Hyundai have armed their popular SUV with looks to stay in touch with the best in the business, Toyota’s RAV 4 & the CX-5 from Mazda.
As we pulled into the carpark where our Tucson test car was waiting, it was clear the styling department at Hyundai had raided the “toughness cupboard”. A frontend that fills a rear-view mirror and taillights which you can see the moon from, (see what we did there?) Hyundai have armed their popular SUV with looks to stay in touch with the best in the business, Toyota’s RAV 4 & the CX-5 from Mazda.
Check out our reviews of those cars here & here.
For our review, we sat behind the wheel of the entry model Tucson, but by tacking the words ‘Elite’ or ‘Highlander’ to the back tailgate, Hyundai gives us another two variants to choose from. As you would expect, the extra badge comes with extra goodies, including a good-sized central touchscreen from the Elite up, heated and ventilated seats for front seat occupants of the Highlander, along with warmth from heating in the rear seats.
Across all variants, Hyundai gets the Nick nod of approval by installing air vents for rear row passengers.
Ranging from $34,500* to $46,000* (depending on variant and how many option boxes you tick), the Tucson represents decent value for money even with a small price rise on the previous model.
Electric tailgate, sunroof, bigger wheels, LED headlights and taillights, give the Highlander a premium feel, but we think the happy ground is the Elite which sits between this and the vehicle we tested.
Mid-size SUV’s run the risk of being completely uninspiring, as often their sole purpose is to plod around town. But the Tucson can mix it up a little and cruise along the highway without too much cabin noise, delivering a combined fuel average of circa 8.2l/100km, and give the driver confidence with its ride and handling.
The 2.0 litre 4 cylinder, coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission, could do with a little more “oomph” driving those front wheels and we were surprised that given Hyundai’s push to the future, a Hybrid option won’t join the current 2.0 litre petrol, 2.0 litre turbo diesel and soon to come 1.6 litre turbo petrol engine range.
Fold the second row flat and extend the boot space to over 1850 litres for bigger items or fill every seating position and have access to the 539 easily accessible litres of luggage space. And if you’re worried that not everyone sitting in your shiny, new Tucson comes in “Nick Spec”, our six foot, filming extraordinaire, Julien, could sit comfortably in any seat.
A good chunk of the motor vehicle market in Australia is dominated by mid-size SUV’s and we think the 2021 Tucson can definitely keep its place as one of the most popular options on our roads. And with a five year/unlimited kilometre warranty it makes for great peace of mind motoring.
All New Hyundai Tucson
Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol
Power and torque: 115kW at 6200rpm, 192Nm at 4500rpm
Transmission: Six-speed torque-converter automatic
Kerb Weight: 1590kg
Fuel Consumption: (claimed) 8.1L/100km.
*plus On Road Costs
AUTHOR
Nick Kotsonis | Corporate Relations
T 03 8768 5777
E nickk@eziway.net.au