Hyundai Tucson

ENG

Sometimes you’re allowed to change your mind more than once. In the case of Hyundai, who has been gradually upping the quality and designs of their products, it’s most certainly permitted.

Their first (local) compact SUV was the Tucson, followed by the ix35 which has been replaced by this… Tucson.

That’s right, Hyundai’s compact SUV is in its third generation and for reasons which don’t really matter, it went back to its original name.

Tucson first appeared in 2005 and sold 22,716 units in five years, followed by about 33,700 ix35’s sold until early this year; that makes up a total of 56,408 unit sales and regular market segment dominance.

The competition hasn’t been asleep though which meant that ix35 slipped from first position in 2014 to third spot in 2015 – behind the newer Toyota RAV4 and Ford Kuga.

Nissan’s fresher X-trail is also in hot pursuit so it was high time for Hyundai to give its G2 (Medium-size SUV) contender a boost.

Besides a new old name, Tucson shines with “Fluidic Sculpture version 2.0 Design” in its bold and striking lines. Projection headlights, LED daytime lights and two-tone bumper trim with shiny skid plates make up the Tucson’s new look.

Depending on the model and options you’ve chosen, it rides on newly-designed 17, 18 or 19-inch alloys.

Inside the cabin you will find all modern conveniences like climate control, cruise control, chilled glove box, reclining rear seats, start button and multifunction steering wheel.

An optional Dvd/multimedia infotainment system with 3D navigation, reverse camera and smartphone interface can be fitted at dealer level for around N$15,000.

Other novelties include door handle and puddle lights, rear cross traffic alert (when pulling out of confined parking spaces), lane change assist and blind spot detection.

The updated vehicle stability control provides crucial driver aids like hill start assist, as well as advanced traction control and ABS with corner torque vectoring.

All new Tucson also feature six airbags, clever seatbelts and ISOFIX anchors to achieve the coveted five stars in a recent EURONCAP crash test. Traction is provided by a frontwheel- drive- biased all- wheeldrive system which can send up to 50% of power to the rear wheels.

New Tucson has also received significant ride improvements when compared to its popular ix35 predecessor.

Most notably, this includes the feedback from customers and deals with notable areas of the previous model - such as the revised suspension setup with extra strengthening and softer damping for better ride quality.

That also goes for ball joints and various steering components to give Tucson a sharper and more controllable feel.

At present, customers may choose between two power units: the 2-litre four cylinder petrol engine (115kw/196nm) carried over from ix35 or a new 1.6 turbo-petrol four cylinder motor nicked from Hyundai’s own Veloster.

In this application, the directinjection turbo-charged petrol motor produces up to 130kw of power at 5,500rpm or a handy 265Nm of torque between just 1,500 and 4,500rpm.

Transmissions include a sixspeed manual or automatic shifter as well as Hyundai’s new seven-speed DCT; a dual-clutch automated manual gearbox.

An even bigger innovation is the manufacturer’s new 7-year or 150,000km warranty which applies to all new Hyundais with very few limitations for certain components.

Depending on engine choice, Tucson is either built in Korea or the Czech Republic and this influences the choice of paint colours (seven vs. eight).

Prices range from N$369,900 for a 2.0 Premium Manual (add N$20,000 for Auto), N$453,900 for 2.0 Elite Auto, N$433,900 for the 1.6 TGDI Executive and N$518,900 for a range-topping 1.6 TGDI Elite DCT.

The old Hyundai virtue of value for money may have gone but it has been replaced by modern design and high specification levels.

At the Tucson’s recent launch, comparative charts revealed that the Korean manufacturer is certainly competitive in the marketplace when looking at similarly-sized rivals and their standard features.

Prices (March 2016):

2.0 Premium (M) N$369,900 2.0 Premium (A/T) N$389,900 2.0 Elite (A/T) N$453,900 1.6 TGDI Executive N$433,900 1.6 TGDI Elite (DCT) N$518,900

Old name, new car - we attended the launch of the new Hyundai Tucson.