2022 Hyundai Tucson review: We see if the flagship Highlander turbo-petrol is a good family SUV
You know how top tennis players can sometimes have a bad day and, while they still perform well, they’re not their usual superhuman selves? Well, I feel that way about this Tucson.
See, Hyundai has a track record of producing cars that are so good to drive that when I drove this new Tucson I was disappointed that it wasn’t an enormous leap ahead from the old old. And, even more surprisingly, in some ways it’s not as good as the previous Tucson.
I’m making the new one sound terrible to drive, but it’s not. The handling is good, the visibility is excellent, it’s comfortable, the engine has lots of grunt and acceleration is quick for this class of SUV.
The one part that’s letting the driving experience down is the transmission. The way this dual-clutch automatic operates is far from smooth at lower speeds. Combine this feeling of indecisive gear changes with hills and the result is a car that creates an uneasy sensation.
It’s disappointing because everything else is there to make this car great to drive. To get back to the tennis thing, it’s just that its serve is off, and this transmission doesn’t cope easily with anything other than highway driving.
I’ve spoken to Hyundai about the dual-clutch and I was told that if customers are unhappy with the transmission performance they can contact Hyundai who will be able to ‘re-tune’ it. I’d be taking them up on that offer, personally.
It may also take you time to get used to the actual gear shifter in the Tucson – it’s button operated (see the photos) and that meant I had to look down each time to find Drive and Reverse.
On the plus side, as a family car, the Tucson has a composed and comfortable ride, while retaining a sporty feel.
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