company.
So here we are on a car club circuit, a couple of hours drive southwest of Sydney, very close to the new Hyundai Tucson.
To paraphrase Motorsatire Sniff Petrol’s website, after standing near the new Hyundai SUV for about 10 minutes, we went to the other side for about the same amount of time.
We also need to take care of the front seat, the back seat and the trunk.
After that we were able to drive a few laps while we left a little tread on the tires for the time window of the next journalist.
So a few brief observations from our 3 km test drive: The double clutch automatically adapted to the 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine with turbocharger is still fidgety, and the lack of volume or tuning buttons on the infotainment would be frustrating in everyday life.
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But the engine is relatively quiet and the overall refinement was fair for the class (on a perfectly smooth road surface).
It doesn’t make much sense to give a glimpse into tire grip or steering feel as these Nexen tires are unlikely to make it on Australian supplied examples. We hope Hyundai Australia will choose high quality Continental or Michelin rubber, as has been the case with a number of new models recently.
The experience we’ve had with other Nexen tires on other cars shows that this is not the way for the company to put its best foot (tire?) Forward.
What we can tell you is that when the new generation Hyundai Tucson hits stores in Australia in the middle of the year, there will be three model classes – and a choice of three engines.
The base model comes with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder matched to a six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive.
The next two model classes – Elite and Highlander – also offer a choice between turbochargers 1.6 liter gasoline and seven-speed dual clutch car or a 2.0 liter turbo diesel paired with an eight-speed car. Both are tuned for all-wheel drive.
The N Line package (suitable for example in these photos) is available for all three model classes. For a more detailed breakdown of each model, click here.
Prices are to be announced, but the The current Hyundai Tucson ranges from $ 30,000 to $ 50,000 plus road costs.
The Tucson is one of the most important new models from Hyundai. It’s the company’s second largest seller behind the i30 hatch – and the Tucson has been among the top three sellers in its segment in recent years.
The latest generation Hyundai Tucson is completely new and signals a new direction in design for the South Korean automaker.
With two dozen competitors in this particular SUV segment, the folded flanks and the daring appearance of the front and rear that are supposed to set the new Hyundai Tucson apart from the crowd.
The dramatic wing-shaped fairy lights are daytime running lights or parking lights.
The low beam and high beam headlights are located in the lower area of the front bumper.
The taillights are funky too, perhaps inspired by the Ford Mustang.
The new Hyundai Tucson has grown in every dimension and will be available with technology previously unavailable for this model.
Top-end examples have fully digital instrumentation and a widescreen infotainment system – and there are push-button controls for the automatic transmission.
While this was a prototype, it is evident that Hyundai gave the cabin an elevator made with better quality materials – and the option of premium audio.
High quality models are available with heated front and rear seats, and the front passenger seat can be moved from the driver’s seat position with the push of a button.
With the growth spurt, there is additional freedom of movement in the front and back. There is a little more knee room and a little more headroom in the back seat than before.
There are rear vents (as before) but now there are two USB charging ports. So far there has not been any for passengers in the back seat.
The rear seat also has two ISOFIX child seat attachment points and three upper tether straps.
The backrest is split 60-40 to create extra cargo space and you can adjust the backrest angle.
An incredible one-two punch, Hyundai has managed to combine a massive trunk and still deliver a full-size replacement tire with all models.
A full suite of advanced safety technologies will be standard on all model classes, including emergency braking, blind zone warning, rear cross traffic warning and lane keeping assistance.
Seven airbags – including a central airbag between the occupants of the front seats -, a reversing camera and individual tire pressure controls are also part of the standard package.
However, Hyundai does not yet have technology to recognize speed signs.
After a (very) short steering of the top-class N-Line version of the Hyundai Tucson, which is powered by the 1.6-liter turbo gasoline engine and tuned to all-wheel drive, we can report that the first impressions were good.
However, we reserve the right to use judgment until we can test the new Hyundai Tucson on the ground of real roads.
MORE: All Hyundai
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Note: With no pricing or road trip – and after testing one of three engine options – we decided not to evaluate this vehicle until we were reviewing its launch in the coming months.
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