It’s fair to say that mid-size SUVs remain the segment that Australians love as much as everyone else – apart from perhaps double cabins. Hyundai’s new Tucson is on the rise to take on Toyota and Mazda.
Advantages and disadvantages
advantages
- New styling is sharp and eye-catching
- Interior quality and ergonomics are excellent
- Cabin insulation and finishing are exceptional
disadvantage
- Lower grades miss out on some inclusions that should be standard
- 2.0 liter NA petrol engine won’t be the choice
- The prices have risen across the range
There is no doubt about the importance of the mid-size SUV segment in the Australian auto landscape. Dominated by the RAV4 and CX-5, the new 2022 Hyundai Tucson enters the fray with three model classes, three engines, three transmissions, and either FWD or AWD.
Strangely enough, despite the popularity of the hybrid drive under the skin of the segment-leading RAV4, there is no PHEV or no hybrid variant.
While Hyundai is undoubtedly looking ahead as a brand with all kinds of future technologies in development, it seems strange that one of the key segments in Australia is going to see it doesn’t offer a hybrid of any kind. This is all the more true given the popularity of the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which has met with a great response from buyers.
See our Pricing and Specification Guide for the full breakdown. To start with, we’re driving the entry-level Hyundai Tucson (that’s the full model name) in all three trim levels – Tucson, Tucson Elite and Tucson Highlander.
The cheapest Tucson is the base model of the same name that we tested at launch $ 34,500 before road costs.
Later, a 1.6-liter turbo gasoline engine was added to the range together with a 2.0-liter turbo diesel. Currently, however, it is the 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a naturally aspirated engine, six-speed automatic and FWD.
Outputs from 115 kW and 192 Nm are fair rather than impressive, and the engine has to work to perform at its best. The ADR fuel requirement for the combined cycle is 8.1 l / 100 km. During the launch test, we used a specified one with a hefty amount of simple land cruises and highway trips 8.9 l / 100 km. On a solid freeway with no hard work, that number dropped to 8.2 l / 100 km.
| 2022 Hyundai Tucson | |
| engine | 2.0-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine |
| Power and torque | 115 kW at 6200 rpm, 192 Nm at 4500 rpm |
| transmission | Six-speed automatic torque converter |
| Drive type | Front wheel drive |
| Empty weight | 1590 kg |
| Fuel consumption (claimed) | 8.1 l / 100 km |
| Fuel consumption during the test | 8.9 l / 100 km |
| Trunk size (five-seat / two-seat) | 539L / 1860L |
| ANCAP Security Rating (Year) | Untested |
| Guarantee (years / km) | Five years / unlimited kilometers |
| Main competitors | Toyota RAV4, Mazda CX-5, Nissan X-Trail |
| Price as tested (drive-away) | $ 34,500 |
You may also like
show more
At the start we tested Base Tucson, Mid-Grade Elite and Highlander with top range. While the Highlander delivered – as expected – the premium-standard inclusion strategy we’ve come to expect from Hyundai, the entry-level certainly doesn’t feel like a “cheap” SUV. There are some omissions – halogen headlights instead of LEDs, for example – but even the entry-level Tucson is reasonably priced.
The 2.0-liter engine is also available with Elite and Highlander equipment variants from $ 39,000 and $ 46,000 each before the road costs.
The list of standard inclusions is for all common suspects. The range topper has 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, dark chrome trim, silver highlights, an electric tailgate and a panoramic sliding roof.
In the cabin, the Highlander receives a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, LED ambient lighting, heated and ventilated seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a memory seat for the driver, an electric passenger seat and a Bose with eight speakers Premium audio system.
The 10.25-inch central touchscreen, which comes from Elite, is also a winner and convinces the medium-weight Tucson. At launch, we tested Apple CarPlay and it worked reliably once connected, while the system itself was quick to respond and easy to navigate.
The digital driver display in the Highlander is a premium addition that you may still be used to seeing in much more expensive vehicles.
There is a lot of space in the cabin, which is of crucial importance for the family buyer in this segment. Put one six foot in the front seat and there is enough space in the second row for another six foot without being cramped. The seats are comfortable, the view over the four main seats is excellent and the cabin feels light and airy. We tackled a solid three hour run from Sydney in each direction for our take off drive and the cabin is a good place to be.
The trunk is also useful: 539 liters is expanded to 1860 liters with the second row folded flat.
There is no doubt that midsize SUVs are the hot ticket for Australian family buyers in 2021 (outside of double cabins, of course), and the Tucson’s cabin ambience and comfort make it high on the stack with that in mind.
The most obvious area that the Tucson will fail – aside from predictive powertrains – is in some of the smaller spec inclusions.
For example, the base model gets a full-size replacement part (tick) but halogen headlights (cross). Given the sharp design of the new Tucson and the strong presence on the road, the old-tech lights look out of place against the attractive LED signature of the daytime running lights. Rural buyers also appreciate high-end lighting, so this is a factor worth mentioning.
You also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the base model, which is a good shot, but you’ll have to edit them through a smaller 8.0-inch screen. Neither of these things is a deal breaker, mind you. I just think they could actually improve the Tucson’s selling point.
One thing that our take-off drive clearly did was we eagerly waited to drive the 1.6-liter turbo gasoline and 2.0-liter turbo diesel engines.
While the 2.0-liter gasoline engine is perfectly adequate in the city, it pushes it outside of his comfort zone when asked to stretch his legs on country roads, hills, overtaking trucks, and the like. You have to get it to the max of 6200rpm to get it moving with a sense of urgency and it doesn’t love to do it.
The transmission is soft enough – a six-speed car in the case of the 2.0-liter gasoline – but it spends some time looking for the right gear ratio on kickdown and you can get it out of it in the wrong gear at 50 mph For example, if you have to accelerate to 110 km / h in an overtaking zone.
Again, it’ll do the job you ask it to do, just not as easily as we’d like it to. In the city, however, at normal traffic speed, it behaves without much fuss.
The new Tucson drives exactly as we would expect. That is, competent and convenient. The chassis is more tied and balanced than the intended buyer will ever ask for, and the steering and shock absorption are excellent too. It stays comfortable and composed at all times, even on nastier, corrugated surfaces. We loved how it handled the typical mix of Australian country roads with no tire out of place.
In addition, the ambience and insulation in the cabin is fantastic. The Tucson is quiet on any road surface up to 110 km / h. It’s beautifully free from wind noise, tire noise and anything else that could otherwise affect the feeling of quality in the cabin. One of the hard to define aspects of a premium cabin is insulation, and the Tucson is excellent in that regard. It’s another string on his bow that indicates his long-range touring ability.
The 2022 Hyundai Tucson is in the top three in this country in terms of sales and with good reason. It’s a high quality, well-specified SUV that makes a strong argument in such a competitive environment. We look forward to driving the other engine and transmission combo, but at first glance, the smart money seems to be higher in the area where you are getting real quality for your money.
MORE: Tucson News and Reviews
MORE: All Hyundai
Breakdown of our ratings
7.8
Interior comfort & packaging
8.0
Infotainment & connectivity
Comments are closed.