Hyundai Tucson
Ihave been busy driving the Tucson’s smaller stable-mate up in the mountains this month as you would have been reading elsewhere in this issue and hence the very low mileage that has been logged on the big SUV. Actually when I was on the way up into the mountains I was thinking whether I had made a big mistake in not taking the Tucson because of its off-road capability thanks to the HTRAC AWD system but the i20 proved capable enough of handling the winter terrain of the Lahaul and Spiti valley once again. Unfortunately we brought the cold weather back to Delhi NCR with us from the mountains and it is when I have realised the great utility of the large sunroof – enjoying the pleasant north Indian winter sun in the car, perhaps for the first time. What has also impressed is the 2.0-litre diesel engine which in its BS6 avatar now also comes with a 14-litre diesel exhaust fluid tank that is filled through a blue cap next to the fuel filler. The engine is amongst the best performing diesel engines with max power of 185bhp coming in at 4000rpm and peak torque of 400Nm which comes in at a low 1,750rpm and stays till 2,750rpm. Such a wide 2,250rpm power band as well as the 8-speed gearbox can make for a very spirited driving experience if one desires. Compared to the other 2-litre diesel engines in the market this is not only more powerful but torquey as well. The 8-speed gearbox is smooth, keeps the car in the power band that you would want it to be in and I have the feeling that 8 is just the right number of gears on the Tucson as 9 may have been an overkill as I have experienced on other SUVs in this segment while 6 was too low. The next test of the Tucson should be to find out how well the HTRAC system performs and I am eager to put it through its paces.
THE SUN ROOF HAS BEEN SUCH A BOON DRIVING IN THE COLD
AND SORDID WINTER WEATHER OF DELHI NCR