TONIER TUCSON HAS ARRIVED
Hyundai enhances its compact sport-ute, but maintains its value-for-money
In a Canadian market infatuated with the compact SUV, Hyundai was getting killed. Its Tucson, in the heart of the huge CUV segment, was being outsold in the sport-cute segment by Ford’s Escape, Honda’s CR-V and Toyota’s RAV4. Something had to be done.
The company’s solution? First, drop the stripped-to-the-bone, bargain-basement entry-level model. Ditto for the manual transmission. Then, offer the newly revised 2016 model in a more realistically packaged — far better equipped — model for a starting price of $24,399.
But how, many wondered, could Hyundai have the gall to charge $2,400 more for its new entry-level model than last year’s base trim?
What they miss is there’s more to the new Tucson — a nowstandard automatic transmission plus luxuries such as rear-view cameras and LED headlights — not part of last year’s model mix. And that’s for only $400 more than last year’s base GL with the automatic transmission — a fairer comparison.
More importantly, however, the new Tucson looks more expensive than its predecessors’ cheaplooking juvenile styling with hard brittle plastic interior theme.
Oh, some of that brittle plastic remains on the doors and around the vents, but overall the interior, like the exterior, has a new-found adult feel. And, it’s more luxurious: think standard heated front seats that can be ventilated, a feature not found on your average sport-cute.
And among all the electrified tailgates currently on offer, Hyundai’s is my favourite. Rather than waving one foot under the bumper, the Tuscon tailgate automatically opens when you simply stand behind it for three seconds — a blessing when lugging eight bags of heavy groceries.
Hyundai offers a wide range of pricing and two engine choices for the new Tucson. The base engine remains Hyundai’s evergreen 2.0-litre, naturally aspirated four paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. Upscale Tucsons get Hyundai’s latest high-tech turbocharged 1.6-litre four, mated to the company’s first, built-in-house seven-speed dual-clutch manumatic.
There’s a fairly distinct difference between the two engines, as the blogosphere reveals.
Those arguing for the base-level 2.0-litre point to real-world fuel economy. Although the all-wheeldrive 1.6-litre turbo’s 9.9 L/100 km in the city and 8.4 L/100 km on the highway is superior to the comparable base model’s 11.0 and 9.0, in the real world there’s little difference between the two. Indeed, in the 2.0-litre Tucson, my observed fuel economy of 9.3 L/100 km was but 0.2 L/100 km more than what I observed in the 1.6-litre turbo. And despite the turbo’s 44 lb.-ft. of extra torque, both iterations can tow 680 kilograms.
So why upgrade beyond the base engine’s 164 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque?
If all you want to do is keep up with traffic, the base engine suffices. Indeed, up to 110 or 120 km/h, the naturally aspirated four is just fine, its power sufficient and its noise, vibration and harshness fairly well subdued.
Push it harder, though, and its healthy low-end torque promise delivers no extra power when you floor it. Indeed, if you value confident acceleration, you really do want the 1.6-litre turbo.
And, this is where a few of the complaints come in — but not for this small, but able, engine. Rather, it’s the new seven-speed, dual clutch transmission, Hyundai’s first, that is cause for some concern. The complaints are that, while in automatic mode, its gear changes are too abrupt.
Yes, the gear changes aren’t as seamless as an automatic, but they are hardly Harley-Davidson clunky. Could they be a little smoother? Absolutely. Is the slight abruptness worth the turbo’s uptick to 175 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque? Yes, if you’re at all motivated by the sport part of the utility vehicle equation.
That brings us back to the original cost/value discussion, those same critics castigating the new-for-2016’s “elevated” $24,399 base price, also pointing out that one can get a Tucson, in turbo “Ultimate” guise at least, for as much as $39,599.
Forty grand for a Hyundai Tucson would seem to be sacrilege.
As for which engine to buy, the performance/cost comparison made earlier pretty much delineates buyers into two groups. The base 2.0-litre will get you around; the 1.6-litre turbo will put a smile on your face while doing so.
Which trim level to buy is a personal choice, but the 2.0-litre in Premium guise boasts heated front and rear seats and alloy wheels for $26,699, while the same trim level in turbo guise throws in eight-way power front seats and a heated steering wheel (as well as other upgrades) for $31,549. It’s up to you to decide which speaks more to your driving style.
Overview: Completely refurbished compact sport-ute
Pros: Superior build quality, more luxurious interior, engaging exterior styling
Cons: Pricing may offend some Hyundai loyalists; 1.6-litre’s dual clutch transmission is a little stiff
Value for money: Although more expensive than it used to be, it’s as value-packed as always