Hyundai seems to have got its groove on design-wise of late, the cute little Inster electric hatch winning plenty of admiring looks while the blocky Santa Fe answers the question of what happens if you design your SUV using Minecraft. The result actually proving a lot cooler than that sounds. Now it’s the turn of the big-selling Tucson, always a key part of the Hyundai line-up and strong contender in the incredibly competitive mid-size SUV market. And for this all-new Tucson it’s moved its styling game on yet again, the ‘Art of Steel’ design language sure to stand out in a sea of otherwise identikit rivals.
New Tucson lands into the heart of the Hyundai range, and the fiercely competitive mid-size SUV sector
Distinctive exterior design combined with equally stylish interior combining looks and family-friendly functionality
Longer, taller and wider than its predecessor, the new Tucson also has wider-opening doors than before to boost its family credentials
Non-hybrid manual a curious throwback to a previous automotive age but likely there to hit a price-point – expect most buyers to go for electrically assisted autos!
More on price and availability to follow!
Design and models available
Hyundai design has been getting steadily bolder and more distinctive, the new Tucson picking up this idea and running with its blocky shape and aggressively sculpted panels. Which, amid a sea of generic looking rivals, gets it off to a strong start. Slim ‘H-Edge’ headlights slice through the front bodywork while LED rear lights offer an equally distinctive visual signature. It’s a perhaps more aggressive looking car than previous Tucsons, and more classically SUV in overall proportions. Don’t be fooled, though – most will be front-wheel drive only and only the plug-in hybrid gets the all-wheel drive the tough looks aspire to. Bigger in every direction, the new Tucson will certainly make for an imposing sight on the school run as well. A “further dynamically styled Tucson version” is promised for the Paris show in a couple of weeks, so we’ll wait to see what that brings to the party.
Interior and tech
The sense of style continues inside as well, the new Tucson’s cabin neatly combining premium touches with a level-headed focus on practicality, too. You get that in the combination of soft-touch materials on the doors and dash, digital instruments and central screen, the latter upgradeable from the regular 12.9-inch display to a frankly ridiculous 17.0-inch option for those with a massive flat-screen on the living room wall wanting a sense of the same in their car. These are powered by a new Android-based Pleos Connect operating system with AI-powered voice control for those happy chatting with machines. If that has you all self-conscious fear not, there are still physical switches for the basics below the screen. Below that is a large storage shelf for your bits and bobs, the tall central armrest including two wireless device chargers while in the back the modular AddGear mounting system lets you customise your surroundings with phone mounts, tablet carriers, fragrance diffusers and, it says here, “other lifestyle focused solutions” as your tastes demand.
Engines
All Tucsons use the same turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine as their core means of propulsion, the manual the only one without any hybrid assistance. Upgrading to the automatic gets you a mild-hybrid boost, the ‘full’ hybrid offering a more meaningful level of electrification while the plug-in can cover the best part of 50 miles without firining up the petrol engine at all. Performance figures all look appropriate for a family vehicle of this type, the plug-in the fastest and most powerful all things relative.
Price and release
In such a crowded and competitive sector of the market pricing will be key, Hyundai still crunching the numbers and keeping cards close to its chest at the time of writing. Watch this space.
What other cars from Hyundai are due this year?
Hyundai’s electrified range continues to grow alongside core models like the Tucson, the impressively affordable Ioniq 3 also landing in showrooms soon.
What other cars that are upcoming will this compete with?
Literally everything else on the road, or so it feels at times! With facelifts and new models landing all the time from both mainstream brands and fresh additions from the Chinese newcomers there are simply too many to list!
