HYUNDAI TUCSON
Midlife is better not bitter
A nip ’n’ tuck for the hardy Korean perennial
UNLIKE the Carlton United Brewery, which tried to water down VB to 4.6 percent in the hope no-one would notice, Hyundai knows not to mess with a good recipe. That’s why the 2019 Tucson update is nominal at best. A light exterior scrub-up brings the family ‘cascading’ grille along with a head and taillight redesign, while a new ‘floating’ touchscreen headlines an interior makeover with smartphone mirroring. The mo0s3t significant changes however, lie under the Tucson’s pleasant skin starting with a suspension revision completed in the name of comfort. Coarse surfaces still allow a little roar into the cabin but the likeable road manner remains even when thrown over nasty surfaces. A new eight-speed auto arrives for diesel-powered versions and decidedly trounces the previous six-cog ’box which is still available for the more affordable but slightly lacklustre 2.0-litre atmo Tucson. Smooth swaps and tightly bunched ratios now extract the very best from the 400Nm oil-burner. An unchanged mid-range 1.6-litre turbo petrol coupled to a seven-speed dual clutch is still a lively performer and easy to recommend, but the arrival of the new diesel transmission has elevated the more efficient CRDI to the pick of the bunch if the budget allows. A new Go variant replaces the previous Tucson Active which will doubtless continue to cater for fleet and government buyers along with the more speccy Active X, but the all-round excellent Elite and Highlander versions maintain the allure for those who appreciate their favourite brew in full-strength.
Model Engine Max power Max torque Transmission Weight 0-100km/h Economy Price On sale Mclaren 570S Spider 3799cc V8, 32v, dohc, twin-turbo 419kw @ 7500rpm 600Nm @ 5000-6500rpm 7-speed dual-clutch 1498kg 3.2sec (claimed) 10.7L/100km $435,750 Now